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Did you know that more than half of the total population of Americans have side hustles? Nowadays, having multiple income sources isn’t just nice to have; it’s a necessity.
If you had been a reader of my blogs, you would have known that I did a lot of side hustles in the past (and still do today). From being a Dasher at night to freelance writing on weekends, and finally finding my passion for blogging, I’ve tried many side gigs you can think of.
Heck, I even do furniture flipping because of the sheer joy of decluttering and making money from my hobby.
But after so many years of making money from my side gigs, I’ve come to realize that the best ones don’t require too much time and effort. Take, for example, participating in online focus groups. You only need to voice out, share your insights, talk about topics you care about, and get paid for it. Easy, right?
If you’re looking for ways to make money through market research groups, I got you. I know that with so many options available, it can be overwhelming to decide which online focus group platforms you should begin.
So, sit back and relax as I’m about to spill the tea about the best and most legit companies that will value your voice, time, and effort.
PIN THIS: I’ll be updating this post so make sure to pin this image here and save it to your Pinterest board. That way you’ll be able to come back to this page and know the best paid online focus groups!
1. User Interviews
Forget repetitive tasks and boring surveys that pay you $5 to $20. With User Interviews, you can earn between $50 to $150 by helping companies shape their future through your opinions.
User interviews require people to take one-on-one interviews, focus group discussions, and other types of market research studies in return for money. It works like Swagbucks, but the studies here are more in-depth and require phone and video chatting.
Most studies will require personal experience, and the topics can be varied. For instance, there are projects that interview Shopify merchants, software developers, cloud data management users, and many more.
It can be intimidating to start doing this side gig, especially if you are new to focus groups. But the best thing about this platform is that the website offers upfront information about the study, allowing you to skip those that don’t spark your interest.
Since 2016, the platform has given more than $15 million worth of rewards. This fact alone makes User Interviews the best survey survey site to try. To start your journey here, you must be 18 years old and be ready to participate in discussion through phone, webcam, or in person.
Some studies can be done at your pace, without a mediator, as long as you can submit them within the deadline. However, everything is done with a focus group where you can share your thoughts with others. Once completed you will be asked to take a survey.
2. Respondent
Respondent is 100% the most generous research company I’ve come across. No wonder, though, their clients are mostly big companies like Microsoft, IBM, and Allstate, who trust them because of their research abilities.
New to the platform? Well, like other survey sites, this one connects researchers and “respondents” to conduct high-quality research. When you see the word “quality,” you know that this site requires the use of brain cells aka in-depth knowledge when participating in their projects.
The pay you’ll earn will vary between $5 to $700. You can earn $5 for a quick 5-minute study and up to $100 for an hour of online discussion. However, you must know that there’s a high disqualification rate on this platform, which means you might fail to earn money.
If you fail to finish the discussion, you will be disqualified from getting incentives even if you’ve been actively participating during the initial part of the meeting or survey.
Don’t worry, though; diligent people like you are absolutely well taken care of. The only worry you should have in your mind to earn extra cash is to choose between taking remote or in-person tasks.
Respondent allows you to work on your own time, anywhere you want. The pay you’ll receive will vary depending on the commitment, time, project, and researchers you deal with. But here’s a tip: in-person meetings guarantee higher income.
3. Survey Junkie
Survey Junkie is a perfect place to start if you want to be a pro with market research groups. For instance, if you would like to increase your chances of getting chosen by big research companies like User Interviews and Respondent, this platform is the best avenue to practice your marketing skills.
This site is likewise ideal for people who want to earn extra cash short on time. Besides focus groups, Survey Junkie offers paid surveys that will only take 5 minutes or so of your time.
The beauty of this platform is that it will provide you with surveys or products to review that you might like. This is because you will be asked to answer a demographic survey (worth 25 points) as part of the registration process.
Their focus groups, though, work the same as other websites. You only need to share your insights about a particular brand or product, usually skincare products, household staples, electronics, etc. The rewards could be as high as $50 to $150.
While their incentives won’t make you rich, they still stand out as one of the top choices for making money from your phone. Quick tasks like completing your profile, downloading a browser extension or verifying your email guarantee $0.25 to $1. Take note, however, that you’ll need $10 (1,000 points) to initiate a withdrawal.
4. Focus Group
Focus Group says they are looking for participants who are shoppers, pet owners, businessmen, technology geeks, moms & dads, etc. So, basically, anyone can be part of this platform.
As the name suggests, the company offers paid online focus groups as a way for you to earn money. You can join conferences via phone, video chatting, on the go, or in person.
The easiest way to earn dollar bills, of course, is through online surveys, but the best way to earn higher income is through face-to-face interviews. You need to be aware, though, that the latter option requires you to be on-site at any of their 16 US-based locations, so this option might not be convenient to all.
A marketing professional conducts the interview. It works like a thesis defense where this person asks you a series of questions, and you might need to discuss concepts or ideas to answer them.
Don’t get intimidated by their questions because you will most likely answer them confidently. After all, you’ve passed the screening process to qualify for the project.
As for their payment option, you have many options to choose from, such as Visa cards and Amazon gift cards. Every 100 points is equivalent to $1, and you’ll need 1,000 points ($10) to redeem your rewards. That’s not difficult to achieve, is it?
5. L&E Opinions
L&E Opinions don’t need an introduction. They might not rank first in Google Search Results once you search for the “best online focus groups” online, but they are popular among researchers because they have been in the industry for 30 years.
