A frequently asked question is "Can I really make money online from paid surveys?" The answer is always "Yes". Sometimes the answer is qualified by a reminder that you need to put in some work (ie log in on your computer and actually complete the surveys) or to look out for scams but the short answer is always in the affirmative. Taking paid surveys just has to be the easiest legitimate way to make money online. You don't need any special skills, there is nothing you need to learn, all you do is sign up to a paid survey program and give your opinion on any subject they ask about. Even so some people fail to make money from online paid surveys. Here are the four most common reasons for people to fail to make money from online surveys.

1. Not Joining Enough Survey Companies

Some people become disillusioned because they don't get invited to participate in many surveys and, therefore, don't make much money. They start out with the idea that they can make money by joining just a couple of online paid survey companies.

It does not work like that: your demographic profile will not make you eligible for every survey any company has to offer. The more survey companies you join, the better. It is not enough to join a couple or even a couple of dozen, you need to join hundreds of companies if you want to make money on a regular basis. The signing up process is probably the hardest work you will have to do but it only has to be done once. Spread this task over a few days and it won't seem so bad. Before you start, download free Roboform and get it set up to fill in all your details in each application automatically.

2. Not Checking Your Survey Mailbox

Some people take a haphazard approach to their online paid survey work and only occasionally check their email or online mailbox at the survey company website. Then they are disappointed because the survey has time expired or closed because enough participants have already taken part.

You need to check for new surveys at least once a day. Many surveys have to be completed within a short time span. Others are available for a limited number of participants and this is done on a first come first served basis. You need to get to these surveys before they time expire or have been filled.

3. Impatience

One common complaint about paid online surveys is made by people who are simply lacking in patience and don't realise how the industry works. People often complain that they tried to make money from online surveys for two weeks (or a month etc) but hardly earned anything.

Many of these people also fall into the category of not signing up with enough survey companies because they lack the patience to go through the signing up procedure numerous times. In any event, a couple of weeks is not long enough to assess your earning potential with online surveys. A company might send you a $5 survey the first week, nothing for a whole week and then two $75 surveys in quick succession. People who happen to sign up and immediately receive two $75 surveys see the earning potential quite differently.

4. Unrealistic Expectations

Having unrealistic expectations of how the system works plays a part in all the above situations. Taking paid surveys is an easy way to make money online. Unfortunately, however, there are people who think they can just sign up with a few survey companies and they'll get paid a full time income for completing the odd survey here and there when the mood takes them.

If you want to make money online from taking part in paid surveys, you need to treat it as a business and that includes joining numerous survey companies and completing surveys regularly as soon as they become available.