Top Reasons to Use Poster Advertising for Your Online Business

 

Not sure about using poster advertising for your online business? Check out the following 10 benefits to determine if they would speed your business toward success.

 

Benefit 1 - Budget-friendly. They're a whole lot cheaper than taking out an ad in a newspaper or television.

 

Benefit 2 - Flexibility. They are flexible advertising tools that easily promote any business. They can be printed to any size, shape or paper weight.

 

Benefit 3 - Variety. They offer a variety of uses such as, event publicizing, service promotion or to sell a product. Many different fonts and colors can be used and images to enhance your company's brand.

 

Benefit 4 - Readability. They are quick and easy to read making them an excellent choice for the window shopper or passerby. Only a few words or phrases are generally used. They need to "capture" the reader's attention and motivate them to take action. Unlike newspaper ads or brochures and flyers which are sent through mail by companies who hope their prospective customers will read them in full.

 

Benefit 5 - Visibility. If placed in an area with lots of foot traffic, such as in a store in a mall, your poster can be seen hundreds or thousands of times. Plus, the same person may see it many times over. Keep your poster at adult eye level for best visibility.

 

Benefit 6 - Credibility. They've been around an awfully long time and people trust them. They are used to seeing them. For this very reason alone - they are trusted - is probably due to the fact they are most likely seen in public places of business.

 

Benefit 7 - Effectiveness. They contribute a second opinion to ads a prospective customer may have already seen on Google, on television or heard on the radio. A customer will be more likely to take a second look at a product if the advertising is done in this duplication manner.

 

Benefit 8 - Controllable. It's all about location, location, location. With posters, you can target businesses where like-minded customers hang out. People who would be looking for just the thing you are advertising. Suppose your daughter's Girl Scout troop is selling their fabulous cookies. Hang a poster next door to the local bakery in the mall. Then, sit back and watch hungry people eye up your advertisement and buy your cookies.

 

Benefit 9 - Long shelf life. They generally hold up well and can be printed on high gloss paper for added durability.

 

Benefit 10 - Customized designs. Most can be printed with all of your brand logo, colors and font styles so your business is represented in a professional manner. In plain language, posters are wonderful!

 

To determine if your poster has successfully increased your company's profits, ask yourself this question. Has it brought in more people?

 

If so, I'm sure you will agree they are an excellent way to promote your business.

 

 

 

 

Selling Handmade Items on Etsy

Etsy is an online marketplace which allows you to sell handmade items, vintage items which the company describes as and item at least 20 years old, and art and craft supplies. According to Wikipedia, it was started in 2005. It has grown quickly and encouraged the handmade movement. One may find hundreds of thousands of listings, if not more, at any given time. With Etsy, you are allowed to sell handmade items made by you, vintage items at least 20 years old, or supplies. There are no fees to have a storefront, you simply pay per item listing fees, and minimal sales fees if the item sells.

 

Opening a store is easy, all you need is a computer and valid credit card. There is no software to download, everything is very easy to use and there is a plethora of information on Etsy to guide you along the way. Once you "sign up for Etsy", by choosing a user name, and providing some information, you can sell by attaching a credit card to secure any billing fees incurred (payable monthly).

 

Billing includes a small listing fee, as of now, only twenty cents per item which gives you a four month long listing and the ability to add five photos. There is no fee to "have a shop", you simply pay the per-listing fee and a small fee when your item sells. Currently set at 3.5%, these are some of the lowest selling fees on the market right now, making Etsy an attractive place to sell your wares.

 

Before you open an Etsy store, make sure to read their online information on "How to Sell" and tips and tricks in their forums and in their "Storque" blog. You will be glad you did as there are many secrets to being a successful seller, some of which includes proper category listing, tagging your items properly, and good photographs.

 

Once you have already setup your account and you have opened at least one shop, you can now start setting up your storefront. You can do this by clicking the link that says "Your Etsy" and then the link to "Appearance". You can put up a banner for your shop so if you do not have one yet, make sure to make one as this can be the trademark of your shop. If you do not know how to create a banner, you can check out some tutorials online on how to do it or find someone who can do it for you at a small cost.

 

After putting up your banner you need to create a Shop Announce, this is where you will be introducing your shop to your target market.

 

You should also fill up the sections for the Shop Policies to let your prospective buyers know about your shipping, handling and return policies. Lastly, you will need to create your "Shipping Profile". This will cover both domestic and international rates for shipping.

