One of the really great things about taking online surveys is the opportunity to get in on some "communities." Communities are sponsored survey invitations. If you are lucky to get invited to join one you have an excellent chance to get quite a few prizes - usually in the form of Amazon gift cards or credits.
I currently belong to three communities and I'd estimate that each have paid me (in the form of Amazon credits) close to $100 apiece. And I've only been part of each for a couple of months.
You can't go somewhere and declare that you'd like to join a community. The invitation usually comes from a screening survey you take. Typically you don't even know that it might lead to a community membership invitation.
There are actually several companies that serve as the hosts for these communities (hosts meaning a company or brand has contracted with them to serve as the facilitators of the community). One such is Communispace; but there are several others. To earn the credits that lead to the Amazon gift cards you have to agree to participate in the discussion about the product, service, or some related aspect of whatever the host company is interested in. So, if it is an auto related community you'll be asked to respond to emails that tell you a car-related topic is available to comment on. Or there might be a survey within the community that they want you to take. What they look for typically is someone who isn't afraid to voice their opinion and is eager to converse with others in the community.
So, the best advice I can give is to keep an eye out for the survey that perhaps ask you if you like to voice your opinion. That might be a tip-off to a community invitation. And if you are accepted you could be in line for some nice Amazon credits you can use for anything at that shopping website.
Sunday, April 29, 2012
Thursday, April 26, 2012
Repetitive Surveys - Ugh!
One of the things you have to get used to when doing online surveys is the repetitiveness of many surveys. Among the most repetitive are surveys on movies. Not a day goes by when I don't come across multiple iterations of the same survey asking when and how often I've seen movies. The survey is found at almost every survey site you can imagine. That being the case it would be wonderful if the surveys - which are usually quite long - resulted in you earning points. Sadly, that's not the case.
I don't know who the sponsor is for the movie surveys (they are actually thinly disguised ads), but you would think that they could at least offer survey takers the rewards they are promised. But, I've found that more often than not even after completing the survey you won't get the rewards that were offered - even if you get a "congratulations for completing the survey" message at the end of the survey. It seems more like a lottery where some lucky person will get the rewards when they finish the survey and others won't.
I'm not saying that you should disregard those movie surveys - but you have to seriously consider whether it's worth you time.
I don't know who the sponsor is for the movie surveys (they are actually thinly disguised ads), but you would think that they could at least offer survey takers the rewards they are promised. But, I've found that more often than not even after completing the survey you won't get the rewards that were offered - even if you get a "congratulations for completing the survey" message at the end of the survey. It seems more like a lottery where some lucky person will get the rewards when they finish the survey and others won't.
I'm not saying that you should disregard those movie surveys - but you have to seriously consider whether it's worth you time.
Sunday, April 22, 2012
Don't Wait For Email
Making money or earning points for prizes from online surveys takes perseverance. While all survey sites tell you they will send you an email when a survey is available, don't believe it for a second.
Most of the surveys I take are due to my actively looking for them on the survey sites' home page. If I waited for them to send me an email telling me a survey was available my rewards rate would plummet. I'd probably find that the quota for any particular survey would have long filled up by the time I got an email telling me a survey was ready for me to take. In fact, in many cases for several survey sites I never get an email at all for a number of surveys. This is particularly true for some of the more popular survey sites like Opinion Outpost.
So, be aggressive. Put on your daily calendar a certain time where you go to each of the survey sites you are a member of and check for available surveys. In fact, the earlier in the day - I have found - the better. For example, I make a point of checking my favorite (e.g. well paying) sites once in the morning and once in the afternoon. Yes, work schedules and other responsibilities can get in the way - and they should, after all survey taking should not become an addiction - but setting aside some time daily could payoff in extra rewards, and isn't that what you take surveys for?
Most of the surveys I take are due to my actively looking for them on the survey sites' home page. If I waited for them to send me an email telling me a survey was available my rewards rate would plummet. I'd probably find that the quota for any particular survey would have long filled up by the time I got an email telling me a survey was ready for me to take. In fact, in many cases for several survey sites I never get an email at all for a number of surveys. This is particularly true for some of the more popular survey sites like Opinion Outpost.
