by Barry Tadmore

Created on: March 26, 2010

When you embark on your journey to find online survey sites that aren’t a scam, you will find that you’re more likely to find water in a dry desert.  Money-making scams are very prevalent online, as people are trying to find ways to get rich without having to lift a finger for it.  I was once that type of person.  Since then I have found a few sites that are real and have made a decent amount of money for me.

The fact is that, despite all of the scams out there, market research still needs to be done.  Gillette needs to know the most pleasing packaging, Toyota needs to determine which commercials test well among their target audience, and Vitamin Water needs to know how potential customers feel about various new flavor options.  The emergence of the internet (and high-speed connections) has made it much quicker and easier for these market researchers to compile data for their clients.

Market researchers outsource the collection of survey information to survey administration websites, such as www.globaltestmarket.com.  Global Test Market will be paid to collect a certain amount of surveys from among the required demographic.  In order to collect this data, Global Test Market must pay people to fill out the surveys.  Perhaps Global Test Market is paid $10,000 to collect 500 surveys.  Global Test Market might offer $2 for every completed survey.  They made $10,000 and paid $1,000 to have the surveys completed.  Everyone makes money.  To review: A company hires a market research firm.  The market research firm designs the survey and outsource the collection of data to administration websites.  Those websites then pay the consumers to fill out the surveys.  Each level makes money.

The problem is the opportunist “entrepreneurs” who decide to take advantage of people looking to get rich quick by making it their opportunity to do the same.  There are plenty of websites that require you to pay an up-front initiation or membership fee.  This fee will unlock a database or open up your resume to various companies.  This is usually false.  I’ve spent a lot of time researching ways to make money online and have even fallen for the “spend $49 to earn $5,000” kinds of claims.  I’ve wasted enough money to know that the old saying is true: “If it’s too good to be true, it probably is.”

I’ve been successful through a few channels.  I fill out surveys for Global Test Market (www.valuedopinions.com).  I also write for Helium.  Writing for Helium is nice because the more articles you write, the more money you’ll make.  And the income stream is ongoing.  I went several months without writing an article and made $50 in that time.  Among those four websites, I currently have over $1,600 in my accounts, waiting for me to cash them out!

Good luck!

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