Do you want to get paid online taking surveys? If YES, here is a step by step guide on how to make money fast by taking surveys online without paying a dime.
While many people have one form of paid employment or the other, they tend to find out that they are not usually able to meet their financial obligations at the end of the month, and bills don’t hear excuses. This is one of the major reasons why people always seek out a source of supplementary income, no matter how small.
Taking online surveys has come to be one of the most popular ways someone can earn a bit of supplementary income while making use of his or her computer, internet and free time. You only need to dedicate a few hours answering surveys and doing minor duties, and you get to earn a few dollars for your efforts.
Of course certain survey sites demand that you pay some money for their services, but read on as we walk you through steps of how you can take online surveys without paying a dime; and equally be able to cash out at the end of every month.
How to Make Money Taking Surveys Online Without Paying a Dime
It is quite easy to start taking surveys online. Like has been said before, you need a computer, or a smart phone, a reasonable internet connection and some free time.
- Search Out Online Survey Sites
The first step to take is to search out sites that give out surveys online. You have to be very careful here because a lot of the survey sites online are operated by scammers. They usually utilize a lot of methods to trick you out of your payment, so you have to your research properly.
One way to do this is to read reviews about the website on Google. What users like you are saying about the site would tell you exactly what you need to know. From the reviews, you should be able to know if the website pays its users, if it is difficult to attain cash out, if you would get spammed, etc.
- Get Registered
Once you have settled on a suitable website, you then have to register on the site. Note that you should not pay anything to get registered, registration is always free, and any site that asks you for a registration fee is likely out to scam you.
Once your membership request has been received, you would be required to confirm your email address. To do this, a mail would be sent to you, and you would be required to click on a link on the email to complete your registration.
This step would ensure that your email address is linked to your survey page. That concluded, you would now be sent surveys which you can complete on your PC, Laptop, Tablet, Cell Phone or Mobile App. Once the surveys are completed, you would earn points or financial rewards. For sites that reward with points, after accumulating a certain amount of points, members are able to redeem them for items or for cash depending on the site that was chosen.
Every survey varies in length and compensation, but generally, they can be anywhere between $.50 to $4.00 and take anything from 5 to 35 minutes to complete. Companies tend to list out the rewards for each survey beside it, so you get to know which survey is worth your time; but you should know that the lesser the reward, the faster you can complete it and move unto the next.
7 Tips to Note When Signing Up for Online Surveys
Making money from online surveys is not just about finding the sites and getting registered. There are certain things you need to know that would help you make the most of your membership, and help increase your earnings.
- Set up a dedicated email account
From research and experience so far, it is pertinent that you set up a new email address that is dedicated solely for registering on online survey sites. Using a dedicated email address for your survey work would ensure that you keep your personal email spam free, and make it easier to manage your survey emails.
A lot of survey websites have been accused of selling peoples personal information to third parties for marketing purposes. A separate email address would keep you protected to an extent; at least your regular email address would not always be flooded with spam mails.
- Don’t just stick to one, go the whole length
Since it is not possible to review all the survey sites to know the best, it is advised to register not just on one or two, but on as many as possible. Money or rewards gotten from paid surveys are quite small, but if you are able to pull in something from a lot of sites, it could amount to something tangible at the end of the month.
Again, you may not qualify for surveys all the time, or it may be difficult for you to land surveys due to your demographic, so you may end up staying without surveys for weeks if you are just using one or two. This is why it makes sense to just give them all a quick test drive and find your favorites.
- Do this on your spare time
Taking survey can be distracting if you have a full time job, so you are advised to do it on your spare time. The surveys would wait till you are available, so there is no reason to rush. And let’s face it; your day job is more important as it is the one that sustains you. Reserve your survey till you get home because some of them may require your attention for up to 30 minutes.
- Set up an online bank account
Most survey sites would require that you have a least a PayPal account where your earnings can be paid in. So you need to get this, or a regular online account to be ready to cash out.
- Be patient
Online surveys are slow and dreary. You would discover that in some sites, after wasting time answering questions, you would be told you do not qualify for a survey. Again, the rewards are so small that it may even take you months to reach the required amount that you can cash out. This is one of the most frustrating aspects of the business. So, you should know that it is a slow and steady business. Just hang in there.
- Honesty is the best policy
Online surveys come from legitimate companies who are doing legitimate research and would like you to give them very honest answers. Don’t say you are a 31-year-old mom, when you are actually a 53-year-old grandma. That would not serve you any purposes.
These companies are looking for honest feedback on products, services, and companies from certain age groups. Contrary to previously held opinion, if you are honest, you will most certainly get the perfect surveys for you, and even get more offers.
- Take your time
A lot of people usually want to rush over surveys so they can get over to the next one and increase their chances of earning. While this seems wise, it is actually counterproductive. Survey sites want you to take your time and fill out the correct answers. If you rush over your surveys, there is a huge chance that it would get discarded. So you need to relax and take your time, after all, it’s your free time.
5 Tips on How to Stay Safe While Taking Online Surveys
Online surveys have their good as well as their bad side, and you have to know them all so you can know how to proceed and protect yourself when necessary.
- Beware of scam
If you have done the least bit of research on online survey sites, you would notice that they are a lot of them. Among these multitude are scam sites; in fact, the scam sites are more than the legit ones. A lot of questionable “middleman” third-party paid survey sites hype easy money for participating in online marketing research from home. The best way to make sure that the site you are registering with is legit is it to take surveys directly on the site that is seeking feedback, and skip the middlemen.
- Stay away from sites with a lot of exaggerations
You have to note that if what the site is offering is too good to be true, then it usually is. Because there are a lot of sites out there competing for clients, some tend to hype their offerings, but in the end, you won’t get anything close to what they are offering, that is if you get anything at all.
- Never Pay to Take Surveys
I mean, you came to work, so why must you be required to pay before you can work? There are indeed sites that charge “membership” fees for lists of marketing research firms that conduct online paid surveys, despite the fact that you can find many of these surveys free by simply searching online.
These services compile lists of surveys that anyone could find in an online search, and then try to dupe you into believing their lists are special, and that you are required to pay for them. These services can be incredibly persuasive, so you must be on your guard.
- Guard your privacy
Most survey sites promise not to share your personal information with any third party without your consent. In fact, this is an industry standard by which legitimate marketing research firms are bound. But you need to know that most of them break these promises without the slightest qualms.
Some survey sites go as far as selling your personal information to marketing sites, and you get swamped with spam mails and calls. This is why it is advised that you get a dedicated email account that you can sign up to survey sites with.
5. If you find it difficult to attain cash out, then run
One way to know that you have been scammed is if your money gets to a certain point and you are not able to get reviews again. This is one tactics scam websites use to avoid paying their users. You may get some money after you sign up (this is usually used as an enticement), and you can start getting surveys afterwards; but you may notice that at a point, the surveys would stop coming and you are stuck at that point.
The best thing to do in this situation would be to close down your account, count your loses and move on. This is why it is advised to carry out adequate research before signing up with any online survey site.
Conclusion
Filling out online surveys on your free time may not make you rich, but you can still make enough to help you cover some bills. Note that earning here can be quite slow as you not always get to be assigned surveys, that is why you are advised to register with as many of them as possible.
Before you take any surveys, however, research the company carefully before sharing your personal information with them. If you have a question about the legitimacy of a survey company, you can check their rating on SurveyPolice. This website keeps detailed records on more than 250 companies, and its ratings are based on actual user experiences. This would in fact save you a lot of time and energy.