Finding a job that you can do from home is a pretty monumental task. You've got your usual online opportunities, like affiliate marketing and freelance writing, but there are really very few ways to earn money from home that don't require some outside interaction. Even the in-home customer service phone positions require you have a dedicated phone line and a room without interruption. For those of you who are home-bound or simply just stay at home moms and dads, this just isn't going to work for you. It is for these reasons that taking surveys online is growing in popularity. The right surveys panels can be the most flexible and lucrative resource you have for earning a little extra cash from home. Here are 3 easy steps to getting starting in paid surveys:
1. Find a Good Survey List and Register. Get ahold of a decent survey list and register for as many as possible. Each research panel, or survey company, is different and may have consistently more surveys for one demographic group than another. The more you register for the more consistent your survey income should be. There is also varying compensation with each company. You will notice this right away as you register for the survey panels. You may see some companies that only offer sweepstakes entries, while others make outlandish claims about income as much as $700 per week (which is a complete and total exaggeration!) Registration Suggestion: Regardless of whether or not you want to take surveys for only a sweepstakes entry, you should be registering for them all. Some of these very same survey companies that only offer sweepstakes entries, often times intermittently have great paying surveys, product testing (free stuff) and opportunities for focus groups (the really good pay). Do yourself a favor and filter the surveys out once you actually receive them in your email. This way you will never miss out.
2. Confirm Your Registrations. After you have registered for all your survey companies, you must confirm your registrations with the link provided. Research companies do this to avoid fraudulent registrations and to prevent unwanted email. If you skip this part you will never see anything in your email inbox. You may also want to consider creating a separate email account just for your surveys, so when you do get the bulk of your survey invitations they won't get lost in your regular email.
3. Complete Your Personal Information. The last step is to complete your demographic profiles for each survey company. Many companies will offer you extra points or a cash bonus for completing this information. It is actually to your benefit in another way as well. These profiles are usually mini-surveys at the company's site that will tell them a little about you and pre-qualify you for the surveys. If you don't fill these profile questionnaires out, you may end up getting a whole bunch of surveys you aren't qualified for. What does that mean for you? It means you take the time to start the survey and you get booted out of it with no pay. Better to have the greatest odds of qualifying by already having them filtered for you.
That is about all there is to it! Register, confirm, complete profiles and check your email. There are usually surveys for you almost immediately after you start. But, how do you make sure you get the best paying surveys? Just check the compensation before you take the survey, or check to see if the research company you are registering for is making unrealistic income claims. If it sounds too good to be true, it usually is and will be a scam/spam site (you will know it when you see it).
If any survey sent to you is not acceptable for you, just don't do it and move onto the next one. You will never be penalized for skipping something you don't want to do.