Online Surveys

There is a lot of information (and misinformation) on the Internet about getting paid for your opinion by taking surveys on your computer.

First and most importantly, they do pay and you can make money with online surveys starting today.

I hope this Hub clears up some of the confusion and sets you on the right path to having fun and making some money from home with this hobby or even turning it into a part time source of income if you really enjoy it and decide to commit yourself to it.

This Hub includes:

• Survey Company Lists
• Tips To Improve Your Survey Earnings
• What To Expect Getting Started
• Introductory Background Information

There are several reasons to take advantage of this way of generating income online.

1. It's a great introduction to the concept of making money on the web. (Warning: learning ways to make money at home can be addictive!)

2. You earn money on the Internet without even having your own website.

3. It's free. There is no need to pay for training, material or anything else to get you started. All you need is your current Internet connection and your PC.

4. It's easy. You don't need any special skills.

5. It's fun. I don't know about you, but I LOVE to give my opinion and I think it's about time I got paid to do so!

Your earnings will depend on how many surveys you take. That's why it is important to sign up with multiple companies so you'll have more opportunities.

I almost hate to give actual numbers because the range is so broad among companies and within any given company depending on the length of the surveys. You could earn anywhere from pocket change for answering a few screening questions all the way up to $30 or $40 for a complicated and lengthy questionnaire.

More resonable and "average" earnings might be $2-$5 depending on the company and survey length.

HOW DO YOU GET YOUR MONEY

Payment can be in various forms. Some companies give you choices while some have a set method for all panelists This is a sampling of what I've received.

• Money sent by PayPal (probably the best and fastest choice in my opinion)
• Checks sent by mail
• Gifft cards for restaurants (Pizza Hut and Olive Garden)
• Retail store gift cadrs (Target)
• Electronic gift certificates to online retailers (Amazon is popular with all the companies that offer this choice)

Don't forget about the sample products you may be asked to evaluate. Nopt only will you get the products for free, you will also get paid for giving your opinion on them. Here are some samples I've received and evaluated:

• Mouthwash
• Toothpaste
• Household cleaning wipes
• Deodarant
• Shampoo

(Now if they'd just send me a brand new car to evaluate...)

1. Sign up with as many survey companies as possible.

It almost seems too obvious to state it, but the more companies you sign up with, the more paying surveys will show up in your e-mail inbox.

At first, you may be afraid that you will be overwhelmed if you join more than two or three at the beginning. In fact, if you only join two or three, just the opposite wil happen- you will become underwhelmed because you won't be getting enough surveys that you qualify to complete. Then you will think that the whole concept of making money with surveys doesn't work.

You won't receive surveys from every company every day. In fact, sometimes you only receive one per week from some outfits. The more companies you sign up with, the better off you will be. Really, it's that old phrase "multiple streams of income" at work.

2. Access and complete the surveys as soon as you receive the invitations.

This is very important as each survey only has a certain number of respondents that will be taken. Depending on how specific the demographic information the vendor needs, some do stay open for a while. However, in order to maximize your earnings with this method, you can't let the surveys pile up in your inbox and then try to do them all together once a week.

3. Access your accounts periodically instead of only waiting for notification e-mails.

I have often been surprised to find several surveys waiting for me in my queues even though I've only received one e-mail about a particular survey. With some companies, there is an additional benefit to signing in periodically, or even daily. Some will give you extra chances in their weekly, monthly, or quarterly sweepstakes they they have as extra incentives their survey panelists.

4. Complete demographic profiles and household information.

Most survey companies have optional demographic profiles and general household information questions. There are two schools of thought about this and I will present the information and let you make up your own mind.

A) Some people advise against filling these out because your answers may limit the number of surveys you receive. Getting surveys that you don't honestly qualify for (such as being asked about pet food if you don't have pets, automotive services if you don't own a car, or alcoholic beverages if you don't consume alcohol) may not turn out to be very much fun to take.

B) Filling out the screener questions ahead of time will save you the time and trouble of receiving survey e-mails then signing into your account only to answer the first few questions and then finding out you can't continue with a particular survey because you don't meet the vendor's requirements.

5. Accept product samples and focus group offers.

Sometimes after filling out a survey and being awarded your points or cash, you will then be asked if you would be willing to let them mail you a sample of a product and then later answer a more detailed questionnaire after trying the product.

You'll be making more money two ways in this scenario. First, you save money on buying the product yourself. Second, the follow-up surveys are usually more in depth than the original and pay better.

Focus groups are those that meet in person, online via chat forum or webinar, or on conference calls. Focus groups can pay extremely well. In person meetings will usually get you 50-75 dollars for an hour or two of the meeting. These are rare, but a nice bonus when you get one.