 

If you are having a hard time, you can simply check out other sites for some ideas.

 

Once everything is setup, you can now start listing the items that you want to sell. Simply click on the link "List an Item" and you can now get started. When creating a title for your items, you can use Google Search and find a keyword for it. This is to make sure that your items are easily found by your prospective buyers. Make sure to be specific and include measurements and colors of the item to provide more information to your buyers. You can also tag your items depending on the color and its use for easier searching.

 

After that you can now start uploading images for your item. This is important as this is how your buyers will see your item so make sure to take a good shot. As much as possible, make sure that the image can show more details of the item so that buyers can take a good look at it. Do not be contented with just some cheap shot as this may affect the impression of the buyer on your items. You can take the shot in different angles but make sure that there is a close up shot of your item.

 

Once you have done all these, you can now start selling on Etsy. However, if you are still a little confused and you still need more information before you get started, remember that you can always do a research. You can find a lot of tips and tricks on how you can start a business on Etsy. Researching can also give you an idea on what is hit and trending in the market today. That means you will get more options when it comes to the items that you are planning to sell to your target market and your prospective buyers.

 

 

Sell on Amazon

Amazon is one of the biggest marketplaces online that sells to people all over the world. Since this is such a large website, it reaches millions of shoppers each and every day. Virtually anything can be found on this site, from cups and plates to books and televisions. A lot of people actually sell products through Amazon because they are able to reach so many potential customers through it. This is not an auction site like eBay, so all items have their price listed and shipping will be extra if it's not available on Amazon's Prime Membership.

 

Using tips to make money selling on Amazon can help anyone succeed.

 

Making an account

 

The first step anyone should take if they want to sell is to make an Amazon account. The website is actually really easy to navigate, especially for sellers. There are a lot of instructions and there are online guides that can help as well. A seller account will allow individuals to list the items they want to sell. Some products can't be sold through Amazon, including toys. The restrictions are listed on the facts and information page through Amazon.

 

The fees are also stated for sellers when they initially sign up. There are two different selling accounts available to choose from. One is more suitable for people who plan on selling a lot of items. The other package is best for sellers who will only be selling a few things every now and then. The fees will vary based on the type of selling account that is chosen.

 

Selling products

 

Amazon does offer a special service for individuals who plan on turning this into a home business. They will have the seller take pictures and list the items, but they will ship all their products to Amazon after that. The product will then be listed through Amazon Prime, which is a membership through the website that offers free two-day shipping. Amazon will be responsible for sending the product out whenever something is purchased. This makes it a lot easier for most sellers to keep inventory and control of their products that are sold.

 

Sellers who want to do it themselves can simply take pictures and list their product under the appropriate category. A good description is also required so buyers know just what they are going to receive and if they would like to purchase the item in the first place. Good pictures and descriptions can help decrease chances of a buyer returning something. Other sellers are going to be competition with most products, so pricing is important to consider.

 

Shipping products sold

 

Individuals who don't have Amazon ship their sold products will have to do this on their own. Quick shipping is extremely important since buyers want to get their purchase quickly. Comparing the prices between different shipping companies is one of the best ways to save money.

 

Most shipping companies will even come to the home and pick up boxes, saving a lot of time for the seller. Purchasing postage online is also generally cheaper than purchasing it in the actual post office.

 

All items that are sold should be shipped within one or two business days. The type of shipping that is chosen will depend on what the buyer paid for. Sometimes they will pay extra to have two-day or overnight shipping. The seller needs to make sure they know what the buyer paid for so they don't get a package too late. Once it's in the mail there is nothing either party can do to get it to the destination more quickly.

 

Feedback

 

Sellers need to get good feedback from buyers in order to rise in the ranks on Amazon.com. When a seller gets five star reviews for their service and products that are sold, they are going to be easier to find in the marketplace. Their products will generally be listed first and more people will feel safe buying from them.

 

E-mailing customers to answer questions is very important for all sellers through this website. This will help the buyer make a decision about what they should purchase. Getting back to potential buyers quickly will decrease the chance of them purchasing the item elsewhere.

 

By keeping all these tips in mind, you'll be on your way to creating a successful Amazon business.

 

 

eBay - Product and Shipping Prices

Once you have established an eBay Seller account and fidgured out what kind of items you're going to be selling, the fun really begins.

 

Rummaging through the attic, basement, or garage has probably given you quite a bit of products that may be sold on eBay or you may be selling handmade or new products. But how should you price your items? What amount of shipping should you charge?

