The paid survey industry has matured and should be considered a viable home based job option. For a very small fee, you gain access to a database of hundreds of research companies who will pay you for your opinion in the form of surveys. The small up front fee can be recovered with as little as the first survey you take.
This is an opportunity for stay-at-home parents, students, entrepreneurs, retirees - anyone who needs a flexible source of extra income and enjoys using the internet. These online surveys can typically be done no matter where in the world you live, although the vast majority of them are in English.
Online survey jobs do require effort and persistence as not all the survey companies will select every individual to participate. The more you complete, the more you make. Many people do paid online surveys for part time extra incoe, while the number of stay-at-home workers doing it full time is growing rapidly.
Companies pay as much as $99 per survey but more typically $5-$5- per survey depending on the company, the individual, and each type of survey or focus group. Future: Look for large scall growth as the business of "connecting" credible survey takers with paying companies explode.
Paid surveys continue to grow in popularity and are now a typical marketing research tool for marketing companies to gather consumer information and thoughts on a wide variety of topics. The thought of being paid for taking a survey hasn't quite hit home yet to the wider community given it's perceived simplicity; after all, being rewarded either through monetary gain or goods in kind for just answering a few questions just doesn't add up, right?
There is method behind the "madness" though. Think back to when you last filled out a survey for free. Did it seem like an imposition? Was there some place else you would have rather been? Was it wasting your valuable time? Did you put any thought into your answers. Truth probably is that people filling out free surveys are more inclined to give quick and cheeky answers. Now if you were actually beid paid to complete a survey do you think you would put a little more effort into completing it. The answer is more than likely a resounding yes and marketing companies have woken up to this fact.
How Much Can I Make?
One misconception is that paid surveys are the answer to a person's financial problems. Please understand; except for a select few, doing paid surveys will in most cases, provide some extra cash for the month but won't bring you financial independence as some claim. In reality, participating should be seen as a way of supplementing your current income with a few extra dollars. Granted, there are people making a very good living but in the main, these are usually survey veterans who know the business inside out and have probably had to go through a few trials and tribulations to get where they are.
Should I Be A Little Skeptical?
Like anything in life, there will always be "bad apples in the tray" and paid survey sites are no exception. It's good policy to be wary of sites offering hundreds of dollars an hour. Reality is that while you can make some great part time income, truth is that payments of a few dollars a survey or goods in return is the more likely scenario.
Be wary of having to pay a fee to join a survey site. Generally, you will be paying for the privilege of getting a list of companies offering to pay for surveys. You get the same information from free to join directories without parting with your hard-earned cash.
Which Sites Should I Join?
This is a difficult question because there is a lot of trial and error involved in finding the most legitimate sites. However, this following checklist is a good "rule of thumb" to follow and should save you a lot of frustration:
- Avoid offers of hundreds of dollars from sites to take a survey. - Avoid sites offering incentives such as expensive products just to take a survey. - Concentrate on sites who give you a payment figure up front and sites who work on a redeemable points system. - And the "old chestnut"... if it sounds to good to be true, then it probably is.
In the final analysis it will be your decision. Just remember to read over any contract agreements carefully and that you understand exactly what is being offered. Be wary of any hype and if the company is contactable via either physical and email address plus telephone, then you should investigate further. Testimonials from satisfied paid survey participants are usually an excellent lead.
Both Melih Oztalay & Dean Caporella are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Melih Oztalay has sinced written about articles on various topics from Modelling, Site Promotion and PPC Advertising. Visit our extensive article library find more information on home business at and at our. Melih Oztalay's top article generates over 90500 views. to your Favourites.
Dean Caporella has sinced written about articles on various topics from Parenting, Golf Guide and Surveys. Dean Caporella is a professional broadcaster. Avoid the pitfalls joining somesites.Read the latest news and reviews at:. Dean Caporella's top article generates over 74000 views. to your Favourites.