Lightspeed Stats on Mobile Phone Survey Response

Sixteen to twenty-four year olds are not only much more likely to respond to surveys conducted via mobiles, they also respond more quickly, according to Lightspeed Research's analysis of its pilot cell phone panel.

The research, conducted among a sample of 1,007 panel members, was designed to explore the acceptance and effectiveness of mobile surveys. The under-25 age group achieved a response rate of 39%, while the over 55s lagged far behind at just 17%. Older respondents had a high non-completion rate of 47%, compared with 14% for the 16-24 year olds.

The two main reasons why respondents didn't complete the survey were technical problems (50%) and concerns about the cost of participating (13%). Panel members with monthly contracts were more likely to take part than those using pre-paid mobile phones.

Nearly half (45%) of responses arrived within half an hour of sending out the survey, and within 24 hours, 85% of all respondents had taken part.

Results confirm a number of assumptions: notably that this type of research benefits from the mobile being a 'must have' accessory for most under 25 year olds, while those in the older age bracket are less relaxed about using this method of survey completion.

While David Day, CEO of Lightspeed Research feels that mobile research shows enormous potential, especially for capturing the opinions and attitudes of the younger generations, he also believes that there needs to be more scrutiny of how technology, costs and the novelty factor are impacting on response rates.

Day concluded: 'We know that new technology can be used to overcome some of the issues of traditional research, but only if it is done properly and to high quality standards. To ensure this, we are conducting further in-depth mobile survey research before deciding if using mobile research should become part of our offering in the future.'

Lightspeed's home page is at www.lightspeedresearch.com .

All articles 2006-23 written and edited by Mel Crowther and/or Nick Thomas, 2024- by Nick Thomas, unless otherwise stated.

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