Google is strangely modest when it comes to publicizing new features, and this one definitely passed us by. It turns out that Google has added survey forms to Google Docs.

Let’s say you want to poll your clients, members, staff or any other group of people about a specific issue, or — if you are a researcher — you want to make a survey of a particular set of respondents.

Normally you would send out a paper based form, or you would use one of the more expensive web-based solutions.

Google is giving the tool away for free. Here’s what you do:

1. If you do not have a Gmail account already, sign up for one and sign in.
2. Click on the Documents link at the upper left hand corner. This will bring you to Google Docs, Google’s online word processor, spreadsheet and presentation package.
3. Select New/Spreadsheet.
4. Google will open a new spreadsheet in a separate tab or window.
5. Click on the Share tab to the right.
6. You are now given the option of inviting people to be collaborators, viewers or to fill out a form. Select the last option.
7. Click on Start editing the form. Google will open a new window where you can design the form.

You may now develop your form using different types of questions, including plain text entries, multiple choice, check boxes or lists.

You can use the form for the simplest of tasks — let’s say for asking people to sign up for an event (one question only) — or for more complex surveys including a large number of questions and field types.

When you have finished you enter the email-addresses of the respondents.

The respondents will et an email leading them to the form. As soon as they have filled in form, your spreadsheet will be updated.

We are impressed!

Pandia’s wish list

The are only two things we find missing.

The first is the ability to import email-addresses from a designated spreadsheet.

That would make it easier to make regular surveys of a particular set of respondents, like — for instance — company employees. You may import addresses from your Google contacts, but that is not quite the same.

The second is the ability of adding a survey widget to our site, so that readers could fill in a short form here at Pandia, without waiting for an invitation sent by email.

How does Google monetize this service?

Why does Google give away a service like this for free? The commercial alternatives do not come cheap, we can assure you.

The fact is that Google is losing money on services like this one and others. Google may include ads on some of the relevant pages, but those can hardly cover the expenses for developing and running such a service.

The fact is that Google is still looking for a sensible business model for their various “software as a service” products.

However, if you look at the Google package as a whole, it does make sense to give away products like this for free.

Google wants you to become a regular Google users, using Google for most of your online needs. By developing a brand loyalty, or — rather — a sign-in loyalty, the company is strengthening its future user base.

There comes a point when you will find it easier to stick with the same log-in, instead of remembering a large number of IDs and passwords, and Google wants that ID to be your Gmail address.

Given that some of Google’s online services will be profitable (Google Search already is), having you as a loyal customer will be profitable in the long run.

Google will soon meet the same criticism as Microsoft has, however. Microsoft and Apple has been criticized for including too many features in their operating systems, undermining competition from other software developers.

Why should you buy a more expensive commercial product when Microsoft (or Google) gives it away for free?

We agree with Chris Andersson here. Free is the definitely the future of business, and you cannot stop that by way of laws and regulations.

See also: How to Use Google to Create Forms and Surveys, Associate Content
Stop sharing spreadsheets, start collecting information, Google Docs Blog