Paper Surveys

Get Student Discount
Apply for Discount

Paper Surveys

We often get asked the question – which is more effective, an online or paper survey? In the current eco-friendly climate, you might immediately jump to the assumption that using an online survey is the more efficient, cost-effective type of questionnaire to collect data. However, if your target demographic is not receptive to online questionnaires what are your options?

The increasing popularity of offering online vs paper surveys to customers is fairly obvious. Whereas in the past paper surveys were common, the expanding growth of digital communication channels has led to the increase in the use of the online version. The results from McKinsey’s global survey on digitization shows that a large portion of future company growth will be driven by digital efforts. We have listed some of the main reasons that people are choosing to use online surveys for their research.

Advantages of online surveys

In addition to reducing the amount of paper used, digital data collection does seem to be the preferred method for reasons that include:

  • Security – With the arrival of GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) it is essential that all organisations take reasonable steps to secure data. Using online surveys, you can control access to data by password and username protection.
  • Speed – Mailing a survey to a respondent and waiting for it to be sent back takes time! Online surveys are immediately accessible and can be generated in various ways, including email, social media, or by embedding them on websites. Now, with the advent of sending surveys via SMS messaging, you can reach your target audience whilst they are on the move.
  • Cost – With digital data collection there is no paper, postage, printing, data input, or telephone interview costs. It is possible to create questionnaires for free using an online survey maker such as SmartSurvey, and if you need more advanced features you can always upgrade to a paid plan.
  • Ease of use – The goal of eliminating all types of data entry is key to many organisations. By collecting data via online surveys, you not only cut down on costs of hiring someone to do it, you also eliminate the possibility of human error.
  • Anonymity – Sometimes it is essential to protect peoples’ right to privacy in order to gather honest feedback. If you make survey responses anonymous, it could encourage more people to take part, particularly if they are discouraged by the idea of providing personal details. This is a useful feature if a survey deals with sensitive information.
  • Design – You can customise the look of your online surveys very easily, adding drop down boxes, slider scales, and the ability to attach images, documents, or multimedia files. You can customise everything from the logo, fonts, colours, and background images. Secure domain branding helps build trust with respondents and should in turn increase response rates.
  • Analysis – You will be able to view real-time results and perform in-depth analysis on the data you collect by creating custom reports and manage who you want to share the results with.
  • Offline mode – If you are conducting research where there is no internet connection, you can gather data in offline mode. For example, patients in hospital waiting rooms can enter their information on iPads, saving nurses a lot of time inputting that data after the consultation.  Additionally, respondents in remote rural areas, with no access to the internet, can be surveyed and the results downloaded when internet connectivity is resumed. SmartSurvey recently partnered with Ulster Wildlife on an important research project to protect red squirrels, giving them the opportunity to collect data in remote areas!

The collection of data via online surveys and forms is a much smoother, efficient, cost-effective procedure. But let’s not completely discount paper surveys, they do have a place in the research environment and here we highlight a few important reasons.

Advantages of paper surveys

  • Readability – If your target demographic is visually impaired in any way and aren’t able to view text on a monitor, then this may be a strong and viable reason for using paper surveys.
  • Usability – A paper survey has, and always will have, a place in survey research, as a hard copy has the advantage of serving as a document if that is what is needed.
  • Use of purpose – No matter how many benefits you can list for online surveys, there is no point in using them if they are not reaching your target audience. At the end of the day, there are still some non-tech savvy people that would prefer you to send them paper surveys.

It is true that paper surveys have their strengths, but they do contribute to the increase in paper consumption, which is not looked upon favourably by environmentally friendly organisations worldwide.

It looks pretty cut and dried that, for the time being anyway, online surveys lead the way and are an invaluable tool to gather the insight needed to make important decisions. As technology progresses, it’s easy to envision that sometime in the future robots or artificial intelligence will be providing us with the research we need to make successful decisions – watch this space!

More survey design advice

How are we different?

We will help you collect the information you need quickly and easily. Trust us to safeguard your data and provide the support you need, when you need it.

UK based

Your data will be stored and processed here in the UK for your peace of mind.

Fanatical support

We pride ourselves on going above and beyond for our customers, providing expert advice and support whenever you need it.

You're in safe hands

Our secure platform and robust data protection measures ensure your data is safe and secure with us. We are ISO27001 and Cyber Essentials Plus certified.

We're human

We understand the importance of personal interaction, which is why we offer a human touch alongside our cutting-edge technology.

Accessibility matters

We're committed to making our surveys accessible to everyone, with a range of features to support those with disabilities.

Unlimited responses

With no limits on the number of responses you can collect, you can be sure your survey will reach as many people as possible without it being cost prohibitive.

Icon of a hand holding a heart
You're in safe hands

Don't just take our word for it

Trusted by leading companies and brands worldwide.
Over 500,000 users have registered to use SmartSurvey.
Quotation icon

Thanks to SmartSurvey, our communication strategy is making us stand out from the crowd. By using SMS, asking the right questions and acting on results, IKEA is one step ahead of the competition.

Alastair, IKEA
Quotation icon

We couldn't be happier with SmartSurvey, we love its functionality and flexibility. This means we have been able to use one survey tool across many parts of the business.

Martin, uSwitch
Multi-award winning survey software
Awards certificatesAwards certificates

Get in touch

We will help you collect the information you need quickly and easily. Trust us to safeguard your data and provide the support you need, when you need it.
UK-based and secure

We are ISO27001 certified, registered under the Data Protection Act and fully compliant with EU Privacy Laws.

Dedicated support

Access to a knowledgeable account manager for personal assistance for when you most need it.

Flexible to suit your needs

Our friendly design team is on hand to assist with any bespoke design and custom development requests.

We'll go that extra step

We succeed if you succeed. Our goal is to help you carry out effective research and we’re here to help you achieve that.

Find out how we can help

Get started and create your first survey

If you would like more information then please get in touch.

Elevate your survey game.
Discover the power of our cutting-edge survey software with a personalised demo!