There are two ways to earn money on this platform: paid studies and referrals. The second option is a no-brainer. You only need to invite a friend to join the site, and you’ll be rewarded with a $20 gift card.
The first option comes the exciting part as it rewards you with higher pay. Plus, it could be done online or on-site. However, while online studies are available online, they need local US-based respondents because most questions require knowledge of products and services available in a particular state.
To start looking for studies to hopefully participate, you only need to click “Available Studies” from the website. I say “hopefully” because there’s no guarantee that you’ll be chosen as a participant. You need to apply first to be chosen.
For example, if there’s a study you’d love to be part of, you need to tap the Start Screener button. The pre-screener will help the researcher identify if you are qualified to participate. Once qualified, they will notify you of a session date.
The bright side of L&E options is that you’ll get paid each time you complete a study. This means you don’t need to collect points to get your money. You can receive your money through a VISA card or merchant e-gift card (i.e., Amazon gift cards).
6. UserTesting
Here’s another company that allows you to get paid to do market research. With UserTesting, you can earn $10 or more after accomplishing 20-minute user tests about websites, shopping portals, and apps.
Technically, UserTesting is a company that helps websites eliminate bad user experiences in their platforms. How can they do so? Through your honest feedback, of course. You can make money by making reviews through this site.
UserTesting is a reputable company that collaborates with both small and big companies around the world. Some of their biggest clients are Facebook, Microsoft, Dropbox, Evernote, and many more.
To become a tester, you should do a video sharing your feedback as you navigate each website.
Since the side gig needs video sharing, your application through this platform also requires test recording. This process is unpaid, but if you pass the test, you’ll get access to their paid projects.
Note: Linking your PayPal account is another step to getting paid tasks. I think this is their way of ensuring that users are not using fake identities to join the platform.
You can watch this video to become a successful contributor at UserTesting. This will give you an idea of how you can pass their screening process and become a legit website tester.
7. Fieldwork
Founded in 1980, Fieldwork is probably the “OG” of market research companies. It’s one of the oldest research platforms that still exists and is thriving today. With a rating of 4.3 on Trustpilot, the company truly enjoyed positive comments from its users.
Fieldwork has offices across numerous states, including New York, Minneapolis, Seattle, Chicago, Boston, Atlanta, and many more.
They have 11 offices in total. If you live in a city where there is a Fieldwork office, I suggest you join a focus group in person to earn more money. If not, you still have the choice to earn money online with a starting compensation of $75.
Here are some proven and tested hacks to earn more cash on this platform:
- Answer questions about yourself honestly during the signup process. This will help you get projects that will resonate with your interest.
- Register as a professional. If you’re a nurse, doctor, or lawyer, feel free to disclose it. Professionals tend to receive higher pay.
- Arrive at your appointment or online discussion on time.
- Participate in other money-making projects like taste tests, product trials, shop-along interviews, phone interviews, and online surveys.
Take note that most tasks are not available every day or every month so you’ll need to check the site regularly. Indeed, patience is a virtue. But when projects are up for grabs, rest assured that you can find the ones that you’d like to do. This is because the topics range from fashion and sports goods to software, beauty, and technology.
8. American Consumer Opinion
While American Consumer Opinions (ACOP) has “America” on its name, it’s actually available to any country. However, the surveys they offer are more favorable for people living in the US, Canada, UK, France, or Germany.
Technically, American Consumer Opinion is a survey-focused company. Their surveys work like focus groups, though, as participants can share their opinions to improve a particular product, brand, or service.
ACOP started as a mail survey panel in 1986 before it became the largest survey site today. As of writing, they now have more than 7 million members and have paid over $35 million. If this is not your definition of success, I don’t know what is.
Seriously, ACOP should be one of your options if you’re looking for ways to get extra cash in your free time. Besides answering surveys during downtime, you will definitely enjoy their research projects where you’re given products to try (who doesn’t love free products?).
Their research projects are where most focus groups happen. The research is conducted either through online discussion forums or in-person group meetings. They might also ask you to visit a store or restaurant as part of the task.
In terms of payment, you’ll need to collect 1,000 points or $10 to redeem your rewards in the form of PayPal cash. You also have the option to redeem it in Hyperwallet, sweepstake entries, or as a charity donation.
FAQ
1. What is a focus group?
A focus group is a research technique that allows companies to collect data from a small group of participants. The people from these groups are carefully chosen to discuss a particular topic with researchers.
They are used in marketing, academic studies, library science, user research, social science, and even political campaigns. This list is not exclusive.
As a marketing technique, the hosting company chooses respondents representing a larger population they are hoping to target for their product launch or improvement of their brand.
Before the advancement of technology, they are conducted in person. These days, focus groups can be easily done in person, online, via phone or computer.
2. How do focus groups work?
From a marketing perspective, focus groups are usually composed of 6 to 10 people who work together in person or online to explore and discuss a topic. These people are paid in exchange for their time and honest opinions about a product or service.
Usually, this setup involves a mediator or researcher who throws questions to participants. As the group shares their insights about the topic at hand, the mediator takes notes on the discussion.
The researcher works for the market research company while the latter works for the brand. For example: the collaboration between UserTesting (a market research company) and Colgate (the brand that wants to know their patrons’ feedback). There are also instances where the brand has its own researchers who use the market research company’s site to look for participants.
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