Your opinions could earn you hundreds of pounds from testing products

Are you one of those people who has an opinion on everything? Then you might be able to monetize your opinion on everything from politics to dog food. You could earn hundreds of pounds a year.

Dozens of survey websites and focus groups have sprung up in recent years, willing to pay for independent opinions.

They rely on this research to refine products. For example, to see which packaging attracts customers’ attention or which flavors they like best.

Share opinions in person to make the most money

Focus groups are generally the most lucrative – you can earn as much as $200 for your opinion. Here you join a group of people to give your opinion about what you think of a product or service.

Once upon a time, focus groups consisted of hanging out on bean bags or a table in an office. But nowadays much of the sharing of opinions happens through online meetings where you only see others on a computer screen.

Market research firms such as Saros, Angelfish Opinions, Research Opinions and Market Research 4 You typically pay £50 per hour. If you get an assignment that requires you to try out a product over the course of about a week, you can often earn around $200.

You have to answer a number of questions about the product, ranging from a new yogurt range to a new credit card. The agencies will also ask questions when you first sign up to make sure you fit the client profile.

While the money can be generous, people are usually chosen for focus groups only once every six months — or more often if they’re signed up with multiple agencies.

Emma Coombes, head of customer service at Angelfish, says: “When choosing an agency, consider a member of the Market Research Society, which has a strict code of conduct for members, including ensuring that sensitive data is shared responsibly.”

Case study one: I need to compare lip balms

Abbey Thornhill just earned £200 testing lip balms for a cosmetics company. The 25-year-old civil servant, from Brixton in south London, says: ‘I sign up for focus groups on topics that interest me – any money is a bonus.

“As someone who’s used dozens of different lip balms over the years, it’s been a great opportunity to share my thoughts on making sure what’s being sold is hopefully what people want — not just what companies want to sell.”

Abbey was sent a selection of products via Saros to try for two weeks and asked via an online focus group to compare them to others on the high street. She says, “I kept a journal and spent a few minutes each day writing down my findings.”

She also recently enjoyed a focus group where she shared insights on how she shares music with her friends.

Case study two: My baby and I made £200

Georg Alleway recently earned £200 testing baby food with his 18-month-old daughter, Sylvie, through research company Saros. “The cheese and pickle went surprisingly well,” says the 38-year-old police sergeant from Woking, Surrey. ‘It is gratifying to know that we can influence what will be in the shops in the future.’

George has also earned £150 by sharing his thoughts on car design with market researcher Research Opinions. When he speaks his mind, he earns at least £400 a year.

It’s fun to be the first to try new things

Julia Russell admits she has a mind of her own – and is delighted to be making hundreds of pounds a year from the habit.

The 55-year-old, who is a volunteer rescue worker for the RSPCA, says: ‘You’ll never get rich quick, but it pays to test something new on the market.’

Reward: Retired nurse Julia, from Wallington in South London, signed up with Angelfish and tested a range of products

Retired nurse Julia, from Wallington in South London, signed up with Angelfish and tested a range of products from washing powder and shampoo to cat food for her pets.

She says it’s more than a tick box exercise.

“When I looked at a shampoo, I was asked to comment on everything from the lather and scent to the size and appearance of the bottle.”

‘I made £24 from surveys but had to work for it’

A growing number of market research firms are paying for people’s opinions through online surveys. Among the most popular are Ipsos iSay, Swagbucks, Branded Surveys, Toluna Influencers, Inbox Pounds, and LifePoints Panel.

Signing up is easy. You provide a few personal details and are then contacted with surveys that take between five and 30 minutes to complete.

You will rarely earn more than £1 or so for a survey. But you can fill them in from the comfort of your chair on a laptop or smartphone whenever it suits you.

I have an opinion or two of my own – so I signed up with some online survey companies to see how much I could make in an afternoon. Toluna is one of the most generous. It claims to offer ‘the equivalent of a £20 Amazon voucher in record time’. I’m filling out an eight-minute survey about snacks and sweets.

The climax is when a picture of a Mr Kipling apple pie pops up on the computer screen and I’m asked what emotion it makes me feel. I choose “desire” from a list of a dozen; others include “shock” and “sadness.”

But when I’m done, I discover that I have to complete another two dozen surveys to get the voucher. I calculate that as two 40 pence apple pies per questionnaire.

Branded Surveys surprised me with over a dozen surveys in a few days. I earn points for every one I complete, and I’ve been told that once I get to 500 I can redeem them for reward vouchers. However, each survey only earns a few points, so completing 19 equates to just over £1 an hour in vouchers for retailers such as Argos and John Lewis.

Ipsos iSay also makes me work hard for my money – I have to complete six separate surveys to get my profile. After five minutes of answering questions about what drink I drink, my favorite coffee machine and used cars, I’ve had enough.

I need to earn 980 points to get a £10 voucher – and at 45 points for a first time grilling it doesn’t seem worth it to me.

A word of caution: when looking for legitimate online survey companies, I came across several claiming to be authentic, but they seemed anything but.

Alarm bells should be ringing if an online survey or focus group wants you to pay any kind of entry fee or registration fee. Walk away or you might fall for a scammer. Using your personal email address can also lead to a flood of unwanted survey requests and junk email – so it’s best to set up a new email address for the surveys.

Be careful when you hand over personal information online and make sure you know exactly how your information will be used.

Sweet: Toby was asked what emotion an apple pie evoked

Be a mystery shopper… or try restaurants

You can also earn some extra cash as a secret shopper. You go undercover to test goods and services on the high street. Market research firms such as Market Force Information, GBW and GfK typically pay £5 for you to test the quality of a shopping experience while visiting the stores.

The companies want you to snoop on everything from how sales associates are dressed to whether there are any empty spaces on store shelves. You’ll need to keep track of what you see in your head and write it down later so you don’t betray yourself by taking notes. Sometimes you will be asked to secretly record your findings and take pictures.

If you are asked to check food stores, such as Greggs or JD Wetherspoon, the examiner will usually also factor in the price of a meal or sandwich.

Mystery shoppers generally don’t make large sums of money, but it can be a good way to fund meals and make a little extra cash by going to malls that you plan to visit anyway. It can take a few weeks for the money to hit your bank account, so it can’t be relied on for income. Some companies pay for travel expenses, especially if you are asked to visit somewhere a little remote.

Make sure to only sign up for reputable companies.