What Are Paid Surveys?

A prudent company seeks to come to know who their prime prospect and customer is. A good way is to do "secondary research". This is studying available information (already completed surveys, expert opinions, etc.).

Then there is "primary research". This is where you go out and observe people or survey them (mail, phone, online, etc.).

Armed with the findings gleaned from surveys, the company will try to customize their marketing strategies to appeal to their customer.
Surveys have many purposes. I will speak at greater length about this later. But, in a nutshell, surveys help companies come up with ideas to improve their products, create new products, better ads, etc. This will lead them to satisfy their customer – and that increase revenues (generally!).

What Is A Survey?

A survey is a vehicle that aims to extract data that will lead the company to gain a clear understanding of their customer or prospective customer. More specifically, a survey is a set of questions.

Despite what they might look like, these questions aren't created in haphazard fashion. There's a system in the wording, the order of the questions, etc.

We will focus on surveys for money.

Surface Level Questions - Is There More To It?

Survey administers want you to read things at the "surface level" and not wonder, "What's their purpose in asking this question?" (beyond the obvious).

Survey creators focus on making it so the survey respondent thinks the questions are simple and straight-forward. We are more truthful when we perceive the question to be harmless, basic. Yet, a seemingly innocent question can have deeper ramifications.

The Order Of Survey Questions.

Much attention is given to the order of questions and for good reason.

As you do more and more paid surveys, you'll come to note that the more sensitive questions are placed at the end (such as questions about your income, education, race, etc.). But, don't worry, you can skip these questions if you don't wish to answer it. The hallmark of a good survey is one providing, "I don't know", or "I don't wish to answer" choices.

A company may wish to determine if a person is aware of something without first being prompted. A survey might ask an open ended question such as, "Which cake brands are you aware of?", rather than, "Are you aware of ABC Cakes brand?". Sometimes, people don't want to look uninformed and will answer that they are aware of something when they really aren't.

By asking survey respondents to list companies they are aware of, the company can assess "tip of the tongue" awareness, to see if their product is in the survey respondent's "awareness set". Then they know for sure the person is aware of the product.

A company wants to get their product into the prospect's awareness set as we are more apt to buy things that are in this group. This set hangs out in your short-term memory.

Asking the same question as before, but in a different way.

If you want to find out what percent of people have cheated on their taxes, you can ask the question a few different times, but take different angles. For example, the survey could ask: "Do you know anyone who has cheated on their taxes?" People are more apt to say others have done something if THEY have, because they don't want to think they are abnormal, a rarity. Of course, we're not saying that if the survey taker says that someone else cheated on their taxes that means the survey respondent did also. We're just trying to get a rough idea about what PERCENT of all people cheat. And, if they SAY no one they know has cheated, odds are greater they didn't either.

They might later ask:

"Thinking about 10 people you know, how many of them have cheated on their taxes?"

Granted few would tell others that they cheated on their taxes, so if the respondent states that 2 people they know cheated, that gives us an idea that 20% is at the low end. Of course, we can't yet know if the true percent is 1.3 times higher, 2 times as high, 3 times as high, etc. We also need a much bigger sample of responses!

"On a scale of 1-10 (with 1 being not at all likely and 10 being a certainty), how likely are you to cheat on your taxes in the future?"

"If your friend said he cheated on his taxes, was okay with it, and got away with it, would you be more apt to cheat on your taxes?"

"Have you ever been tempted to cheat on your taxes?"

"Has anyone encouraged you to cheat on your taxes?"

"Would you consider cheating on your spouse if you disliked the president and/or his policies?"

"Have you ever cheated on your taxes in the PAST?" (We are more open about what we did before, than what we are doing now or recently have done).

"If there was only a $50 fine and no prison time for cheating on your taxes and you could save $100 if you cheated, would you cheat on your taxes?"

Yes, I know. Anyone who cheated on their taxes might worry that their replies would be forwarded to the IRS. Of course, this isn't going to happen but people have that fear. So, of course, this question would be better at setting a reliable MINIMUM percent of people who engaged in the activity.

But, keep in mind, researchers aren't dumb. And, researchers strive to get the truth. If non-researchers realize people might lie or whatever, researchers obviously know that, too! Researchers have ingenious ways of getting to the truth. And, frankly, what's the alternative? Anecdotal, small and non-representative samples of those with axes to grind?

Now that you can see just how important your feedback is, and how valuable surveys are, why not join in the fun?

And, remember, you never have to answer a survey question if you don't want to. So have at it!

I hope this background on paid surveys has given you extra reasons to do surveys for money. Best wishes in all your endeavors.

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Chris James, Edits the editor of the "Paid Surveys Ezine". He has edited this free newsletter since July, 2004. Get direct links right to the registration form of hundreds of paid survey and mystery shopping companies. Plus, receive free Form Filler Software (it fills in all forms). To join for free, visit: http://completelistofpaidsurveysites.com and simply add your name (or nickname) and email address.

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