Host Pauline Clark

Do you enjoy playing along with the television game show Family Feud? Do you always take the time to answer those telephone surveys? Are you thrilled when AC Nielsen company selects you to take part in their television viewing surveys? Are you especially thrilled when you receive a prize for your participation?

Although I've been a member of Greenfield Online for almost as long as I've been online, I didn't realize there were so many similar sites available on the web and - well, I can't think of anything better to do than getting paid to surf!

At Greenfield Online registration is required so that cash incentives and prize winnings can be credited to your own iGain account www.igain.com. Once you've accumulated some earnings you can request the cash to be sent by mail or you can spend it at participating merchants. Brief online surveys can qualify you for more detailed surveys and although you don't get paid for each survey, you do earn chances on a variety of cash prizes. The site also offers a daily Online Poll. Once you answer it, you can see the tabulated results. Greenfield has contacted me on several occasions to participate in additional online surveys although I haven't yet won any cash.

American Consumer Opinion (ACOP) membership is also free and all registered members participate in monthly drawings to win $250 cash awards. If you are selected to participate in a survey, you will receive free products, cash, postage stamps, or other gifts as thanks. Registering requires personal information so if you're chicken about that, forget it. I just received a $5.00 check from ACOP so they do pay!

Every once in a while, they'll send you a brief email asking if you buy certain products, or use certain services. Based on your answers, you'll be selected to participate in a study. Sometimes they are looking for users of products, and sometimes they are looking for people who don't use that product so be honest.

Their computer will then select a representative group to participate in the survey. ACOP also offers different fun surveys with tabulated results available for you to see. These are very brief --mostly questions like 'What kind of shoes do you wear most often?' or 'What section of the grocery store do you spend the most time in?' Paying surveys take about ten minutes to complete and pay from $4 to $25. Focus group projects usually pay more.

You can also join the web panel at the Surveysite. I signed up and received a message that they'll ontact me when they have a suitable survey. The sign up included relaying some personal information and a brief questionnaire on interests. Of course, they'll ask for your address and a bit more about you, but how else would you get prizes without giving out that information?

Cyber Dialogue is another paying survey site. Surveys aren't accessible until you've been screened for projects and then invited to join. They do pay once you've been selected -- typically $30 for focus groups and $5 for email polls. The sign-up form is at the Web site in the Panel Members area or can be requested by email.

And the Brand Institute looks like it too could be interesting but also requires registration followed by them contacting you when they have a survey or online brainstorming session that fits your registration profile. I couldn't access their surveys but past surveys have included Project Pizza, Project Flick, Project Music and Project Sit.

If you really like seeing survey results, try the surveys at The Survey Net and then look at the results-they're generated immediately using your responses. I did one on honesty previously and there was recently one on content and parental control available at the site.

MM Consultants host web surveys although there was only one up when I visited. It was for Woman's Own magazine- andyou can actually see the results there too once you've completed the survey.

At JTJ you can answer a selection of political or entertainment polls or check out the silly site at the Shrink in a Box where you answer a couple of questions on how you feel and then receive an instant analysis.

Family Feud is still your favorite kind of survey? Then visit Uproar where you can play Family Feud Online.

If you don't have enough to keep you busy here, visit the Money 4 Surveys website where you'll find a vast selection of links to more paying survey sites.

Go on now--do some surveys! I have to get over to Greenfield Online to participate in one myself--that cash might be coming yet!

Want links to tons more survey sites? Check out the following:

The University of Kansas Department of Communications Studies has a worldwide index of survey research and public opinion centers as well as information about conducting social science surveys.

Sample Online Market Surveys has links to dozens of surveys in all kinds of categories.

A Volition To Get Paid has more links to sites that do surveys-mostly paying ones.