 

Well, product pricing, shipping costs, and commission fees all need to be calculated to determine whether or not it is going to be a profitable endeavor for you.

 

The following example is for a Fixed Price Listing but you can apply the same principles for shipping or when adding a reserve on an item.

 

Let's say for instance that you have a piece of luggage you want to sell. A quick search on eBay is going to give you thousands, if not tens of thousands of results, and prices ranging from $0.99 to hundreds of dollars. Not very helpful. So we need to narrow our parameters.

 

Click the Completed Listings link in the left margin. This will show you all of the listings that have ended within the last 30 days. Still a lot of listings, however you are only interested in the prices in green. These are sold items. Take an average of the sold listings for your base price, and adjust for condition, and rarity of the model/line that you may have. Let's say you come up with $45 as your base price.

 

Now we need to factor in shipping.

 

Your suitcase may not be very heavy, but it is bulky, and shipping companies calculate cost based on dimensional weight as well as how many pounds the item weighs. Once you have surmised the weight and dimensions of the product, you can calculate an estimated shipping cost by going to the USPS website. Simply click Calculate a Price, and you will be prompted to enter weight and dimensions of your item. You will also need to enter a zip code for your destination. At this point you may be asking: how do I know where it's going!?! Of course you don't know, so you need to improvise. Punch in your home zip code, and enter the furthest zip code (major city) from your location. Once all this information is entered, you will be presented with several options. For a suitcase, Standard shipping would be the way to ship. You can find this price by clicking Other Options. You may be surprised at just how much it costs to ship! Of course, smaller and less heavy items will be a lot easier to calculate shipping costs.

 

You could also list your products with Free Shipping on eBay. Now is it really free? Of course not, you simply build the shipping cost into your listing price and you receive several benefits for doing so. Customers always want to feel as if they are receiving something for free and shipping is no different. It also becomes a "no-brainer" as the potential buyer doesn't need to calculate two separate prices for their purchase. Also, eBay rewards sellers that offer free shipping on their products with a 20% discount on fees once they have reached Power Seller status (more on this in a future article).

 

Now that you have come up with your base price, and your shipping cost you need to set your final price. So, $70 for a piece of used luggage seems a little high, so you could bring the price down to $59.95 and see what kind of response you receive. Now that you have set your pricing and calculated how much it will cost to ship, the next step is to get your items listed and start selling!!

 

 

What To Sell On eBay

You've got your account. You're looking to get your foot into the eBay auction world. But what should you sell on eBay?

 

This is the make or break of your eBay business. You need to sell something that people will want. So, here are a few pointers to get you thinking about what you should sell.

 

The first thing to do is to look around your house. Do you have any antiques? They don't have to be one-of-a-kind antiquities that are 1000 years old and of great value. But if you have an old record player, or an antique chair or furniture that you no longer use, those will sell very well on eBay. Used and second hand furniture are always highly searched for on eBay and you can usually get a good price.

 

Don't have any antiques? Collectibles are just as good. Hot Wheels, old Barbie Dolls, vintage clothing, glassworks, vintage newspapers and posters, movie memorabilia, collectible books etc, all of these are good bets. Old toys in good condition in general are great to sell on eBay, especially those that are either rare (such as the old '70s Stretch Armstrong series of toys) or have a mass fan following (such as Star Wars action figures or original run Cabbage Patch Kids). They don't have to be "mint-in-box,".

 

If you have a stamp or coin collection that is valuable, consider selling that, either together or broken up, on eBay. Another good idea might be to watch a show like American Pickers, and ask yourself "do I have anything like that laying around in my house?"

 

Still having trouble with what to sell on eBay? Another resource to tap is garage sales and thrift stores. "Trash" just may be your treasure when it comes to eBay (not actual trash of course!). By going to garage and car boot sales, second hand markets and thrift stores you can find tons of hidden gems to sell on eBay. Ask your friends, families and co-workers if they have any items that they want to get rid of. Offer to take them off their hands for a small price of for a percentage of the income from the sale.

 

Even though you have the capability of selling almost anything on eBay, there are some things that just DO NOT sell well on eBay.

 

Beanie Babies, Princess Diana memorabilia and other fad items that had a "bubble" collectors market years ago have had their day. Every one and their mother bought them at the time thinking that there would be collectable value in the future, but this is the exact reason why there isn't.

