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Poll Everywhere uses a simple text messaging system to bring user-created poll directly to the mobile devices of potential clients. The application is developed with live audiences in mind, and it’s great for use in meetings, and classrooms. It's even been used in the media, on TV and radio. The poll is displayed to the audience, they can then vote by sending SMS messages to a special short number. If you have a paid subscription then it’s possible to create your own keywords to use when sending the messages. Poll Everywhere operates in most countries throughout the world with different short codes. Your network then forwards the message to the servers at poll everywhere, where they will count the votes and release the results. It’s possible to look at the results in real time, and new votes are added very quickly.

Poll Everywhere is a Y Combinator company that was launched in September 2007. However the site was initially started quite small, it wasn’t until they received funding from Y Combinator that it was allowed to grow into what it is today. It was specifically designed to make it much easier to hold and take part in polls. Poll Everywhere is very popular and available in a number of countries; it is currently in beta testing in various European countries.

Poll Everywhere makes holding polls really simple and also minimizes the cost of running them. Voting is kept as simple as possible as all your audience needs is a cell phone to send a quick text message. You can even create a simple free poll to test the mechanics out for yourself.

Polls Everywhere uses a simple user interface to help walk new clients through the process of creating and publishing polls. The application comes with a video tutorial that walks through each step of the process, meaning anyone with a little tech savvy and a comfort with computer operating environments can create a poll in a few minutes.

Signing up for an account at poll everywhere is very easy. Users are asked to fill out a form with a name, and email, then to choose a username and password. Poll everywhere is only active in certain areas, so make sure you select the right one for your needs. This will change the short code that your visitors will use to vote on your polls. Registration only takes under a minute, after which time you will have a fully functioning account and can start creating your first poll.

There are a number of different payment plans on poll everywhere, from a free plan which is limited to 30 votes per poll. To paid plans that can cope with thousands of participants. Paid plans start at just $15 per month and make it possible to identify respondents while also being able to benefit from email technical support. Platinum accounts cost $1,400 per month, but you do get access to phone support and up to 20,000 votes per poll. Most people choose the personal or presenter plans, both of which cost $15 and $65 per month respectively.

If you want to find a simple way of creating a poll that can be accessed by people with mobile phones then Poll everywhere is the ideal system for you. It makes it really easy to find out what your audience thinks about virtually any topic, it’s also possible to get live results which makes it an ideal application for use in live audience events.

• Create PowerPoint slides of results
• Create custom short code keywords on paid plans
• Charts can be embedded in WebPages for real time updates
• Hold polls without specialist equipment
• Customize the logo on your polls

Poll Everywhere video

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