Survey Tips:

Writing Great Questions for Online Surveys

The Role of Online Surveys in the Usability Assessment Process

Factors Leading to the Success of Your Survey

Collecting Useful Survey Data

Writing Effective Survey Questions

Online Surveys Additional Resources

Why Multi-Screen Survey( not multipage surveys)

Best Practices for Building Web Surveys

What is a paid survey?

A paid survey, or "market research survey", is a series of questions that are presented to either an individual, or group of individuals, to see how they perceive and respond to certain products or services. Each and every person fits into some type of demographic (segments of human populations broken down by age, sex, income, etc.), that certain products or services are marketed to. For instance, athletic equipment may be marketed towards a younger, physically active demographic, while luxury cars might be marketed towards a higher income demographic. These online surveys are offered for free as a means to understand certain markets better.

What is a focus group?

A focus group is another type of survey where a group of individuals are invited to discuss a certain topic related to the company that sponsors the focus group. You may or may not know the point of the discussion and they are often hosted by a moderator that will guide the discussion. These focus groups can be held at a physical location or online and usually lasts between 30 minutes to 2 hours. The compensation can range from up to , depending on the topic and time involved.

Why is my opinion so important?

Companies spend hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of dollars on advertising for new and/or existing products and services. These "advertising campaigns" can sometimes be a complete waste of time and money if the company does not research the market that they are trying to capture. So it makes sense for a company to see how it's products or services are received by the public, before it invests the money and time on advertising. This is where the market research survey comes in, and this is why your opinion is so important.

I understand all that, but why would they pay me money?

The answer to this question is very easy and boils down to one thing; Your time is worth their money! Think about it this way...if you are going to introduce a new type of tennis racket into the market, but you're unsure if it's needed or wanted, would you rather spend thousands of dollars on advertising, or simply pay 50 tennis players and find out their opinion about tennis rackets?

Okay, so how much can I really make taking paid surveys?

Compensation from survey companies can range from $1 up to $75 per survey, and most surveys take around 6-12 minutes to complete. There are some companies that offer points for completing a survey, and those points can then be redeemed for gift certificates, merchandise, cash and prizes. You can even be entered into raffles for prizes after completing certain surveys. No matter what the compensation, all legitimate survey companies will tell you up front, before you begin the survey, what the compensation will be. The more you take, the more you make.

How am I paid, and is that money taxed?

The market research company that sponsors the survey or focus group will send you your compensation, usually by mail. The money that they tell you the survey is worth is the amount you will receive by check. It is entirely possible to receive multiple checks from multiple research companies at various times of the month. Since you will be operating as an independent contractor, you are responsible for filing taxes on all the money earned you have earned.

Is there a limit to the number of paid surveys I can take?

There is no limit to the amount of surveys or focus groups you can participate in online. You can offer your opinion every day, all day and get paid for it.

Who can take the surveys and how?

Anyone 18 years of age and older can register to take online surveys. You won't make a fortune doing this, but you can make a few extra dollars a month without any investment. Plus you can win some really good prizes. The complete list of recommended free-to-register paid survey sites is at the bottom of this page. Here are some hints to get you started.

To begin, you do NOT need to buy a book telling you how to do this. There are many books on the internet that sell for $20 to $40 that promise to tell you all you need to do to make thousands by taking surveys. But a book is going to be out of date by the time it is printed. You might want to consider a good survey listing site if it is kept updated. And they better have several hundred companies you can register with. Also, any fee paid for access to the listing should be one-time only. And they should have a guarantee.

Next, to do this right and make a little extra money through paid surveys, I would suggest you sign up for a free email account at Yahoo, MSN, Excite or some other free email site. There are many of them on the internet. Use this free address as your email address when you register with the survey site.

Be sure to read the agreement (usually called terms and conditions) when you register. It is very important for you to know what your rights are as a registered survey taker.

Can't find what you're looking for? Try google search.

View My Stats