 

They were mass produced and MADE to be collectable. Recent baseball and other sports cards (generally from 1980 on) are also a tough sell, with the exception of some well-known or intentionally rare cards. If you have a first issue of a comic book from the collector's boom of the early '90s (for instance, a first issue of 1993's X-Men or the Todd MacFarlane Spiderman), you won't get much money out of it - those issues were printed in the millions, and unlike a mint-condition Action Comics #1 from 1938 there are still millions in existence.

 

Also, common goods, such as most DVDs, books, and new clothing items can be a hard sell as people can get their hands on these from local retailers.

 

Are you a crafter? Do you handmake items that are unique or quirky? Items that you can't easily find anywhere else do well and you can get a good return on your time and effort.

 

The main thing to focus on when deciding what to sell on eBay is "do I have a niche I can fit in?". Aim to sell items that there aren't thousands of others eBayers selling the same thing. The key is research. Think about what you want to sell and search eBay. Look at what comes up for your search and how many sellers you find. If there isn't a huge amount of competition or you're selling something very unique it's a good indication that you're on to a winner.

 

Finally, carefully check the items that you're selling, especially if they are baby clothes or toys of any sort of vintage items. Make sure they are in good condition and free from any damage. Items under recall, or items that the Consumer Products Safety Commission have determined are no longer safe for commerce will not be able to be sold via eBay, even though possessing them is legal. Items in this category include things like lawn darts, old toys or household objects that contain lead paint or have been the subject of a safety recall, vintage baby clothes or blankets that are not fire-retardant, and drop-side cribs (recently banned by the CPSC). Also, certain vintage glazed dinnerware (such as the infamous red Fiestaware manufactured up until 1972) may be mildly radioactive due to the presence of uranium oxide in older glaze recipes.

 

Research the items you want to sell and then get listing!

Starting an eBay Business

With the recession and all the recent financial hardships we've been facing, many people are still tightening their belts and looking to save money how ever they can. Many people are also looking to secure a second income, usually from an online business that they can do part-time or even after their normal hours of work.

 

Many have great ideas, but don't know where to start. There are many ways to make extra money, from selling on eBay, to selling at markets, garage sales, and car boots. But for most people, selling items on eBay is perhaps the easiest way to start. The benefits are clear to see, as you can work from home, selling to millions of prospective buyers who have cash to spend, and can devote as much or as little time to it as you wish. It is very easy to start a small business on eBay, however, many fail at the beginning. The usual mistakes are failing to find products to sell on eBay that have a good profit margin, finding products to sell that people will want and the failure to understand best practices on how to sell on eBay effectively.

 

The assumption that big retailers get their products at cheap wholesale prices, is mis-guided on a number of levels. First, big retailers have the capital to secure products in genuine bulk (bulk meaning hundreds of thousands of pounds/dollars on a set of products). This is a huge mistake that new businesses make, with their thinking being that they can go to a wholesaler and purchase in very low quantities.

 

True wholesale prices are only attained through big orders, often needing to meet the wholesalers big Minimum Order Quantity. When you're starting out on eBay, you'll want to purchase items in smaller quantities until you know that they are selling and that you'll be making a profit. So although you'll be paying slightly more for your items and selling them with a smaller profit, your up front costs are lower and you're not risking a large amount of money.

 

The second big mistake new businesses make, is the assumption that high ticket products, like tablet computers and laptops, have huge margins for profit. Often they do not and they can actually be one of the lowest margins out there. Big retailers actually make very little profit on the sale of these items. They make their profits from a process called up-selling. That is, selling a product on top of the initial main product, such as accessories or extended warranties. They also need to sell a high amount of product to make a lot of money.

 

There are many trains of thought on how an everyday person can start a profitable eBay business in their spare time. The most popular way is sourcing products from China, where often the minimum order quantity will be lower, and the cost per unit much lower than UK or US wholesalers. However, the problem here is that a buyer still needs to buy in true bulk, as often shipping rates are high, and with Import Tax being charged on top of this, it sometimes works out more expensive to source items from China. Buying smaller quantities at slightly higher prices from your own country instead of importing is the way to go when you are starting out.

 

A lot of new start ups on eBay also assume that they need to be offering large quantities of the same item. With eBay you'll have a selling quota where you can only list a set amount of items per month. If you list 60 tshirts with the exact same design, you're eating into a lot of your quota and you are best of diversifying the products that you offer. Offer a good range of products.

