According to a report released by Frost and Sullivan, an estimated 73 percent of Australians aged 15 to 65 owned a smartphone in 2013, and the figure is expected to rise to 93 percent by 2018.
As a business owner, you need to step up your mobile game if you want to stay abreast of your competitors. Mobile is not only an excellent medium for promoting your brand, building customer relationships and providing customer service; it can also be used to gain a better understanding of consumer preferences and habits.
There are many ways that you can leverage mobile to obtain information about your target consumers, and one of them is conducting SMS surveys.
Here is a look at why you should incorporate SMS surveys into your business strategy….
Benefits of SMS Surveys
High Open and Response Rates
In the past, surveys were mostly conducted face-to-face or via phone, email, the Internet or postal mail.
In recent years, an increasing number of companies in Australia have been using SMS to conduct surveys.
One of the main reasons why SMS surveys are becoming more popular is because SMS has a very high open rate. According to SMS marketers, more than 90 percent of SMS messages are opened by their recipients, and they are read within 15 minutes of delivery.
Email messages, on the other hand, have an open rate of only 20 to 25 percent.
As such, if you conduct surveys via SMS, you can expect to get a higher response rate.
Honest Responses
When you use SMS to conduct surveys, there is a greater likelihood that you will get honest answers from the participants, because SMS is an impersonal form of communication.
Since the participants do not have to speak directly to surveyors, they will feel more comfortable to give honest answers. The information that you obtain from SMS surveys can be used to improve certain aspects of your business.
According to the article “SMS Surveys to Satisfy Customers“, businesses can use survey results to develop better marketing strategies and boost customer satisfaction.
Other Benefits
SMS surveys are non-intrusive and can be completed anytime, anywhere. As such, they usually have a higher participation rate than other types of surveys.
Additionally, they are more cost-effective and easier to carry out because they are automated.
Tips for Conducting SMS Surveys
If you want more people to participate in your SMS surveys, you have to make sure that they are not too long. Ideally, they should not contain more than five questions, and the questions should be clear and short.
Additionally, you should try to add a fun and personalized touch to your surveys. Introduce yourself in a friendly manner and greet the participants using their names if possible.
It is essential that you send your surveys to the recipients at the right time. If you send them messages at a time when they are receptive, they are more likely to give you quality responses.
Conducting SMS surveys is a great way to let your target consumers know that you value their opinions, and you are committed to providing a better shopping experience.
It can help you build customer loyalty and make the appropriate changes to improve your business.
About the Author: John McMalcolm is a freelance writer who writes on a wide range of subjects, from social media marketing to Cloud computing.