All of the products and services that we use today are subject to market research and/or consumer testing. Millions of dollars are spent each year by advertising companies, manufacturers and organizations to discover what features people are looking for in the products and services they buy.

In the past market research was performed using focus groups. Many times this type of research is done for new products or products that have been redesigned or have new benefits. A group of individuals would be selected to examine products and give their opinions on a number of features:

• whether or not the packaging is appealing
• if the packaging suits the image of the product
• if the advertising slogan is appropriate
• if they feel comfortable with the suggested price

Today focus groups are still being used, but more frequently the Internet is playing a role in gathering the information manufacturers and marketers need to create and sell products and services. It is very cost effective for them because they can reach millions of people in a shorter period of time and they can make decisions about the product faster.

With the popularity of surveys online today manufacturers and marketers are not only gathering information about the preferences of consumers they are also using these surveys to send sample products, discount coupons and rebate offers to encourage you to purchase the product for yourself and try it.

In addition to the major manufacturers and marketing firms conducting surveys on products and services there has been an increase of independent research companies gathering this type of information for them. In the past marketing firms usually offered a standard compensation for participating in focus groups, these independent companies reward you for giving your opinion in a variety of ways; sweepstake entries and reward points.

If you are looking for surveys that pay cash for your opinion you should be aware that many of these companies only pay a cash incentive after you have completed a high-value action such as subscribing to a magazine, qualifying for credit card or registering for an online service, the verification process required for you to receive payment could take 6 weeks or longer. In most cases the amount of money that you are being paid does not equal the value of the action you must complete to earn it. Just like many of the “get paid to read” programs that pay you $0.001 for each e-mail, receiving a substantial income from surveys is not as easy as the advertising claims it to be.

And if you are concerned about SPAM, before you click the “submit” button to register with any survey company online make sure you read all the fine print. Many of the online survey companies tell you in their privacy statement that your registration on their website serves as your consent for your personal information to be distributed to third parties and their affiliates.

Because of the increased public awareness of market research and the Internet with the number of companies that are offering immediate cash for your opinion without any “strings attached” are decreasing. Yes, you can earn money completing surveys online: but how much money you can earn, what will you have to do to earn it and how long it will take you to receive payment? These are the most important questions for you to consider.