Questions Legitimate Paid Survey Sites ask
Are you interested in trying your luck at making extra money by taking paid surveys, but are unsure what to expect once you join a consumer opinion panel? Regardless of which paid survey site you join, there are many questions that you'll be asked every time you take a survey.
Most paid surveys start off by asking for non-identifying personal information. Consumer opinion panels require this information so they can make sure that the panelists who complete the survey fall into their clients' required demographics. Common questions during the screening process include topics like age, annual household income, employment status, ethnicity, gender, highest level of education completed, number of people who reside in the household, state of residence, and ZIP code. Most of the information requested at this point in the survey is mandatory, although some topics (like annual household income) will typically include an option to decline answering.
Once the screening process is complete, panelists who fall into the desired demographic categories continue on to the actual survey. The number and type of questions that are asked during surveys can vary widely based on the company conducting the survey and the type of product or service being evaluated. Typical market research surveys will mostly contain multiple choice questions. Some will provide blank fields for panelists to type responses in.
The most commonly asked questions at this point in the survey-taking process revolve around the product being evaluated. A survey may provide panelists with a list of brand names and ask them to rate their familiarity with each one, or give a list of retailers and ask the panelist to identify the stores he or she has shopped at within the past few months. Panelists are also frequently asked to answer questions about the products they use on a daily basis. For example, a survey about cell phones will typically ask which mobile carriers the panelist is familiar with, whether or not they use a smart phone, and if his or her primary wireless plan is prepaid or billed on a monthly basis.
A good portion of most surveys will focus on the panelist's opinion of a particular product or service. Typically, the panelist will be asked to view a picture of the product and read a written description of it, then answer a variety of questions. Sometimes manufacturers want to know what the panelists think of the product's packaging-is it eye-catching? Does it set the product apart from others that may be similar? How about value-does their product offer a better value for the consumer's money than a competitor's product would? Is the pricing they've proposed fair for the size of the product? Will the product fulfill a need the panelist has? Would the panelist be likely to consider using the product instead of something they already use? If not, would he or she consider using it in addition to what they already use?
In addition to multiple choice questions, many surveys ask open-ended questions that give the panelist the chance to voice his or her opinion on the product directly. These are usually a very small portion of a survey, but ask important questions like “What did you like the most about this product?” and “What did you like the least about this product?” Questions like these give panelists the opportunity to directly voice their opinion, and can possibly identify potential problems-or selling points-that the manufacturer overlooked.
