Earning Money with Surveys - How Does It Work?
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| Photo by Priscilla Du Preez on Unsplash |
Online Surveys - Lucrative Extra Income or a Pure Waste of Time?
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| Earning Money with Surveys - How Does It Work? |
Many survey sites entice you with the promise that you can make a lot of money on their websites. Sometimes they speak of several hundred euros per day, which you can easily generate on the side. But is that the case?
The answer is: mostly not. Nevertheless, paid surveys can be interesting for some people, especially to earn a little money on the Internet without the knowledge or prior knowledge.
In addition to filling out surveys, more and more sites offer other methods of making money - for example by watching advertisements or testing video games.
It can be even more attractive to test products, for which companies are willing to pay significantly higher amounts than for completing a survey. Product tests are therefore usually much more profitable than online surveys, which is why we also offer you this service on our website.
How Exactly Do Online Surveys Work?
The positive first: The entry barriers for taking part in online surveys are very low and practically everyone can take part. You can register for almost all survey websites without any special skills or qualifications and take part in the first paid surveys.
The situation is completely different from other earning opportunities on the Internet - such as freelancing or building a profitable blog. In addition to specific skills, certain upfront investments are usually necessary to be able to earn money successfully.
To take part in online surveys, all you have to do is create a profile and you can start right away. But here comes the catch: To be able to fill out surveys, you usually have to provide your personal information. This not only poses a security risk but also means that you will be excluded from many paid surveys in advance. Why this?
Many surveys are aimed at specific demographics. For example, a survey on the travel behavior of retirees is likely to be aimed primarily at people over the age of 60 - and as a teenager or millennial, you would probably not be admitted to this survey.
Otherwise, taking part in surveys on the Internet is pretty easy and self-explanatory. All you need is a computer or your mobile phone and a working internet connection and you can easily start filling out surveys.
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| How Exactly Do Online Surveys Work? |
By the way, surveys can last from a few minutes to over an hour - depending on the depth of the topic and the degree of detail of the questions. Therefore, think about the duration of a survey to correctly assess how much money you will earn in the end. For example, a 10-minute survey for 2 euros is better than a 30-minute survey for - let's say 4 euros.
Once you have completed a certain number of surveys, you can usually only request a payout after a certain amount has been reached. This can be, for example, a minimum amount of 20 euros or more.
Some providers do not pay out the amounts in cash but in the form of vouchers or reward points - for example for Amazon or other online shops. This form of payment is not necessarily attractive to everyone.
How Do You Recognize Reputable Survey Providers?
This, of course, is an important question anyone should ask themselves who wants to get started with online surveys. There are various criteria that you should consider when looking for a reputable provider:
1. The "Dropout Rate"
An important criterion when choosing a survey provider is the so-called "dropout rate". What do you mean by that?
The abandonment rate denotes the proportion of surveys that are abandoned at the beginning or while they are being completed, which can happen for various reasons. Mostly it is because you answered a question in such a way that you no longer fit the target group and demographics of the survey.
If the dropout rate is particularly high, but also especially if a survey is only canceled after several questions, then this can be very tedious. Because you waste a lot of time filling out a survey that you ultimately don't earn any money for.
On the one hand, a high drop-out rate can indicate a lack of seriousness on the part of a provider who is not interested in transparent survey results. However, it can also be a reputable provider who simply has very strict criteria for its surveys and who only wants to allow participants who fit well with the target group.
Either way, you should avoid a survey page with a dropout rate of 60% or higher, as you would waste too much time there on canceled surveys and you won't get what you are looking for: a fair remuneration for your work.
2. Security
Another reason to avoid some survey providers is security. Many survey websites are full of dubious offers and sometimes even malware and viruses that can be dangerous for you. Especially when your data is involved, you should be careful.
Only entrust your data to websites and providers who are rated predominantly positively on the Internet and for which there are sufficient testimonials. Be careful not to give out your personal information like address or phone number on brand new survey websites.
Because even if many websites do not want to attack you directly with viruses and spyware, they can still harm you by selling your data to third parties. This business model is nothing new and has been used by Google, Facebook, and Co. for years. But if your data gets into the hands of dubious providers, things can quickly get uncomfortable:
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You can expect to receive a large number of spam emails and phone calls.
- Hackers could target you with targeted phishing attacks.
- Your data could be misused for illegal activities on the Internet (unfortunately this has already happened to me)
The negative consequences if your data falls into the wrong hands can be dire. Therefore, always pay attention to your safety when filling out online surveys. In addition to a good virus protection program, it is also advisable to use a good VPN to better protect yourself from attacks.
3. The Background of a Provider
Another criterion that can help you identify a reputable survey website is its reputation. If it is the website of a university or an official market research institute, then you are usually on the safe side. Oh yes, of course, you can also take part in online surveys at Testerheld and make sure that you are dealing with a reliable provider.
On the other hand, if you come across websites full of spam, pop-ups, and a generally dubious online presence, then you should exercise caution. Keep your hands off it, especially when a website promises unrealistically high profits. In addition to the first impression of a survey page, you should always look for testimonials on the Internet to confirm your first impression - or to refute it.
How Much Can You Make from Online Surveys?
Can You Make Money With Surveys And Get Rich? Probably not. It's more of an interesting side income (more information here). With many survey providers, there is a wide gap between promises and reality. Although they sometimes advertise high earnings, the payouts per survey are in truth mostly far below the promised amounts.
Additional “goodies” such as cash-backs or loyalty points do not make high income by completing online surveys much more likely.
Also, don't be blinded by the number of surveys you can fill out on a website. Because in addition to the dropout rate, the payment per survey also plays a decisive role when it comes to making money with it.
While many providers state that you can fill out many surveys with them per day, you can not expect to make a lot of money with them. Because it is precisely these “high-volume” surveys that are usually poorly paid. If you can fill out 10 surveys per day (in addition to maybe 15 canceled surveys), but only receive 25 cents per survey for them, then you will only earn a few euros in the end.
Instead of going on a page with a lot of surveys, you should instead go for a provider who offers fewer, but better-paid surveys and has a lower dropout rate.
Conclusion: Are Online Surveys Worth It?
It is difficult to give a straight answer to this question. However, we think that online surveys, especially as a small additional income, have potential - as long as you have realistic expectations.
The fact that no previous knowledge is required to fill out online surveys is attractive for many people, but it also means that you cannot earn a lot of money with it.
But if you have enough time and are only interested in a small sideline, why not fill out a few surveys on the side. The risk is - if you have chosen a reputable provider - very low and you do not need any upfront investments.
If you combine online surveys with product tests, for example, then the whole thing can quickly become lucrative. We at Testerheld would like to help you to earn more money with exciting product tests and to build up an additional income for you.
FAQ - Common Questions
I Was Rejected in a Survey - Why?
Getting rejected in a survey is completely normal and has nothing to do with you or your skills. Rather, it's about your biography or personal background that doesn't fit a specific survey topic. Therefore, look specifically for surveys that suit you and where the chances are better that you will be admitted.
How Much Time Should I Spend Doing Surveys Per Month?
That depends a lot on your current personal and professional situation. If you are a student or not currently working and have a lot of free time, you can easily spend a few hours a week filling out surveys. However, if you have a solid job, then ask yourself whether the money-making surveys are worth it for you.
How Can You Earn Something Online on the Side?
In addition to completing surveys, there are a variety of other ways to make money online. In addition to testing products, this also includes, for example, working as an online freelancer, building a niche site, and much more. Check out this article for 20 great ways to make money on the internet.
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