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.

About the author: Chris Ohlson is the owner of Free Paid Surveys.net,
www.freepaidsurveys.net
With a comprehensive listing of over 300 paid online survey sites
and dedicated to providing straight-forward and honest information
on paid online surveys.

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For the past few years, there has been a lot of talk going on about earning money by taking surveys online. Yet despite the buzz, many people are still skeptical about online paid surveys. Where does this skepticism stem from? Perhaps it comes from misinformation or the lack of information. Thus I thought it would be great for everyone if I were to share my experience in this field. I do not claim to be an expert but I do have a lot of experiences with taking paid online surveys. Trust me, if you like spending your free time online, participating in online paid surveys is one way to make good use of that free time. The basic idea is to earn money while enjoying yourself. Majority of companies engage in market research. This is how they try to get into the minds of their customers. They try to find out what we use, what we want, when and how we want it. Be it products or services, the goal is the same – to give the consumers what they want. In the old days, their methods were primarily limited to telephone surveys and questionnaires over the mail. With the Internet, research methods have undergone a revolution. It is now easier to get in touch with a broader consumer base. This is where we come in. We are the consumers. The companies want our opinion. They need it. Normally, manufacturers make use of another entity – the market research companies. These are the middle men who specialize in getting information out of consumers. These are the institutions we actually sign up with when we want to participate in online surveys. One important thing you must not forget is what I said in the beginning – I earn money through surveys as a supplement to my regular income. I have no dreams of becoming a millionaire out of this. Legitimate survey companies usually offer cash payments in small amounts – not more than $100 perhaps. More often, each survey will earn you anything from $1-$5. Think about it though, small things add up to big things. A note of caution: be wary of survey advertisements offering prizes that are just out of this world. Try to verify their legitimacy by checking out blogs and other paid survey sites which review such companies. So why not try it out? Look for some well-known names in the online paid survey business. Make use of websites that have already gone through these companies and listed them according to their features. That will make things easier for you. Remember, when signing up for the first time, fill out your profile clearly and thoroughly as this will be the basis for your participation in surveys. It’s easy, simple, and fun. About The Author:Nicolas Woiwod,Over the past few years, Nicolas Woiwod has accumulated a lot of experience in participating in paid online surveys, paid e-mails, and affiliate marketing. To reap the benefits of his extensive knowledge, please visit: http://www.paidsurvey24.com

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If you are just beginning to explore methods of making money on the internet, one of the easiest ways to get started is to join a growing number of people who make money in their spare time by participating in paid online surveys, focus groups, and product testing. These programs include anything from watching movie trailers online and giving feedback, completing 5-minute opinion polls, or testing products like perfume or cologne. There is an equally wide range of compensation for those who contribute a bit of their time and opinions. Some researchers with offer free products in exchange for your time. For example, a survey conducted by a popular music magazine might entitle you to a free one-year subscription to that magazine. Others will enter each survey-taker into a sweepstakes; for example, one in 200 people who complete the survey will win $200 in cash or a free mp3 player. Some will offer a voucher for goods, such as $10 off any order at Amazon.com. Many paid surveys offer straight-forward cash compensation. It is not uncommon to receive $25.00 for a survey that takes 15 minutes to complete. That is not bad considering it is something you can do in your pajamas while enjoying your morning coffee and bagel. In addition to cash compensation and prizes, many people enjoying participating in the process which decides which products will be sold or not. Why are companies willing to pay for your opinion? That's simple. It is estimated that companies in the US alone spend 300 billion dollars a year in advertising and market research. It makes sense for these companies to pay a small group of people to test a product before launching a multi-million dollar advertising campaign. The information gained through this kind of research is invaluable for the company. For the user, paid surveys are ideal for college students, busy parents, or anyone who wants to pick up a bit of extra money, as well as anyone interested in advertising and marketing. The great thing about taking paid surveys is that once you announce yourself as someone interested in contributing their opinion, you will receive e-mail invitations to participate. If you are too busy, if the subject of the survey is not of interest to you, or if the compensation is not what you are looking for, simply decline the invitation. On the other hand, if the survey does spark your interest, complete it and payment will be on its way. Can you think of a better way to make money? Some people who take online paid surveys make an extra $500 or so per month to cover car payments or student loans, while others devote 5 or 6 hours a day to it and make a full income. About Online Survey Networks While it is possible to surf the net and find sites where you can register to participate in paid surveys, it is highly recommendable to join a survey network, which will give you instant access to THOUSANDS of programs that are ready to pay you for your opinion. The best survey networks charge one-time nominal registration fee. This registration fee covers customer service, allowing for easy-to-follow instructions and tips on how to get started. The customer service also works to check all of the sites they recommend, so you will not wind up at a bogus site that will take you personal information and not pay you for your time. Joining a survey network ensures your privacy and cash compensation. Once you join the network, you will have access to thousands of paid surveys, and can easily pay off the cost of your registration by taking one 30-minute survey. After that, all of the profit will be yours, and the networks do not subtract a commission or fee from your payment. There are three excellent survey networks that have a reputation for reliable lists and excellent customer support. For beginners, a good place to start is Survey Scout (http://www.easy-learn-to-earn.com/survey_scout.html), as they offer a free software tool that safely automates the process of filling in your name and information when your register for surveys, in some cases cutting the time to register for a survey from 5 minutes to 30 seconds. Express Paid Survey (http://www.easy-learn-to-earn.com/express_paid_surveys.html), and Paid Surveys Online (http://www.easy-learn-to-earn.com/paid_surveys_online.html), are also excellent reputable networks. Obviously, the more networks you join, the more safe survey sites you will have access to. The more survey sites you register with, the more invitations to participate you will receive. The more paid surveys you participate in, the more you will receive in cash or free products. About the author: John Case is the author of http://www.easy-learn-to-earn.com, a free guide to making an income online, and maintains an SEO site at http://www.awordsworth1000pictures.com/