So, be aggressive. Put on your daily calendar a certain time where you go to each of the survey sites you are a member of and check for available surveys. In fact, the earlier in the day - I have found - the better. For example, I make a point of checking my favorite (e.g. well paying) sites once in the morning and once in the afternoon. Yes, work schedules and other responsibilities can get in the way - and they should, after all survey taking should not become an addiction - but setting aside some time daily could payoff in extra rewards, and isn't that what you take surveys for?
Saturday, April 21, 2012
Two Toluna Warnings
Toluna continues to have problems. I've mentioned this before, but their new design is a real hassle. Let me give you two examples.
First, they don't seem to know when you might have surveys to take and when you don't. Even when you get the message that "oops, there are no more surveys to take" there are in fact many more. You just have to hunt for them by going back to the Toluna home page and clicking on "surveys." You'll find lots of surveys there, some for which you get points even if you don't complete the full survey. Why Toluna doesn't correct this is a mystery.
The second issue is a warning. There is a survey firm, Gonzos, that has placed surveys on Toluna (most recently focusing on snacks and ice cream). I have taken the survey twice and completed the survey both times. On both occasions even though I was congratulated for completing the survey when I was returned to the Toluna page I was informed that I was screened out. Clearly there is something amiss here and as usual Toluna is unresponsive to any complaints. My advice? If you see a survey from Gonzos - don't bother taking it. You'll be wasting your time.
First, they don't seem to know when you might have surveys to take and when you don't. Even when you get the message that "oops, there are no more surveys to take" there are in fact many more. You just have to hunt for them by going back to the Toluna home page and clicking on "surveys." You'll find lots of surveys there, some for which you get points even if you don't complete the full survey. Why Toluna doesn't correct this is a mystery.
The second issue is a warning. There is a survey firm, Gonzos, that has placed surveys on Toluna (most recently focusing on snacks and ice cream). I have taken the survey twice and completed the survey both times. On both occasions even though I was congratulated for completing the survey when I was returned to the Toluna page I was informed that I was screened out. Clearly there is something amiss here and as usual Toluna is unresponsive to any complaints. My advice? If you see a survey from Gonzos - don't bother taking it. You'll be wasting your time.
Wednesday, April 18, 2012
Nix Phoenix International
Was I redirected? No. Did I receive points for having take the survey? No. Was it a waste of time? Yes.
Unfortunately this is not the first such experience I've had with Phoenix. In fact, it is fairly common.
What to do? Don't bother taking any survey - regardless of what survey site offers it (and many do) - from Phoenix International. Rip off would be the appropriate term and you shouldn't fall victim to it.
Tuesday, April 17, 2012
Mindfield Online problems
Mindfield Online is not a particularly great online survey site. It doesn't offer very many surveys and what few it does offer are not well compensated for. It takes a very long time to accumulate enough points/cash rewards to be able to cash out.
Even more frustrating lately is that there sight has been down a lot for repairs or something and even though you get email invitations for a survey you'll be stymied when you get a "not available" message (this has been going on for several weeks here in mid-2012).
One of the other annoying features of Mindfield is that many of it's surveys can be accessed only via Facebook. If you want to open a Facebook account or link you Mindfield survey site to an existing Facebook account - well, more power to you. If you don't wish to do so, you are out of luck. In fact there seems to be more Mindfield surveys on Facebook than are available through normal means (meaning via email notification or by going directly to your account on Mindfield.
I can't imagine why Mindfield thinks the Facebook linkage is so great, or why its site is so poorly maintained.
What to do? Well, Mindfield is not one of my top/preferred sites. I'll answer their infrequent emails, but I won't bother checking the site daily for new surveys as I do with sites that are very good like Opinion Outpost.
Even more frustrating lately is that there sight has been down a lot for repairs or something and even though you get email invitations for a survey you'll be stymied when you get a "not available" message (this has been going on for several weeks here in mid-2012).
One of the other annoying features of Mindfield is that many of it's surveys can be accessed only via Facebook. If you want to open a Facebook account or link you Mindfield survey site to an existing Facebook account - well, more power to you. If you don't wish to do so, you are out of luck. In fact there seems to be more Mindfield surveys on Facebook than are available through normal means (meaning via email notification or by going directly to your account on Mindfield.
