I seem to be reading lots of predictions for 2011 at the moment, must be the start of a new year!
One prediction that seems a dead cert is the growth of the smart phone whether it is the Apple iPhone or all the various handsets running Google’s Android. And then there is the race to join the iPad, lots of touchscreen tablet computers being launched. More and more people are genuinely able to access the internet from (almost) anywhere.
Flicking through the latest FSB magazine I came across this tidbit:
2/3 of UK businesses have no idea how their websites function on touchscreen devices such as the iPad and iPhone
[Source: Foresite]
While the vast majority of survey respondents are using a boring desktop or laptop computer, some are starting to access our surveys from their phone. This number will undoubtedly grow, but the user experience surfing from a phone is markedly different to large screen computers, and even on an iPad or other touchpad device – performing some tasks (such as typing) requires a little more attention.
So, if you want to try and ensure this segment of respondents doesn’t abandon your survey then follow these tips based on our own experiences…
- Avoid forcing your survey screens to be a fixed width. On your computer reduce the size of your browser window to see how the survey displays (in Windows, click the button next to the X on the right hand side to make the window resizeable).
Internet Explorer's 'Restore Down' button
- Avoid presenting answer lists in 2 columns. Users may not realise that more answer options are available if they scroll to the right.
- Drop-down lists are not easy to browse and answer on some smart phones. On my Android phone, clicking on a drop-down list opens a new window from which to select the answer. Anything more than 4/5 options or wordy options take considerable effort.
Example drop-down list
- Keep the survey short. If your survey takes twenty minutes to complete from the comfort of your 19″ monitor, it could well take 30 minutes on a smartphone (think loading speed, harder to read the small screen, more scrolling, etc.). On the train into London I probably have 15 minutes of uninterrupted internet access on my phone at most (if anyone can point to research when/how smartphones are used please share!). Perhaps, they will retake the survey later from a computer… or perhaps you’ve lost their goodwill.
If you have other tips, or feedback about a survey on an iPhone/HTC/Blackberry/etc, do let us know – post a comment below or email me – thanks
Offering expert advice for designing and implementing online survey best practice. We share our experiences working in the fields of customer satisfaction and employee engagement research.
Two additions to this list …
First, “Flash” is not supported by iPhones and iPads – last week I tried to give customer feedback but because the survey was using Flash all I could do was read an apology about being incompatible.
Secondly, be careful if you use “dynamic” functions/plug-ins/effects on your survey. Yesterday I tried completing a survey that asked me to use a slider to rate how satisfied I was with various aspects of service. The questions required the respondent to drag a slider along a scale to select their score. I thought it ironic that this sliding device didn’t work on an iPad.
Make sure you test your survey!