I have been in the research and product development industry for several years now, but I can still remember how it started.
I stumbled upon an article saying that you can earn real money by answering surveys.
I have already been answering online questionnaires by then, but it hasn’t dawned on me that I can get compensated for it.
Around this time, I stumbled upon Esearch, an online market research company. Years later, I’m still getting questions like, “Is Esearch legit or a scam?”.
Hence, I’ve decided to set the record straight once and for all through this Esearch review.
What Is Esearch?
ESearch has been in the market research industry since 1995. They can be considered pioneers when it comes to online survey companies.
They have an expansive array of research opportunities that you can join. The most interesting topics for me were current events, including political scandals.
This made them different from other survey sites that specifically focus on retail. It also gave Esearch the feel of a more serious platform that seeks to gather information.
The question is, are they really legit, or do they just look like it?
Esearch Review: Is It Legit or a Scam?
In my personal research for this Esearch review, I have found several points that will prove that Esearch is a legit survey site. Here are just some of them:
They have a history.
Indeed, there are many online sources of survey opportunities. But how many in the industry have almost three decades of experience?
No scam site would survive that long. They might be able to get away by putting up available surveys for their online visitors to answer in exchange for extra cash.
However, it won’t be long for them before they start losing their clients. After all, no brand would want to be associated with a questionable site; without brands, you won’t have any surveys.
They are part of trusted market research organizations.
Esearch is affiliated with some of the most respected research groups, such as the Market Research Association (MRA) and the American Marketing Association (AMA).
I already have experience working with them.
Finally, I always try my best to go above and beyond, especially when testing survey sites for my readers.
The good news is I don’t have to test unknown waters this time. That’s because I’ve been working with Esearch for a while already.
How Does Esearch Work?
It doesn’t take a lot to start answering online surveys at Esearch. You may simply follow the four easy steps I’ll detail below.
Step 1: Check Your Eligibility
As with most survey sites, the first step that you should take is to check your eligibility.
The good news about Esearch is that it accepts members worldwide. It goes without saying that anyone can sign up to be a part of their global community of panel members.
That said, they do have specific preferences to match their clients’ needs, such as the following:
- Experts
A lot of Esearch’s clients cater to business-to-business studies. That’s why they always welcome experts to lead their specialty panels.
Their client list include small business owners, executives, professionals, and other experienced members of various industries.
- Customers of Niche Markets
Esearch favors people who belong to specific niche markets, such as android users, early adopters, and pet owners.
Members of certain ethnic groups are also welcome since they provide diversity and increased accuracy to their studies.
Step 2: Register to Become a Member
Once you have deemed yourself eligible, click “Join Now!” on Esearch’s homepage. You will then be led to the sign-up page.
While there, you’ll find that their registration form is composed of three parts. The first section will ask basic personal questions.
Esearch will also ask for your email address. It should be the same email you use for your Paypal account if you want to get paid. They’ll also use it to send you email invitations.
The second section is a short survey to determine the particular niche you belong to. It will include questions about your family, interests, and medical conditions.
Your answers to these questions will determine the particular niche that you belong to so that you only receive surveys that you’re an “expert” in.
Finally, Esearch will ask you to accept their respondent confidentiality agreement. This seeks to protect all parties involved in their studies: the brands, participants, and their platform.
Step 3: Complete the Registration Process
Click on “Submit” after you’re done with the form. Esearch will then provide you with a unique ID number that you can use to take part in their surveys.
They’ll also use it as an identifier for your member account to easily determine the research topics that best suit you.
Quick Tip: Answer all questionnaires honestly. Answering eligibility questionnaires inaccurately in a bid to impress research firms is the most common mistake that new people in this industry commit.
Believe me, they will see right through you. Instead, just answer truthfully. Brands will appreciate your uniqueness and honesty.
Step 4: Start Answering Surveys
You should receive your first survey invitation soon after you have completed the registration process.
You won’t just get survey invites, but you’ll also be encouraged to participate in their focus groups and other research activities.
There’s no hard answer to how many survey invites you’ll receive per month, as it will largely depend on their availability.