 

To be successful on eBay, an entrepreneur must research and learn how to sell on eBay and how to set up their eBay business correctly. Secondly, a business must thoroughly look at and research products to sell on eBay, in order for them to start a profitable eBay business.

 

In all, it is not easy to start any business these days, however, eBay does offer an excellent platform for even beginners to start building up a small, successful business.

 

Article Writing Tips

Although writing and selling articles is a lucrative way to make money online, you will make far more money if you use your articles for promotion. Unlike selling articles for pay, where you receive a set amount for the articles, with promotional articles you can make as much money as you want. Your articles become passive marketing machines, and if you recycle your content into documents, videos, audios, and other content, you can stretch your marketing even further with very little additional work. Here's how to get started promoting your articles for more traffic:

 

1. Post your articles to the top directories.

 

It's the 80/20 rule at work: you will get the most traffic from the to article directories, so this should be your first stop in marketing your articles. The more you submit, the more chances at traffic you will get. Use the data you get from these sites to tell you which articles are performing best and then write and submit more of this content to these sites. Also, some of these sites only accept unique articles so make sure you know which ones these are and submit the appropriate content.

 

2. Write for promotion instead of for money.

 

I've already mentioned this, but I want to mention it again: writing for promotion takes the limit off the amount of income you can earn from an article. If you write articles to sell, there is a limit to the amount you can make because you are either selling these articles to customers, or you're selling to publications. Take the limits off and use them for promotion.

 

3. Recycle your content.

 

You can get far more from your content by converting it to different formats. This includes audio, video, documents, and slides. Look for different ways to recycle your content and then submit to the appropriate sites so that you get more from it. This also creates additional passive marketing machines for your business. What could be better than that?

 

4. Write articles as blog posts and guest blog.

 

There are two ways you can do this. First, you can write an original article for guest blogging. Your article should be at least 300 - 400 words, but you want to make sure that it conforms to the site you want to submit to. Second, consider rewriting your article and then submitting it.

 

5. Use revenue sharing sites.

 

Sites like Helium and Yahoo Contributor Network allow you to make money from your articles. You can get one time payments plus revenue sharing or just revenue sharing. Whichever one you choose, make sure you write the appropriate content and then submit it. Make it your best.

 

Give them what they want. Learn from your failures here, and you'll get more traffic and more sales quickly because your content will get accepted more easily.

Turn Article Content Into Cash

You write excellent articles, you have great traffic to your articles, but you aren't making any money. This is a problem for many writers.

They expect a fair share of the income available online, and who can blame them? No one told them the secrets to making money online, but you should know how to monetize your articles so you can get motivated to write even more articles - and earn even more money.

Turning original content into cash can be done in several ways. Here are three central ways that can greatly boost your earnings online by thinking outside the box with your content.

Reading Your Article Aloud - The Sound File

You know search engines love your original content. Your articles could score well in that area. But what about those who can't read? What about the many people who don't spend time reading? They still want your content, but they might get somewhat lost running through hundreds of words. If they aren't accustomed to reading that can be an insurmountable task.

But why shouldn't you then also make use of the chance to attract even more traffic by adding a sound file where you have read your article aloud? You can even insert it directly on your WordPress blog using the quick addition table in your Dashboard. It will allow you to upload your sound file and add a comment to it so people can get it directly read aloud for them.

Just as when the first podcasts came about, search engines love multimedia - although they can't understand the content of the media file.

That's what your article is for. But you might as well supplement your content by adding your own sound file.

Doing a Video Explaining Your Article - The Videocast

Similarly, doing a video where you read your article aloud with some screens containing the headlines can all be pieced together in a matter of minutes using Windows Movie Maker. It's a free program, and truly very intuitive. When you're finished with your movie, you can upload it to YouTube, and embed this video on your blog. Just as you could add the sound file to your blog, so you can also embed video along with your article content.

By offering people both the opportunity to read it themselves, getting it read aloud and seeing a video with the article presented, you're getting the best of all three worlds. People like to see, hear, feel or do things when they need to learn new skills. You can offer them three of those four types of learning.

Start Monetizing Your Site With Ads

There is nothing wrong with making money for your efforts. This is the one type of mindset that has previously hindered many in making money online. You shouldn't let yourself be affected by that type of thinking, but should present relevant ads - either in the form of affiliate link banners or Google AdSense. You might as well earn some money when people are moving on to other pages on the internet.

