One of the key factors in conducting effective market research is time. We live in a world which is ever changing.
Trends come and pass in the blink of an eye, products become dated before they’re even out of the box, and companies have to work harder to keep up with the instant fashions that spread like wildfire across social media.
Luckily, there is a way to reach out directly to more customers, and get honest, genuine feedback in real time: this is the world of online surveys.
Of course, survey sites are not just good news for businesses. They offer participants the chance to earn some extra cash in a way which is flexible, convenient, and can work around their lifestyle.
One example of these sites is Toluna Surveys, a company offering a range of paid surveys and the chance to earn spare money online— a tempting offer for anyone.
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How Does It Work?
Toluna is a top-rated survey site, which offers cash and other rewards to participants in exchange for their responses to a variety of surveys. They offer two main types of survey, profile, and more extended studies.
Profile Surveys
These are specifically designed to learn more about the participant, and help Toluna to determine which surveys to send you. This will ensure that you receive studies which are targeted and relevant.
For example, a Mac user will be unlikely to receive a survey which discusses the merits of a Windows operating system. These are worth 100 points.
Longer Surveys
Once you have signed up and logged in, you will be directed to the “survey center” page. This page offers a vast variety of categories, such as cars, lifestyle, travel, food and many others, all containing surveys to be completed.
By clicking on a category, you are taken to a page which will show you all available studies, along with the points they are worth, and a rough estimate of completion time.
You will then be directed to an external, third-party site to complete the survey. This choice means that the user has a greater range of surveys to complete, and this is a bonus compared to the restricted numbers of other sites.
It also allows a more exciting variety of topics, grouped under broad categories.
Whether or not you qualify for a survey will depend on your demographics, and answers to the short profile surveys. This will also depend on the market the company is looking for; they will have a specific demographic in mind and disqualify anyone who does not meet this.
One advantage of Toluna is that you are usually immediately told if you do not qualify, rather than having to fill in pages of questions first.
This benefit saves valuable time, and, as a bonus, you will be entered into the monthly sweepstake if you are disqualified, meaning there is something of a consolation prize.
It is also possible to earn points through referrals, mini-polls, and battles which allow you to give your opinion on a range of topic. Earning potential here is far less than you can earn completing surveys.
How Do I Get Paid?
Like many survey sites, Toluna offers payment through a point system. On average, each survey can net you between 10,000-20,000 points, and these can later be exchanged for cash or redeemed for other rewards, such as gift cards.
Rewards: These include the option to cash your points in using PayPal or a traditional, physical check. You can also swap points for a gift card, but this requires a minimum of 30,000 points for the cheapest option.
For checks, PayPal and Amazon gift cards, the points convert at around $1 per 3,000 points. This means it can be tough to earn large sums and works out as an average rate of $0.74 per hour— hardly lucrative or sustainable.
Sweepstakes: If you have 500 points, you can enter a monthly sweepstake worth $4,500. Having 1,000 points puts you in the running to earn an LED television.
Gifties: Toluna also offers the option of ‘Gifties’ – virtual gifts and presents you can purchase for yourself or a friend or family member. Previous options have included gift cards, leaf blowers, and a make-your-own-cheese kit.
It is important to remember that these are virtual, not physical gifts. To convert them to the real thing, you must be one of the randomly selected winners.
Company Background
Toluna is an offshoot of their parent company, the Toluna Group, and were founded in 2005. Despite their relatively short life in comparison to some of their competitors, they have grown with over 10 million members across the globe.
As of 2018, this figure stood at a user base of over 13 million. The company has a positive reputation as the most popular survey site and is renowned for high levels of quality in the world of market research, as well as receiving good reviews from customers.
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Is It Legit?
Their vast customer base and established reputation help to solidify Toluna’s position as one of the legitimate options for making cash from surveys.
Toluna Alternatives
Ipsos iSay – Focused solely on surveys, iSay is a top option for those looking to make money online.
LifePoints – A merger of MySurvey and Global Test Market, the relatively new site LifePoints is a major player in market research.
InboxDollars – One of the largest get paid to services, InboxDollars offers surveys and many other ways to make money in your spare time.
Pros
- Wide variety of payment options – Toluna does not only restrict you to cash or check but opens up a wealth of reward types, including virtual gifts and gift cards as well as more traditional PayPal transactions.
- Not just surveys – In addition to traditional studies, Toluna also offers the option to acquire a smaller number of points through other means, such as mini-polls and competitions.
- Low cash out rate – Payments can be requested after just $5 – this is low compared to some other sites and allows you to access money even at smaller amounts.
- Low sign up age – You only have to be 13 to sign up. This makes Toluna a top survey site for teens.
Cons
- Long payments – Payments can take up to 8 weeks to be processed, though Toluna state that cash and gift cards may be sooner. This is a long waiting period compared to faster turnarounds on other sites.
- Low hourly rate – Although it is possible to earn 10,000 points in one survey, these do not travel very far when compared to the amount needed to purchase items or payouts, making this a meager hourly rate of around $0.74
Toluna Survey Review Bottom Line
There is no denying that Toluna is one of the more established and legitimate options when it comes to paid survey sites.
They offer diversity in their rewards system, and cash can be withdrawn at a low rate. Surveys are tailored to the user, and prequalification data helps to ensure that you will qualify for surveys without wasting time.
However, costs are relatively high when compared to competitors, and it looks like it would take a good deal of time to make any serious cash from the site.
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