I can't imagine why Mindfield thinks the Facebook linkage is so great, or why its site is so poorly maintained.
What to do? Well, Mindfield is not one of my top/preferred sites. I'll answer their infrequent emails, but I won't bother checking the site daily for new surveys as I do with sites that are very good like Opinion Outpost.
Friday, April 13, 2012
Surveyhead and Focusline - Downgraded
In previous posts I'd give a letter grade to online survey sites. Two of those sites, Surveyhead and Focusline, received grades of "B" and "A+" respectively.
Well, it's time to reconsider those grades and I'm downgrading them to "B-" for each of them. Here's why.
One of the hallmarks of a great online survey experience is to take the surveys, earn points or cash, and have those points converted to cash quickly and/or the cash paid out promptly. The gold standard for this is Opinion Outpost, a site that lets you earn lots of points and when you redeem your points they are almost instantaneous in paying you.
With Surveyhead and Focusline, there are also lots of surveys but the doling out of points and particularly the conversion to cash or prizes that you can redeem is excruciatingly slow.
For example, I've been using both sites for several months. At present, at Surveyhead, I have a "current balance" of about $63. But, that doesn't mean I can cash in $63. Only $47 are available for me to cash in. The remaining $16 are pending - and have been for a very long time. And, this is the closest I've been to having my available funds equal my "balance."
Focusline is similar. I have a balance of about $63, but only $38 are available for me to cash in.
In both cases I could cash in for the available amount, but if I do some of the rewards available to me (such as converting to gift cards) will be limited. I'll have to wait until more "earnings" become available before I can cash out at a level, or for a prize, I really want.
As the experience with Opinion Outpost shows, there is no reason why online survey sites can't make their prize/cash awards happen much quicker -- other than the fact that the cash remaining in their pockets is better for them than doling it out quickly to its members.
Well, it's time to reconsider those grades and I'm downgrading them to "B-" for each of them. Here's why.
One of the hallmarks of a great online survey experience is to take the surveys, earn points or cash, and have those points converted to cash quickly and/or the cash paid out promptly. The gold standard for this is Opinion Outpost, a site that lets you earn lots of points and when you redeem your points they are almost instantaneous in paying you.
With Surveyhead and Focusline, there are also lots of surveys but the doling out of points and particularly the conversion to cash or prizes that you can redeem is excruciatingly slow.
For example, I've been using both sites for several months. At present, at Surveyhead, I have a "current balance" of about $63. But, that doesn't mean I can cash in $63. Only $47 are available for me to cash in. The remaining $16 are pending - and have been for a very long time. And, this is the closest I've been to having my available funds equal my "balance."
Focusline is similar. I have a balance of about $63, but only $38 are available for me to cash in.
In both cases I could cash in for the available amount, but if I do some of the rewards available to me (such as converting to gift cards) will be limited. I'll have to wait until more "earnings" become available before I can cash out at a level, or for a prize, I really want.
As the experience with Opinion Outpost shows, there is no reason why online survey sites can't make their prize/cash awards happen much quicker -- other than the fact that the cash remaining in their pockets is better for them than doling it out quickly to its members.
Sunday, April 8, 2012
Lots of Points = Little Chance
How are you able to tell an online survey that you may actually complete and get points from one that you are likely to be "screened" out of or otherwise be not eligible for?
There are several ways that you can discern a likely survey for you and one that has little chance of being a successful opportunity for getting points and rewards.
One way to tell is by way of the number of points offered. This is not always the case, but in my experience when I see multi-thousands of points offered for a survey - say in the 5,000 or more range - I know there's little chance I'm going to be able to complete the survey. Why? It's simple, the only reason a survey is going to offer lots of points - again, in my view - is because they know there is a very small segment of people they are looking for and offering lots of points is likely the only way to entice people in that group to notice and take the survey. Technology is one area that comes to mind where I've often seen many thousands of points offered, but which I rarely - if ever - qualify for.
Not that this is a bad thing. It's actually quite rational to offer more for a select clientele of survey takers. However, in terms of my making the best use of my survey-taking time (remember, I always preach that speed is essential in making the most of online survey taking) when I see a high reward level for a survey I really put the pedal to the floorboards because I know I don't want to waste time on something I know is likely to screen me out rather quickly.
