If you need to collect data or obtain feedback then what are your go-to tools? At Red Desk we have experience of Google Forms, Form Assembly and Smart Survey, so let’s take a look at each of these in turn.

Google Forms

As most people have a Google account, this is perhaps the most accessible way to collect data.  Head to forms.google.com and you will be presented will various templates including event feedback, order form, job application and time off request.  If you click the template gallery link then you will be given more options which are split into work, personal and education.  Once you’ve decided on your template you can add a description, a header, change the theme and lots more.  As with other G-Suite applications, your changes get automatically saved along the way.  There are lots of tips and help on the Support section of Google, like here.  Or for a more comprehensive, independent guide, we like Zapier.com’s blog How to Use Google Forms.

FormAssembly

If you are using SalesForce (or WordPress, Stripe, Paypal and others) then FormAssembly is a nifty integration to use.  Customised web forms are easy to create using their drag-and-drop web form builder.  There’s a SalesForce Import Tool which allows you to create forms based on your fields in SalesForce.  If you are using it for another purpose then you can use one of their preset themes.  The website has lots of helpful tips including Form Building 101.  There is however, a cost attached to using FormAssembly ranging from $89 to $224 per user, per month.  If you are curious, you can sign up to their 14-day free trial.

Smart Survey

We’ve been using Smart Survey to carry out quick polls on availability and also to gather feedback on workshops for an educational charity that we support.  On the free plan, you can send up to 15 surveys and receive up to 100 responses per month.  There are so many templates to choose from so it is worth taking a look at what works best for you.  Once you have a template that you are happy with, you can use this time and again by copying over the survey and over-writing the new questions.  Once set up, the survey has a unique URL which can be inserted into emails.  As with most apps and tools, the more you pay, the more features you can unlock including response notifications every time someone fills in your survey.

If you are interested in collecting data or gathering feedback then Red Desk can help, please do get in touch with mel@reddesk.co.uk for a quote.