Common Missing Labels in Survey Apps: Causes and Fixes

Missing labels in survey apps can lead to a poor user experience, resulting in decreased user engagement and revenue loss. Technical root causes of missing labels include incomplete or incorrect imple

Introduction to Missing Labels in Survey Apps

Missing labels in survey apps can lead to a poor user experience, resulting in decreased user engagement and revenue loss. Technical root causes of missing labels include incomplete or incorrect implementation of accessibility features, inadequate testing, and insufficient consideration of user personas, such as the elderly or accessibility personas. For instance, when using SUSA, an autonomous QA platform, to test survey apps, it can automatically explore the app and identify missing labels issues without the need for scripts.

Real-World Impact of Missing Labels

The real-world impact of missing labels in survey apps can be significant. User complaints and low store ratings can lead to a loss of reputation and revenue. For example, a survey app with missing labels may receive complaints from users who are unable to navigate the app, leading to a decrease in user engagement and ultimately, revenue loss. According to SUSA's testing data, survey apps with missing labels issues can experience up to 30% decrease in user engagement.

Examples of Missing Labels in Survey Apps

Here are 7 specific examples of how missing labels can manifest in survey apps:

• Unlabeled radio buttons: In a survey question with multiple choice options, radio buttons may not have corresponding labels, making it difficult for users to understand the options.
• Incomplete form labels: A survey form may have incomplete or missing labels for text fields, such as name, email, or phone number, leading to confusion and errors.
• Unnamed checkboxes: Checkboxes in a survey question may not have corresponding labels, making it difficult for users to understand what they are selecting.
• Missing labels for survey questions: Survey questions may not have corresponding labels, making it difficult for users to understand the question being asked.
• Inaccessible dropdown menus: Dropdown menus in a survey app may not have corresponding labels, making it difficult for users to navigate and select options.
• Unlabeled buttons: Buttons in a survey app, such as "Submit" or "Next", may not have corresponding labels, making it difficult for users to understand the action being performed.
• Insufficient tooltips: Tooltips in a survey app may not provide sufficient information about the field or question, leading to confusion and errors.

Detecting Missing Labels

To detect missing labels in survey apps, developers can use various tools and techniques, such as:

• Automated testing tools, like SUSA, which can automatically explore the app and identify missing labels issues.
• Accessibility testing tools, such as Lighthouse or WAVE, which can identify accessibility issues, including missing labels.
• Manual testing, which involves manually testing the app to identify missing labels and other accessibility issues.
• User testing, which involves testing the app with real users to identify usability issues, including missing labels.

When detecting missing labels, developers should look for:

• Incomplete or missing form labels
• Unnamed checkboxes and radio buttons
• Inaccessible dropdown menus
• Unlabeled buttons
• Insufficient tooltips

Fixing Missing Labels

To fix missing labels in survey apps, developers can follow these steps:

• Add complete and descriptive labels to form fields, checkboxes, and radio buttons.
• Use accessibility attributes, such as aria-label or aria-labelledby, to provide a text description of the element.
• Implement adequate tooltips to provide sufficient information about the field or question.
• Test the app with automated testing tools, accessibility testing tools, and manual testing to ensure that missing labels issues are resolved.

Here is an example of how to fix missing labels in code:

<!-- Before -->
<input type="radio" name="option" value="option1">
<input type="radio" name="option" value="option2">

<!-- After -->
<input type="radio" name="option" value="option1" aria-label="Option 1">
<input type="radio" name="option" value="option2" aria-label="Option 2">

In this example, the aria-label attribute is used to provide a text description of the radio buttons.

Prevention: Catching Missing Labels Before Release

To catch missing labels before release, developers can follow these best practices:

• Implement accessibility testing as part of the development process.
• Use automated testing tools, like SUSA, to identify missing labels issues.
• Conduct manual testing to identify usability issues, including missing labels.
• Test the app with real users to identify usability issues, including missing labels.
• Use accessibility guidelines, such as WCAG 2.1 AA, to ensure that the app meets accessibility standards.

By following these best practices, developers can catch missing labels issues before release and ensure that their survey app is accessible and usable for all users. Additionally, SUSA's cross-session learning feature allows it to get smarter about the app every run, enabling it to identify missing labels issues more effectively over time. SUSA's flow tracking feature also provides PASS/FAIL verdicts for login, registration, checkout, and search flows, helping developers to identify and fix missing labels issues in these critical areas.