You can begin making money online through articles by thinking outside the box. Why should you be the only one who isn't getting paid for making an effort to supply others with quality content? So, start turning your original content into cash.

Best Online Paid Survey Sites

If you're looking at taking paid surveys online in order to bring in a little extra cash, you need to know where to look.

 

It's not as simple as doing a quick Google search and expecting to come across a great survey site. Some sites ask for a fee to join, some have very small payouts and some have a reputation for not paying out at all. So which sites are the best?

 

Here is our list of the top 10 online survey sites that have decent payouts, low payment thresholds and a reliable volume of surveys.

 

1. IPSOS - http://www.ipsos.com/

 

A must-join, Ipsos is probably the best paying survey site. Although they don't pay out in actual cash, you earn points by taking surveys and in return you use these points to get vouchers.

 

2. Swagbucks - http://www.swagbucks.com/

 

Swagbucks pays you 'swag points' to answer daily polls. You can also mix it up by getting paid to watch videos, search via its page instead of Google and even play free online games.

 

3. GlobalTestMarket - https://www.globaltestmarket.com/

 

US survey site GlobalTestMarket pays by cheque in sterling once you've earned $50. 

4. Crowdology - http://www.crowdology.co.uk/

 

Another popular site, Crowdology pays hard cash via Paypal. The payment threshold's a low £4.

 

5. Onepoll - http://www.onepoll.com/

 

Mega-popular for its speedy surveys, OnePoll runs polls for the press, meaning fun questions about celebs and your lovelife. It works slightly differently to other survey sites and doesn't send out invitations - you need to log on daily to check.

 

6. Pinecone - http://www.pineconeresearch.co.uk/

 

The holy grail of survey sites, Pinecone pays megabucks, but is invitation only. You get £3 for every survey.

 

Sadly, the recruitment process is more secretive than MI6. You have to wait until you're invited or spot a web banner advert on another site to sign up.

 

7. VansonBourne - http://www.vbbusinesspanel.com/home/

 

For anyone who works in IT or business, Vanson Bourne is a must-join. It pays hugely generous £5 or £10 in Amazon vouchers per survey. People usually receive the voucher by email just a few hours after completing a poll.

 

8. Toluna - http://uk.toluna.com/

 

Another survey site to try is Toluna. Earn regular Amazon vouchers.

 

9. NewVistalive - https://www.newvistalive.com/Portal/Welcome.aspx?ReturnUrl=/portal/default.aspx

 

While Newvistalive has a high £50 payout threshold, it pays up to a generous £5 per survey. 

 

10. MySurvey - http://uk.mysurvey.com/

 

Earn cash quickly from MySurvey, as it has a low £3 payout threshold and abundant surveys. It pays in cash via Paypal.

 

ATTNETION

Even if you sign up with the above 10 websites, it won't be good enough to earn you any decent money.  To make money through paid surveys is a game of numbers.  The more websites you sign up, the more chances you are invited to do surveys.  To save your time in researching, there are paid surveys at home sites at Clickbank which will provide you with hundreds of survey sites to join.  Bear in mind you would need to pay a little money to access the information.  However Clickbank is a reputable marketplace and will issue refund if you're not happy with what you bought.

 

Popular Scams Online Survey Companies Use

Anyone who's ever been online should, by now, be aware of the hundreds of "work from home" internet based companies that are consistently advertised in various websites.  One of the more popular is "doing surveys for cash."

There are literally hundreds of online survey companies.  Most of them are not legitimate ways to make money, although a few of them can earn you a few bucks.  These companies target stay at home moms who want to make a few extra dollars while taking care of the kids, the unemployed who want to make a few extra dollars while watching dozens of daytime court TV programs, the elderly who are not afraid to use the computer and teenagers who think they know everything, but aren't yet wise to the ways of the world.  And let's not forget the very greedy people of low intelligence who think they can get rich by answering a few simple questions to which a five year old can respond.

 

These people are prey to unscrupulous methods used by some online survey companies.  These scams include the following:

 

1. The fee for joining. There are some sites out there who charge a "fee" to join. They promise you an opportunity to earn up to $100,000 a year, sitting home at your computer taking surveys. The fee is usually less than $50. These sites are always a scam. If it was possible to earn $100,000 a year doing surveys online, the roads would be empty because no one would be going to work. Everyone would be home, in front of their computers, earning easy money. These sites prey on the greedy and/or lazy people of little intelligence.  By the time they figure out that their "get rich quick" scheme isn't working, they're out $50.  It's not a crime to be greedy, lazy or stupid. And, unfortunately, it isn't a crime to prey upon them in many cases. These sites are careful to add "disclaimers" stating that not everyone will earn this amount of money. They promise nothing, but include testimonials on their site from people with no last names who claim to be living the high life from the comfort of their homes. They usually have photos of flashy cars and huge houses on their websites. People need to stay away from these sites like they would avoid the bubonic plague.