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There are thousands of websites which will post ads that says something like this "TAKE THIS INTERESTING SURVEY AND GET A 1000$ GIFT CARD".This definitely can't be considered as a paid survey.If you read the terms and conditions of this type of surveys you will easily find out that you will have to sign up for their sponsors trials and offers to receive the reward. So what actually is a real paid survey? Surveys conducted by a legimate market research firm who are hired by a company to gather information about a certain product or a type of advertisement and the result they get from people helps the company in decision making in the future about how their products should be modified and what type of advertisements are more effective. Where and how can i find legimate firms offering real paid surveys? You can easily find sites and people who are selling information about paid survey companies for a price of $50 or less and can be more at times.But if you choose this option u are getting fooled.The fact is that u can find all the information they are selling,for free,by using any of the good search engines.You can also look for sites offering free lists of paid online surveys. Incentives offered:- Incentives offered by the paid survey companies vary from site to site. Generally they take the following forms.Cash,Gift certificates,Merchandise(DVD's,small appliances,electronic gadgets etc)and Charity donations.EaCh site will offer one or more of the above for your participation in an online survey.Some will offer you straight cash(eg:-Get $5 for taking this survey),Some will enter you into sweepstakes after you finish their survey(eg:-Take this interesting survey and 1 out of 100 will win $200).There are some sites which offers points system in which accumulated points can be redeemed for cash or other incentives. In my opinion you need not pay a single dime to get a database of paid survey companies because with very little effort you will be able to find all the information yourself for free.In fact market research firms are actually prohibited from charging people to take part in surveys.So if any of them asks for you to pay money to get paid u can be sure that its a scam. If any of u have the feeling that you are going to get rich by taking part in online surveys that surely will not happen(unless u win a sweepstake).But from my experience i know that it is definitely possible to make a decent money from taking online paid surveys.Make sure you have signed up for as many survey sites as you can so that you will get a lot of survey opportunities every month. How much money you can make depends on a number of factors like ,how many site you signed up with?,how often you take part in surveys?,what your demographic is? etc. Think of this as a hobby and the earnings from this as extra cash and not as a career.Eventhough its not going to make you filthy rich ,taking online surveys can be an enjoyable way to make make some extra money easily,a chance to see and use products before they are introduced to the market, a chance to express your opinions on the products u are currently using.It definitely is not too bad for a few minutes of your time. About the author:Sushith Mundayadan,Publisher of http://brokencodes.blogspot.com has a wealth of experince in online money making.The content in this article was developed from his experience in these businesses and his continual research into further business improvements.

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