The Truth About Paid Online Surveys

A Question and Answer Session

With thousands of people trying to find a way to make some extra
money online everyday, paid online survey sites are popping up
everywhere. With so many out there (some good, some – well, not
so good) it’s hard to determine what to believe. In an attempt
to clarify the ins and outs, and the myths and realities of paid
online surveys, I’ve composed a series of questions and answers
to help you sort everything out. We’ll start with the basics and
then get into the nitty gritty.


Question: Is this for real? Why would someone pay me to take online surveys?

Answer: Yes, this is for real. There are literally hundreds
of legitimate market research companies out there who offer
incentives for your opinion. Companies have come to these firms
to get public opinions on their products or services and are
willing to pay them to find out what you think. They then pass
some of that payment onto you.


Question: What are the surveys about?

Answer: Just about anything that you can think of. You may be
asked to review a movie trailer for a new movie, what kind of
peanut butter you like, what restaurants you frequent, you name
it. From barbeque grills to medical questions to appliances to
what you had for dinner last night. There are sites for specific
age groups, professions, hobbies and interests. The surveys are
generally very interesting and these companies are looking for
your opinion on how to shape their products.


Question: How does it work?

Answer: Each company works a bit differently, but here are
the basics of online surveys. You will sign-up for a paid survey
site. You will enter some basic demographic information (age,
gender, etc…), and when they have a survey available in which
they are looking for someone who fits your profile, they will
send you an invitation to take a survey. The invitation will
usually contain a link directly to the survey and the incentive
they are offering for you to take the survey. Just click on the
link and take the survey to qualify for the reward.


Question: What kinds of incentives are offered?

Answer: The incentives vary for each site, but generally the
incentives take the following forms: cash, gift certificates
(Amazon gift certificates being the most popular), merchandise
(DVDs, small appliances, electronic gadgets, cookware, etc...),
and charity donations. Each survey site will offer one or
several of the above incentives for your participation in their
surveys. Some will offer these straight out, for example “get
paid $5.00 to take this survey”, some offer these in the form of
a drawing and others have a point system in which accumulated
points can be “cashed in” for the items above.


Question: Will you get spammed by signing up for paid survey sites?

Answer: No, but you do have to be careful. There are some
sites out there that are simply advertising firms posing as
paid online survey sites. Here’s my advise on how to tell the
difference. First, if they offer you a chance at a fantastic
prize for signing up, such as a car or a boat, I would be a bit
weary and do some more research before you sign-up. Second, if
the survey to sign-up for the site consists of a lot of
questions as to whether or not you want more information on
other products, walk away, you’re certain to get spammed. Just
remember that a legitimate market research firm will not endorse
a product or service, they are supposed to be unbiased. Third,
read the privacy policy if you have any concerns. The majority
of the sites out there are legitimate and will only email you if
there is a survey available or if there is important information
they need to notify you of.


Question: Should you pay for a database of paid survey sites?

Answer: No. There are several reasons why you shouldn’t pay a
dime to take online surveys. First, with a little effort you’ll
be able to find all of the sites yourself - free. There are a
lot of free sites that have pretty good lists and also a few
really good free sites out there that have comprehensive free
paid survey directories with hundreds of listings. Secondly,
market research firms are actually prohibited from charging
people to participate in surveys and frown upon anyone who does.


Question: Can I get rich just by taking online surveys?

Answer: I’ve had so many people ask me if there are going to
be able to retire by taking online surveys. Well, that’s just
not going to happen. Where it is possible to make a decent
amount of money by making referrals or by running a survey
related website, you’re just not going to be making a full-time
salary by simply taking surveys. There are a lot of sites out
there advertising that you can make thousands of dollars per
week or make $45 dollars and hour for taking online surveys
(you can actually make $45 dollars an hour for a particular
survey, but you won’t always make that much and it may only
be a 10 minute survey).


Question: How much can I make?

Answer: That’s really hard to say. It really depends on a
number of factors. How many sites did you sign-up with? How
often do you take the surveys you are invited to take? What is
your demographic? Etc… But I won’t just leave you hanging at
that. I would say, if you sign-up for a number of survey sites,
take the majority of the surveys you are invited to and are not
limited in life experience, you could make perhaps $1,000 to
$2,000 a year in cash or something equivalent. Mostly you will
get smaller payments ($1.00 to $10.00) for a survey but I’ve
seen them pay as much as $200. Treat this as extra cash, not a
career. You can easily make enough to take the family out for
dinner, buy a few extras, get a few nice things for around the
house or save it all for your Christmas shopping.


Question: So, is it worth it?

Answer: Yes, I think so. Whereas, it’s not going to make you
filthy rich, it’s certainly an easy and fun way to make a few
extra bucks. I find the surveys to be enjoyable to participate
in and for the time spent, the compensation is pretty good.


That wraps up this question and answer session. Hopefully this
article has shed some light on the world of paid online surveys.
If you cut through the hype and know what to look for, online
surveys can be an enjoyable way to make some extra money. You’ll
get to see new products before they come out, give your opinion
on how to make existing products better and get paid to do so.
Not too bad for a few minutes of your time.

Chris Ohlson