Survey Spotlight: Greenfield Online
With hundreds and hundreds of legitimate survey sites out there, sometimes it can get a bit confusing about who is who on the survey landscape. Some survey sites are like finely manicured lawns, others are thorny bushes that will really stick it to you. To familiarize you with some of the better choices in survey providers, we’ll occasionally put the spotlight on some of our favorite programs where you can speak your mind and get rewarded at the same time. Today, the focus is on Greenfield Online and we hope by the end of the post you have a clearer understanding of who they are.
Greenfield Online (aka Ciao Surveys in some countries) has been a worldwide internet survey solution provider since 1994. In recent history, Greenfield Online has changed hands several times, firstly being bought out by Microsoft in 2008 and then just recently acquired in 2009 by Toluna, a mega research panel with millions of members. Greenfield reports to have 25 websites that cater to survey takers in more than 60 countries around the globe. Fans of Greenfield Online enjoy the easy access to international paid surveys and being catered to in their native tongues while critics feel like this survey site giant still has plenty of room for improvement, especially in the survey acceptance and reward rates. As Greenfield continues to completely merge with Toluna Surveys, I expect will see more changes one way or the other. The Greenfield Online website is posting that just days ago, on January 5th, a new reward system has been put in place that gives members more “power and flexibility” over rewards and to use points for things really wanted like “cash, merchandise, charitable donations or exciting prizes”.
One good thing about Greenfield Online is that all rewards are paid in the currency of your home country each time you complete surveys; however, failing to qualify nets you nothing. After you reach a pre-determined amount in your account, you can have those funds transferred to your Paypal account. Greenfield Online does offer frequent invitations to join surveys, on average three per week, but sometimes members report it may be hard to qualify for the full surveys. In May of 2009, a new Help Desk function was created to assist member navigate their way through the process with fewer problems. To wrap it up, let’s see what 2010 and a Toluna touch do for this well-known and much-used paid survey site.