Smartphone Research –
The New Generation Of Market Research Tools
Creating questionnaires and conducting surveys utilising smartphones is the latest global research tool
and this could soon become one of the most widely used research instruments.Smartphones can be used in two ways:
- 1. Online (via the Browser application on the phone) –the respondent is presented with the survey directly on the smartphone browser in a format modified to fit the screen. The respondents' answers are not stored on the smartphone (offline) but are transmitted directly to the research vendor as soon as the questionnaire is complete. An online smartphone survey relies on the network service always being active, i.e. the respondent self-completes the survey and requires a network signal to communicate with the survey.
- 2. Offline – the respondent is interviewed face to face by an interviewer who in turn uses the smartphone instead of paper to record the respondents' answers. This "electronic" mode of conducting face to face research is becoming more prolific as costs of smartphones and the peripherals get cheaper. The respondents' answers are stored on the smartphone (offline) and are then transmitted to the research vendor at the interviewers' convenience, normally at the end of the working day. An offline smartphone survey does not rely on the network service always being active to complete the interview.
Research conducted using smartphones is helping to deliver new levels of insight that traditional methods cannot, for example allowing video content to be included as a part of the research findings. Smartphones (and the capabilities of) are changing the way people consume, communicate and connect with brands as the information gained is more authentic, and as the research can be interactive, it encourages a higher response rate.
How research on a smartphone works
The respondent can be invited to take part in a survey in a number of ways:- 1. By receiving an email which will give them instructions on how to link to or click on the survey URL address.
- 2. By advertising the survey link on any corporate literature eg: customer feedback forms or on purchase receipts.
- 3. By advertising the survey QR code on any corporate literature eg: customer feedback forms or on purchase
receipts. The SwissPeaks QR code that directs you to our community page is as below. Scan it into your smartphone
and you will be taken directly to this page on our website.
- 4. By being asked directly by an interviewer (face to face) – this latter method is different to the three above as the interviewer would conduct the respondent through the survey. The interviewer would be using the smartphone and asking the questions. With the first three invite types the respondent self completes the survey, i.e. with no interaction with any third parties.
The smartphone survey can be made more interesting for the respondent if completing without assistance or can be tailored to look more functional, for speed, when an interviewer is using the smartphone to record the respondents' responses.
Making the survey experience an interactive and fun one for self completion surveys will help to increase the response rate. An example question is as below:
- The interviewer will have the survey already downloaded onto the smartphone, i.e. the smartphone becomes the computerised interviewing console
- There is no need to be concerned about the strength of the network signal on the smartphone when working offline and so allowing good quality interviews to be undertaken in normally awkward rural locations
- The interviewer can complete as many surveys as they wish during the day when working offline with the smartphone and then send them (in batch) to the central analysis centre at the click of a button
- The interview is much cleaner than that conducted face to face using paper and as such the analysis is more readily available and results can be uploaded into the required report format immediately
Advantages of smartphone research
Online (self completion)- Speed – turnaround times are much faster than traditional research methods, therefore the findings are more readily available.
- Global brands – for international organisations it makes conducting interviews globally far easier and quicker. The logistics can be controlled centrally, but the interviews can be conducted anywhere in the world, i.e. not geographically dependent.
- Intuitive research – capable of delivering research (the survey) to respondents easily and in an entertaining and fun manner, such that the respondent remains engaged and interested in the survey.
- Cost effective and meaningful research – conducting research on a device that the respondent already owns coupled with empowering a respondent (customer) who can provide feedback that can be translated into business recommendations is important and the use of smartphones for research allows us to do this more readily.
- Economical – the market penetration on mobile phone ownership is high, and more and more people are turning to smartphones as they in turn become cheaper. Network costs for accessing surveys online becomes negligible also as data packages sold with smartphones become less expensive.
Offline (face to face completion – with an interviewer)
- No bulky equipment for the interviewer – the smartphone replaces the laptop or notebook technologically but still retains the same functionality and capability of the laptop, i.e. the smartphone can hold multiple questionnaires and surveys at any point.
- Smartphone technology also enables research to be carried out in rural and hard to reach areas far easier, i.e. less dependency on carrying bulky questionnaires or bulky equipment whilst travelling long distances.
- The efficiency of the smartphone technology enables the research to be transmitted and analysed faster than traditional methods.
- The survey software can be held on the smartphone (for face to face surveys to be conducted) and so survey completion in areas where internet connectivity is not good can be achieved.