Hence, I highly recommend grabbing any opportunity you’re interested in as soon as possible to increase your chances of getting in.
How to Earn Money With Esearch
With Esearch, you will be compensated for each survey you complete, but the amount you’ll earn will depend on the specific survey.
They will include the payment details, including how much the payout is and when they’ll send the money, in their email invites, so be sure to read them through.
Esearch sends all their payouts via money transfer to Paypal.
The best news is, they don’t have any points system enforced. It means that you don’t need to wait for a form of online currency to accumulate to hit a minimum balance for withdrawal.
You will automatically get paid per survey you complete.
Other Survey Companies to Consider
Indeed, Esearch is a great site to gain money from by simply answering online surveys.
However, it’s not the only source of paid surveys out there. Other legit companies are willing to compensate you for providing your honest opinion.
Here are three other alternatives:
Survey Junkie
I will not be surprised if you have already heard about Survey Junkie. After all, they are among the most popular survey companies with over 10 million members.
Like Esearch, you may join their community and earn money by taking online surveys. I like how they have a broad spectrum of partnered brands.
I observed that all the surveys Survey Junkie lined up for me the first time I was on their platform were for different niches.
You’ll never get bored of them as there’s always something new to give an opinion to. You’ll also be pleased to learn how easy it is to sign-up for Survey Junkie.
Just click on the “Join Now” button on their home page, and it will pop up a window asking for an email address, and that’s it!
You may also use your Gmail or Facebook account to log in. Don’t forget to check out their Facebook page while there. They share their latest opportunities there fairly regularly.
OnePoll
Another reliable site to check out is OnePoll. It is a research company that has been broken down into three separate divisions.
These are OnePoll MR (for market research), OnePoll PR (for global PR surveys and consumer insights), and OnePoll Panel (for research panels).
You can take part in any of them.
You can peruse through any of their interesting surveys and other research opportunities, choose those that mean a lot to you, and more importantly, get paid for them via Paypal.
All you need to do to be a part of their ever-growing online community is to complete their sign-up form.
It only asks for a few things, such as your name and email address. It shouldn’t take more than a couple of minutes to complete.
My only complaint is that their doors are only open for respondents from the U.S. and the U.K. I hope they’ll also be able to accommodate those from other locations.
Stan’s Gigs
I am going to be honest with you. Earning money by taking part in market studies isn’t as easy as it sounds.
First, many people want to do it so every gig can feel like a race against the hundreds of others who received the same survey invitation.
Next, these companies usually compensate their respondents for their time. Since each survey only takes a few minutes to complete, you can’t expect them to receive anything more than spare change.
It means that it can take some time (and a lot of dedicated effort) to earn something sufficient enough to reach anything close to a minimum monthly wage.
But don’t lose faith. There’s a key to making it happen. You can join multiple online communities. This way, you won’t run out of opportunities to earn income.
That is why I’ve decided to establish Stan’s Gigs. I have taken it upon myself to look for these gigs from different places and deliver them straight to your email.
You don’t have to fill out any form or collect points. All you need to do is sign-up for my newsletter.
This way, you’ll be able to receive my updates and get first dibs一even to studies that have yet to be released by their firms!
Esearch Review: The Verdict
I can confidently say that Esearch is not a scam. I have been working with them for years, and they have yet to let me down.
They have clear payment terms, and they release their funds quickly. You won’t even have to accumulate points to get compensated.
The only problem is that their survey invites can be slow and weeks apart. That’s why in this Esearch review, I’ve featured other survey sites that you can also check out.
Lastly, don’t forget to sign up for my newsletter to have access to exclusive research gigs via email.
I am a father to a beautiful baby girl, a husband and a serial gigster 🙂 I live in Toronto, Canada. My claim to fame: I made thousands of dollars from focus groups and surveys over the last 15 years. Studied Marketing in Ryerson Univerity and worked in Marketing and Marketing Research for the last 14 years+ My mission is to educate others how to be successful with side hustles. You can contact my be email or on Facebook.