 

2. The cell phone scam. In this popular scam, you'll be asked for your cell phone number to "confirm" your membership.

 

Seconds later, you will receive a call on your cell phone. The call will end up costing you anywhere from $1.95 to $4.95; depending on the company. These companies don't usually end up charging you too much because they figure you'll never miss a couple of bucks. But it adds up for them and that's how they make their money. They will then periodically send you text messages telling you you've won a prize and to claim it, you simply need to reply to the text. This will end up costing you more money. Do not give out your cell phone number to any website.

 

3. The Switcheroo. In this scam, you will be participating in a survey and then be directed to another website.

 

They will ask you to show an "interest" in obtaining more information from one of their marketing partners. You will continue to answer "no" and keep getting more offers; the survey will never end until you answer "yes." Now this scam might not cost you any money, but it will cost you time. Because when you say that you are interested in learning more about health insurance, expect to receive an average of 10 calls a week from telemarketers trying to sell you health insurance. 

 

4. The phone bill scam. You'll sign up for a survey company and provide your telephone number. Then you'll proceed in completing a survey and receive an offer for a free issue for a magazine. You'll think to yourself - what's the harm?

 

You'll give your name and address for the magazine and hardly notice when a fee for a year's subscription shows up on your telephone bill. If you read the fine print, however, you will see that when you provided the company with your name and address to receive your "free" magazine, you authorized them to bill you via your telephone bill.

 

They figure that you won't even notice the extra $12.95 attached to your phone bill. And many people don't.

 

These are just four of the scams that you may encounter in the world of online survey participation.

 

Online survey taking can be fun, but be careful. Do not give out your cell phone number under any circumstances.

 

Do not give out your social security number or bank information. Do not ever express any interest in receiving information from health insurance providers any any other companies. And avoid the "online education" inquiries as well.

 

Do some research prior to joining any company, do not pay a fee, and lastly beware of anyone or any website that promises to make you rich!

Make Money Through Online Surverys

Marketing is big business. In order for companies to provide the best service and increase sales, a lot of companies now offer paid surveys in order to find out how to target their ideal customers. By learning who to target, businesses can reduce their advertising budget and get more bang for their buck. This is why more and more businesses are now willing to pay for your opinions.

 

You don’t need any special qualifications or know-how in order to make the most of paid surveys, all you need is a little free time.

 

So how do online survey sites work?

 

All you have to do is sign up and wait for survey alerts to land in your inbox and fill out the survey. Survey sites then add the cash to your account. Sometimes you’ll receive cash for filling out the survey (that is paid out after so much money has been accumulated in your account) or sometimes you’ll receive vouchers for your efforts that you can spend online.

 

How much can you expect to make?

 

You need to be realistic. This is where a lot of people make their first mistake. Even if you’re religiously filling put every survey that you get sent, you’re not realistically going to be able to make a living from it. You need to treat the surveys as a way for you to make a little bit of extra cash. Dedicated survey-stashers can make $200 a year in cash and vouchers. Some who push harder can see as much as $1000 a year in cash and vouchers.

 

Surveys aren’t a way for you to make thousands of dollars quickly. It takes some time to accumulate a decent payout, so don’t look at these surveys as a get rich quick scheme, because unfortunately (despite what some sites say), they really aren’t.  Just remember that  patience and consistency are key virtues when it comes to taking surveys to make money.

 

Top tips for making money through surveys...

 

• Set up a dedicated email address that you only use for surveys.
• Check your inbox regularly as some surveys are very time sensitive.
• DON'T store cash in survey accounts. As soon as you can get a payout, take it.
• Spend any vouchers you receive ASAP. Vouchers usually have a limited expiry date.
• DON'T tell porkies on your surveys.
• Keep a log of all the surveys you’ve completed.
• DON'T pay to join any survey sites. Only go for the free sites.
• Refer friends whenever you can as you can usually receive an incentive for this.
• And last but not least, keep your tax in mind. It’s your responsibility to declare all income on your tax returns.