Respondents are increasingly using their smartphones instead of larger screens to participate in surveys. Embracing mobile-friendly design is the key to achieving widely representative respondent cohort. It’s also the key to reaching the "silent majorities"—the busy working-age adults with kids and young people who typically do not participate in traditional surveys.
Maptionnaire is fully optimized for mobile phone use, but the design choices that you make in putting together the survey also play an important role. The core principle is to minimize required input, simplify navigation, and optimize visual elements for small screens and touch interfaces.
Here is a breakdown of how to make your survey mobile-friendly:
1. Simplify Question Types and Input
Prioritize Checkboxes, Radio Buttons, and Sliders: Avoid requiring users to type long answers on a mobile keyboard. Use Choose one (radio buttons), Choose multiple (select-all-that-apply checkboxes), and simple numeric scales (Slider) whenever possible.
Limit Open Text Fields: If you must use open-ended questions, keep them short. Consider using a smaller text input box to visually cue the user to keep their answer brief.
2. Minimize Scrolling and Getting Stuck
One Question Per Screen: Presenting one question at a time drastically reduces scrolling and makes the experience feel less overwhelming on a small screen.
Place Long Texts Behind Pop-ups: If you want to include a longer text (e.g. extra info on the project, instructions), hide them behind a Pop-up element.
Show Progress: Always show a clear progress indicator (page numbers and/or a progress bar) so users know how much time is left. This reduces drop-off.
Don't Make Questions Mandatory to Answer: Respondents want to be able to browse the survey and choose was information to give. If you must make them answer a question, explain (shortly!) why.
3. Improve Map Interaction
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Don't Use a Background Image to Provide Information: Background images are not visible on mobile. If the background is also used to convey information like a plan vision, add it instead as an image element to the questionnaire form (people can click and view it larger).
The same survey page on iPhone screen and on a laptop Provide Access to the Map Without Needing to Answer Yet: Add a Show the Map button to make navigation to the map view easy.
Help Respondents Orientate: Consider using the Location zoom feature to help respondents navigate on the map.
Remove Clutter: Use a simple, clear map and don't clutter it with extra layers.
4. General Performance
Optimize File Sizes: Consider the file size when adding images and vector maps like shapefiles to your surveys.
Test on Various Devices: Always test the finished survey on both smaller and larger smartphones (iOS and Android) to ensure the layout remains functional across all common screen sizes.
5. Provide QR Code Access
QR code campaigns can be the key to reaching demographics like young people and busy families. Advertise the survey in places where even very busy people often have moments of unplanned time. Make the survey easy to access via a QR code while waiting for a connection or a ride, or queuing.
You can download a QR code to the survey after you publish your survey (available in PNG and SVG formats).