Many people dream of working from home, and see countless listings for such positions and, no doubt, see tons of ads to get paid to take online surveys.
But what kinds of people are successful at making money taking surveys online? Is it really possible to make hundreds of dollars a month? How many surveys does one really take? The truth is that if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
It makes sense that businesses and their market research partners want to know what their target markets think about the services and products being offered.
That knowledge keeps them competitive and their businesses profitable.
Errors cost money.
But those would-be survey takers doing their homework soon find out that not all survey companies are alike.
There are plenty of scams out there, along with honest market research companies who really do want to pay you for sharing your opinions.
Honest companies send only a few invitations per month, pay between $1 and $5 per survey on average (depending on the length) and it's not a get rich proposition.
Many have minimum threshold payouts.
In reality, it takes time to accrue cash or points and get paid to take online surveys.
So how do you know the difference between a scam and the real thing? Evaluating companies online can be very difficult.
However, you should look for a clearly stated privacy policy.
Learn about the research company and what they intend to do with your personal information.
Survey questions can range from general to very, very personal.
Make sure you take ample time to know what assurances are made about using and/or distributing sensitive data or demographic facts.
Quality research companies appreciate, and take great efforts to safeguard personal information.
Consider only working with the organizations that seem as protective about your private information as you are.
A phone number and address can be helpful too.
You might also check with the Better Business Bureau to learn if the company has a poor ranking.
Additionally, reputable research firms do not require participants to pay registration fees.
Compensation plans and specific payment methods will be provided on the web site.
In some cases, established payment thresholds require a certain accumulation of funds to exist before payment is made, so it's a good idea to read the details on that arrangement and be comfortable with the disbursement policies.
While there are no guarantees, a little checking by potential survey participants can go a long way.
Make certain you are working with a reliable, honest market research survey firm.