Can You Profit from Online Surveys?

If you have a computer and Internet access, you can make money in any number of different ways. The Internet is full of opportunities for the average person to supplement his/her income. One such opportunity is with online surveys. Companies use surveys to gauge the public's response to their products or services. It could be a new product being unveiled or an existing one that is not doing well. Either way, companies use the information to run marketing campaigns and create new products.

In a perfect world, people would have time to help these companies out, but things don't usually work that way. As an incentive for providing the information they need, companies offer compensation for completion of their surveys. This compensation could be in the form of money, points towards gifts or trial-size samples of their products.

Surveys can be completed in a number of ways. Most are provided through links online. Some are paper surveys that are mailed to participants, and payment is received once the completed survey is sent back. But before beginning any online surveys, it's wise to read the fine print. Not all survey sites are completely legitimate. There are outfits that take your money and do not credit you for the surveys that you've taken.

There are also online surveys that require you to purchase a sample product for evaluation. (The fee is only a few dollars and the compensation for completing the form ranges from five dollars to thirty dollars - if you're lucky). These surveys require a credit card, and you must cancel the transaction before the trial period expires to avoid any further automatic charges being made to your card.

If you're new to online surveys, the best way to begin is with free surveys. When you sign up, several other surveys will come across your computer with offers of compensation, but the compensation will only be received if you qualify for the survey. One popular survey site is MyPoints.com. Here surveys are completed for points. Accumulated points can be used for gift card rewards at popular stores and websites. Also, any products that are purchased through the website earn points and savings. Points can accumulate quickly for the person that routinely does a lot of online shopping. Websites like QualityHealth.com offer surveys on medical topics in exchange for free samples. The participant must complete a one-page questionnaire and provide an email and home address. The free samples are normally mailed within four to eight weeks after survey completion.

The average monetary payout for a survey ranges from one dollar to around fifteen dollars. For such compensation, you may be required to complete a survey that takes forty-five minutes to an hour or more. Most online survey sites can bring in $10 to $20 a month. This doesn't seem like very much, but it can add up to a trip to the movies for the family, or "found" money to put toward savings. Be sure to check out any survey website very carefully before you take the plunge. Most membership sites are free to sign up and the survey offers don't have to be accepted if you don't want to take them.