The simple yet incredibly alluring opportunity to make money online with paid surveys has been attracting countless individuals interested in the idea. It’s certainly no wonder as completing an online paid survey has also been touted by many people on the Internet as a fun and easy way to make real money.

You may have even read some fantastical claims promising the possibility of making considerable amounts of cash all by simply sharing your opinions with market research firms. But, can you really earn a living right from the comforts of home by doing paid surveys online? And equally as important, how can you avoid wasting your precious time on websites that won’t actually pay out a penny while still protecting your private, personal information?

A Quick Look at Three Types of Paid Surveys

The most popular types of online surveys for money include:

Focus Group Surveys – With this particular method to make money online with paid surveys you participate by providing your opinions along with a small group of others also being interviewed. Focus group surveys pay the most money, an average of $30 to $250 per survey, but most aren’t accessible online and their availability is less than frequent.

Mystery Shopping Surveys – Mystery shopping surveys pay relatively well, an average of $8 to $25 per hour with the possibility to earn considerably more, and there are often many opportunities for those living in urban areas of the U.S.

Paid Online Surveys – Paid online surveys for money are the most popular and widely used of these three methods, but the truth is, even the truly legitimate paid online surveys pay the least with most being in the $2 to $5 range on average. While paid online surveys are definitely simple, easy, fun, and in most cases, fast, doing them certainly won’t enable you to quit your day job.

How to Avoid Getting Scammed

To actually make money online with paid surveys your very first course of action should be to safeguard yourself against the numerous scammers scattered about the Internet just waiting for the unsuspecting and uneducated.

Always take the time to carefully read all of the terms and conditions that should be outlined somewhere on the survey’s website, usually in small print near the bottom of the page. Market research companies conducting legitimate online paid surveys will never compromise the privacy of your personal information or the answers to the questions you have been asked.

Make it a point to only join legitimate surveys conducted by market research companies who are honestly interested in your opinion instead of merely using the survey as a ruse for hawking their wares. A legitimate, reputable research company will never try to sell you anything under the pretense of taking a paid survey and these firms also pay their participants on time and as promised.

Utilizing a professional survey directory may be useful for finding the best way to make money online with paid surveys, but few of them offer any real value to members. One easy way to find this out is by sending the company an email and see if you receive a response. If you get one in a timely manner, great, as this is an indicator that there are real people behind the company who are dedicated to offering customer service, but if your email goes unanswered, chances are the company is merely a façade for gathering your personal information.

It is extremely important to keep in mind that while you may indeed make money online with paid surveys, you will not become rich but in most cases, usually earn some extra spending money. Be skeptical about any claims of large amounts of money given for your opinions as this tactic is unfortunately a common one in the world of paid surveys online.

In Conclusion

Completing paid surveys online can be fun and even profitable to an extent provided you approach the whole experience with the right expectations and mindset.

While it is possible to make money online with surveys, thoroughly educating yourself on the business of legitimate companies first and then dealing with only the most respectable market research companies and professional directories offering real value to their members are two ideal ways of avoiding being scammed.