Offering a web survey? Stand out against fake online survey fools

There are dozens of successful companies offering online surveys because it provides real time data from a wide, but targeted demographic. Online surveys for businesses allow organizations to hear from their audience directly before launching new products or services.

However, there are non-legitimate research agencies marketing the same rewards for web surveys, with no real promise to pay up. It can be difficult for participants to spot the difference between your verified online survey company and a pseudo, or fake survey website.

In honor of April Fool’s Day, I’m highlighting tips and tricks every B2B and B2C company should use to stand out as a trustworthy survey site against the fake online survey fools.

How does your company stack up against fake online survey sites? Learn how to stand out as a legitimate questionnaire resource to collect qualified data.


Trusted vendor, survey participant approved

The key differentiation participants use to tell real online surveys survey sites from fakes, is the legitimacy of the vendor posting the questionnaire.

Trustworthy online surveys are typically conducted by marketing research or other B2B and B2C companies (likely) like yourself. Fake online surveys are generally run by lead generation organizations.

Before posting your online survey, make sure you ask yourself these questions:

  • Is my company's contact and background information easily accessible on the website?
  • Are the rewards for completing my online survey believable?
  • Does my online survey provide a good customer experience?

Additional pro tip! An online survey advertised by a genuine market research firm will always have a privacy policy on their website. Make sure yours is easy to find!


No risk, all reward for your online survey

Another way your target audience will depict if your online survey is real or a scam, is based on the reward you are offering for survey completions.

No one is making a living off the money earned from completing surveys online – most people know this. Don’t advertise illegitimate advantages like “the ability to work from home” or “always a high payout.”

Your audience will be smart enough to see this as a marketing ploy. If the payout seems too good to be true, then potential participants will be too weary to move forward.

Instead, be clear and honest with what survey participants will receive. A typical reward for participating in a survey online will likely come in the form of cash, gift cards or discounted services. It is also common for B2B or B2C companies to offer sweepstakes raffles/contests to encourage survey form fills.


Asking only the important survey questions

If you are administering an online survey for a prize, or to select participants for further market research such as focus groups, it is common to ask general questions about the respondent. Collecting this information allows your online survey company to determine who would make a good candidate for a focus group discussion.

An online survey from a legitimate marketing research company will typically ask questions regarding to:

  • Age
  • Gender
  • Zip Code
  • Household Income

The list may vary but do not go past general information about a candidate’s demographics. The internet is a scary place. If you ask for too much detail or unnecessary information such as social security number, full address, or credit card information your survey success rate will be abysmal.


Contact Our Online Survey Company

Drive Research is a market research company located in Syracuse, NY. We work with companies both large and small on trusted online survey projects.

Questions about our market research services? Contact us!

Message us on our website
Email us at [email protected]
Call us at 888-725-DATA
Text us at 315-303-2040

Online Surveys