Like I said, this is not always the case. But, it is something to be on the alert for.
There are several ways that you can discern a likely survey for you and one that has little chance of being a successful opportunity for getting points and rewards.
One way to tell is by way of the number of points offered. This is not always the case, but in my experience when I see multi-thousands of points offered for a survey - say in the 5,000 or more range - I know there's little chance I'm going to be able to complete the survey. Why? It's simple, the only reason a survey is going to offer lots of points - again, in my view - is because they know there is a very small segment of people they are looking for and offering lots of points is likely the only way to entice people in that group to notice and take the survey. Technology is one area that comes to mind where I've often seen many thousands of points offered, but which I rarely - if ever - qualify for.
Not that this is a bad thing. It's actually quite rational to offer more for a select clientele of survey takers. However, in terms of my making the best use of my survey-taking time (remember, I always preach that speed is essential in making the most of online survey taking) when I see a high reward level for a survey I really put the pedal to the floorboards because I know I don't want to waste time on something I know is likely to screen me out rather quickly.
Like I said, this is not always the case. But, it is something to be on the alert for.
Friday, April 6, 2012
Screener or Not A Screener
All online survey sites utilize 'screeners.' These are a series of questions - supposedly before the actual survey begins - to determine if you are eligible to take the survey. Sometimes the screeners are very brief, sometimes they are very long.
Increasingly, however, some screeners go on for what appears to be the entire survey. How else to explain the number of times a survey taker can spend significant amounts of time taking a survey - or believe they are taking a survey - only to be told at the end that they have been screened out?
This has occurred to me on a number of occasions. Despite complaining to the survey hosting company, the practice continues. Of course, complaining to a survey company rarely does any good anyway. They rarely respond and when they do their answer is usually a non-answer explaining why they have screening questions, but not answering the question as to why one gets screened out of a survey after having not only taken the survey, but being told at the end of the survey that "you have completed the survey."
I can't say for certain why this screening/not screening issue persists. Perhaps it is just a techno glitch of some sort and you are indeed awarded the points for completing a survey, irrespective of the "screened out" response you may have received. But, the cynic in me feels that there are times survey sponsors know they can screen out people - thereby saving themselves from having to pay out any money - and still get the information they want or sell their marketing message.
If survey companies wanted to seriously support their members they would be more pro-active in addressing this issue. But, their real clients are not we the minions who take surveys, but the companies that pay them to put their surveys (i.e. marketing messages) out to the public.
What can you do? Not much, except to be aware of this practice and try to notice which companies/survey sponsors tend to do the "screened out" business most often. Otherwise, you'll just to need to accept this terrible practice as part of the reality of taking online surveys.
Increasingly, however, some screeners go on for what appears to be the entire survey. How else to explain the number of times a survey taker can spend significant amounts of time taking a survey - or believe they are taking a survey - only to be told at the end that they have been screened out?
This has occurred to me on a number of occasions. Despite complaining to the survey hosting company, the practice continues. Of course, complaining to a survey company rarely does any good anyway. They rarely respond and when they do their answer is usually a non-answer explaining why they have screening questions, but not answering the question as to why one gets screened out of a survey after having not only taken the survey, but being told at the end of the survey that "you have completed the survey."
I can't say for certain why this screening/not screening issue persists. Perhaps it is just a techno glitch of some sort and you are indeed awarded the points for completing a survey, irrespective of the "screened out" response you may have received. But, the cynic in me feels that there are times survey sponsors know they can screen out people - thereby saving themselves from having to pay out any money - and still get the information they want or sell their marketing message.
If survey companies wanted to seriously support their members they would be more pro-active in addressing this issue. But, their real clients are not we the minions who take surveys, but the companies that pay them to put their surveys (i.e. marketing messages) out to the public.
What can you do? Not much, except to be aware of this practice and try to notice which companies/survey sponsors tend to do the "screened out" business most often. Otherwise, you'll just to need to accept this terrible practice as part of the reality of taking online surveys.
Wednesday, April 4, 2012
Toluna - Part III
Toluna continues on its path with its new design. I've found several flaws with it already (see previous posts) but continue to find more. Although I keep pointing these out to Toluna, no one there seems interested in responding.
