Pagination helps organize surveys and improve user experience. Learn how and when to use it.
When building a survey, one decision to make is how to administer the questions. You can either design a paginated or infinite scrolling survey. Pagination can serve as a strategic advantage by increasing response and break-off rates in surveys. In this article, we will explain what pagination means, its advantages and limitations, and how to use pagination in your surveys.
Pagination is a way of separating online content onto different pages instead of placing it all on one webpage where the user needs to scroll. This type of web structure is typically accompanied by page numbers placed at the top or bottom of each page. Infinite scrolling, on the other hand, is when content appears as the user continues to scroll and functions as a bottomless webpage. Pagination allows respondents to navigate the entire survey by clicking on a page number to go from one question to the next. A paginated design allows one question per page instead of displaying the entire survey on one webpage where the user scrolls down until they finish.
One benefit of paging surveys is that they can keep you more organized. For example, building a survey with one question per page compartmentalizes each question to stand out on its own. Arranging questions this way can offer a more user-friendly design allowing users to focus on one question at a time. This approach might be less overwhelming for respondents than one full page of questions.
Organizing a long list of questions on one page allows respondents to skim immediately. If you have a lot of questions, this might discourage users from completing the survey because they might feel it takes up too much of their time. However, spreading out lengthy survey questions onto separate web pages presents a less-intimidating task for the user. On the other hand, one-page surveys benefit fewer questions because they don’t require much scrolling.
Pagination is useful for surveys with images and video. For instance, it might be beneficial to include photos for multiple-choice questions about certain brands. Photos offer color, texture, and design to a survey making it more pleasing to the eye. Respondents are more likely to stay engaged when online content is pleasing to the eye. When respondents remain engaged, they’ll more likely complete the survey, and you’ll receive the insights you’re looking for.
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With paging, respondents can bookmark their page if they have to take a break and finish the questionnaire at a more convenient time. Providing respondents with a paginated survey allows them to see how long the survey is without needing to scroll down. This feature is especially useful for mobile devices. A smaller screen can make a short to medium-sized survey seem long. With the paginated feature providing page numbers, respondents can immediately assess how long it might take for them to complete the survey.
Another benefit to paging design is that you can still collect insights if a respondent exits the survey. If a respondent doesn’t complete the survey, you can receive answers to any questions they have answered. When you submit a survey using the one-page infinite scrolling method, respondents must complete the entire questionnaire to receive feedback and insights.
It’s always best to recognize the limitations of any feature when it comes to designing a survey. Your main business objective will reflect what kind of information you want from a survey. In some cases, a paginated survey could render some obstacles. Here’s a short list of them:
Learn more pros and cons of scrolling through multiple pages in surveys.
In a survey, always make sure you’re asking the right questions in the right way. The use of pagination will depend on the type of questions you ask and how you ask them. Here are some useful tips that can help you determine if pagination is necessary for your next survey:
Your surveys can be as short or as long as you want them to be. The number of questions per page is up to you. For example, this employee engagement pagination survey is presented in sections. It breaks up more than 40 questions into manageable sections like “Employee Information” and “Career Development”.
Applying the use of pagination is simple. It would help to be organized to assess your questions properly. When customizing, it’s always best to simplify the look of your survey and avoid getting too fancy with the design. Be consistent with the page’s appearance. Also, make each user experience unique through personalization.
Here’s a quick checklist for how to use pagination in your next survey:
The purpose of pagination is to provide survey users with a comfortable experience in answering every one of your questions. The meaning of pagination is to help you organize a long list of survey questions in a way that doesn’t overwhelm the respondent from completing the questionnaire.
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