If You're Not Using Mobile Research Panels -- You're Missing Out

There has been a tremendous amount written about mobile surveys over the last few months -- and there is a reason. If you aren't at least planning on transitioning to a mobile platform for at least some of your research, I'm here to tell you that you will be missing out on reaching your quality respondents.

True story -- I do phone interviews for clients. I suppose you can call them in-depth-interviews. I used to be able to complete an average of 10 30-45 minute conversations a day -- with just an office contact number and an extension. That was about a year ago. About two months ago, I called upwards of 20 to 30 people a day and was lucky to connect with five respondents.

As if YOU didn't know -- people don't sit at their desks or at home all day. They are out and about, working off site and their one constant connection to their business and their life is their mobile device.

The line between consumer and industrial respondent is blurring and the mobile device is just one of the contributors to this merge.

Another component that's driving quality of responses is this idea of community. LinkedIn Groups, Facebook Fans and now Google+ Circles is all entered around the concept of community, group or segment if you will.

Splashing an undefined audience with an online survey that takes 15 minutes just isn't going to work anymore.

You need a mobile resaerch panel -- and it's easier and more cost effective than ever to build one using SurveySwipe (sorry blatant pitch, but I can't help myself when it's true) -- Here's Why:

1. Mobile gets you closer to the point of experience. When you reach out to a panel community via mobile device - you are getting their attention. They get a gentle email push reminder that there is a survey for which they are qualified. They check their email, they check their survey notice. You're getting them where they are at the moment.


2. Less than 25% drop out. If you're getting them where they are with a 30 second survey -- you're going to get compliance and very few will drop out. They won't drop out because they know several things before they ever take the survey; first, they know it will take no time at all to fill it out. second, it's going to be an interesting topic that might actually be fun and provide some needed brain drain and finally, they will be rewarded with points to stuff they like and want - amazon points, iphone apps, etc. They just don't drop out.


3. Increases point of contact with customers. People who choose SurveySwipe consistently say that it's just one more way to engage and connect with customers. Obviously the more ways you have to connect, the higher likelihood of getting responses and engagement. AND if the way you connect is less irritating and actually rewards them -- they won't drop out.


4. Optimized privacy. THIS is the mother of features and no one can deliver on it like SurveySwipe. Because it's a mobile panel -- you as the administrator will KNOW who your respondents are. Not only will you know who they are, but you will know things about them their friends and family probably don't know -- simply by the way they answer their questions. And the best part is -- you will only know what you need to know. Their privacy such as their GPS location data that everyone is all up in arms about -- is SECURE. You will only know what you need to know for them to fill out the survey -- you will not get any potentially sticky information that you don't want and they don't want to share. BRILLIANT.


5. Confirmed Identity. And speaking of privacy -- we all know that panels are just a little TOO private in terms of the fact that you often don't know if the person who answered your survey is a 16-year old female who likes Lady GaGa or a 45 year-old man filling out surveys for money. Mobile surveys increase your quality assurance quotient by a mile.

You will not be able to avoid the trend of mobile research panel communities. It's happening now and if you don't get in on it -- your audience will be saturated and filling out panel surveys for someone else.

I'm wondering if this sounds like fear mongering? If it does -- sorry. But we've made a commitment here to keep you on top of what's happening in research and THIS is one of those things that's happening.

The weather is changing -- get ready to dress for it.