One of the neat things about Toluna has been the ability to post your own surveys/polls and have others vote or respond to them. You'd also get some points for doing so - sometimes you'd get a lot of points for a post that gets a lot of views/comments.
However, in their new format Toluna made several changes to the polls that I found confusing. This falls under the category of - "if it ain't broke, don't fix it." Here are two of the issues I have with Toluna's changes.
First, it appears you have to vote for your own poll if you are to see the statistics about that poll. Previously you could click on the poll and there was a comprehensive overview of how many people had voted. You didn't have to skew the results by registering your own vote just to see your own poll. This makes no sense at all.
Secondly, polls used to show their results by way of a chart with percentages showing. Now the chart just shows raw numbers. This may seem like a small thing, but if you use the results of these polls to report them out to your friends, or in your own blog or elsewhere (if you aren't doing this, you are missing a chance to get more hits) then you are stuck having to do your own calculations. Toluna used to do this automatically, so I don't understand why they switched.
Toluna continues to leave you scratching your head about their new redesign and why they remain unresponsive, even though they keep asking for feedback. I guess it's a case of "you're only our customers, we don't need to listen or respond to you." Good luck with that strategy.
One of the neat things about Toluna has been the ability to post your own surveys/polls and have others vote or respond to them. You'd also get some points for doing so - sometimes you'd get a lot of points for a post that gets a lot of views/comments.
However, in their new format Toluna made several changes to the polls that I found confusing. This falls under the category of - "if it ain't broke, don't fix it." Here are two of the issues I have with Toluna's changes.
First, it appears you have to vote for your own poll if you are to see the statistics about that poll. Previously you could click on the poll and there was a comprehensive overview of how many people had voted. You didn't have to skew the results by registering your own vote just to see your own poll. This makes no sense at all.
Secondly, polls used to show their results by way of a chart with percentages showing. Now the chart just shows raw numbers. This may seem like a small thing, but if you use the results of these polls to report them out to your friends, or in your own blog or elsewhere (if you aren't doing this, you are missing a chance to get more hits) then you are stuck having to do your own calculations. Toluna used to do this automatically, so I don't understand why they switched.
Toluna continues to leave you scratching your head about their new redesign and why they remain unresponsive, even though they keep asking for feedback. I guess it's a case of "you're only our customers, we don't need to listen or respond to you." Good luck with that strategy.
Monday, April 2, 2012
Phoenix Marketing International
In taking surveys I find that one of the more annoying things about it is that some surveys are excruciatingly long. Others are long and provide few reward points or cash. Still others are long, provide few points/cash and have you complete the survey only to be told at the very end that you don't qualify for the survey or have been screened out.
What's really rare is that some companies are guilty of all three of the above situations. Once such company is Phoenix Marketing International. It's surveys are invariably long, the rewards are slim and they frequently tell you - after you've spent a long time completing the survey - that you didn't qualify or have been screened out.
Phoenix is based in Rhieneck, New York. It focuses on research areas such as automotive, business, healthcare, travel and leisure, and restaurants. I doesn't reveal much about itself on its website.
As a regular survey taker, you have to ask yourself what surveys are worth the time you spend on them. As I've always said, if earning cash or prizes is what you take surveys for, then speed is key. Spending a long time on any one survey is diminishing your returns.
For me, Phoenix's lengthy surveys and its propensity for not rewarding points or cash even after you've completed a survey has put it on my "do not take their surveys" list. How about you?
What's really rare is that some companies are guilty of all three of the above situations. Once such company is Phoenix Marketing International. It's surveys are invariably long, the rewards are slim and they frequently tell you - after you've spent a long time completing the survey - that you didn't qualify or have been screened out.
Phoenix is based in Rhieneck, New York. It focuses on research areas such as automotive, business, healthcare, travel and leisure, and restaurants. I doesn't reveal much about itself on its website.
As a regular survey taker, you have to ask yourself what surveys are worth the time you spend on them. As I've always said, if earning cash or prizes is what you take surveys for, then speed is key. Spending a long time on any one survey is diminishing your returns.
For me, Phoenix's lengthy surveys and its propensity for not rewarding points or cash even after you've completed a survey has put it on my "do not take their surveys" list. How about you?
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