Many young professionals might often feel that their income doesn’t seem to be enough to cover their monthly expenses. Bills tend to start piling up, and without noticing it, you might already be in debt.
If you’re looking for different ways to earn some extra cash, you might have heard that participating in focus groups can be a great way to earn some extra income. When it comes to focus groups, you’ve probably heard of FocusGroup.com.
Now, you probably want to give it a go yourself, but before you do, you might have some questions about using the platform.
Is it legit? How much can you earn? How do you get started?
We did the research so you can find out everything there is to know about FocusGroup.com. We studied the signup process, the qualifications, and the earning potential of the platform. We also looked at the feedback of actual users, so you know what to expect.
The last thing you want is to sign up only to find out that you aren’t actually qualified for most of their surveys. Keep reading until the very end so you know if you’re the right fit for FocusGroup.com can give you and how you can make the most of it.
What is FocusGroup.com?
FocusGroup.com is a website that offers you the chance to earn money by participating in research activities. These research activities may include answering online surveys, participating in focus group discussions (FGDs), or letting yourself be interviewed by one of their researchers.
FocusGroup.com used to be under Focus Pointe Global, a market research company in the U.S. that has been in the industry for over 30 years.
The Schlesinger Group, an even more established market research firm that has been in the industry for over 55 years, has taken over FocusGroup.com. The acquisition enabled the site to expand its reach and improve its platform significantly.
FocusGroup.com allows individuals from both the US and the UK to participate in their research activities.
How do you earn from FocusGroup.Com?
FocusGroup.com actually gives you a number of ways to earn – some more convenient than others.
In fact, depending on the type of research activity you want to participate in, you can choose to participate online, in person, over the phone, or even on the go.
Here are the different research activities that the website offers:
1. Online surveys
Online surveys are one of FocusGroup.com’s fastest and easiest methods of participation. These are standard surveys that, based on your profile, the company believes will fit you best.
You can take these pretty much whenever and wherever it’s convenient for you. Plus, their platform allows you to answer online surveys on your phone, computer, or tablet.
2. Focus groups
FocusGroup.com lets you participate in, you guessed it, focus group discussions. Depending on the research, focus group discussions can be done either in person in one of the company’s facilities or online via phone call or video conference.
If you’re invited to an onsite focus group discussion, you’ll have to attend the meeting in the location specified in the invite. These are typically in one of the company’s 16 offices located across the US and 10 offices located across the UK.
While it may not provide the same level of convenience, in-person FGDs typically pay more. These are especially worth it if you happen to live close to one of the onsite facilities.
On the other hand, online focus group discussions will, of course, be conducted online. These will usually require you to have a webcam or to call through a telephone.
Online FGDs typically take about 1-3 days before you receive your payment. Onsite FGDs will pay you immediately after the meeting.
3. Interviews
Interviews are done either in person at their offices, at your own home, or over the phone. The company will send you an invite through email, text, or phone call.
A marketing research expert will conduct this interview. It will often involve questions about a certain product or service that you use.
4. Shop-along
Shop-alongs are one of FocusGroup.com’s more unique methods of research. The activity is fun as it will require one of their marketing research specialists to accompany you on one of your shopping trips.
The specialist will then observe how you shop for a certain kind of product. They will ask you questions about how you arrive at your decisions, what factors you consider before purchasing, and more.
5. Product testing
FocusGroup.com can also ask you to test a certain product. This can also be done in person at one of the company’s facilities or at home.
If the study is done onsite, the company will give you a product to test. Afterward, you’ll have to give your input through a questionnaire or a focus group discussion.
On the other hand, if the product testing is done at home, FocusGroup.com will send the product to your address. Afterward, you’ll have to answer a test or fill in an online review using the link that the company will send you in an email.
Who can join the research activities?
Because FocusGroup.com operates from the U.S. and the U.K., participants are mostly limited to the residents of these areas. This is also largely because most of the earning opportunities that the company offers are done in their facilities.
On its website, the company says that the platform is welcome to “just about everyone.” They gather information from all types of consumers, professionals, and individuals with medical conditions. Some of the profiles of people they typically survey, however, include the following:
- Shoppers
- Mothers with newborns
- Parents
- People with medical conditions
- Business professionals
- Exercise enthusiasts
You can also check out their website for a full list of the common profiles of people they are looking for.
Keep in mind that the company only allows individuals over the age of 18 to become a member. Even if you fit any of these profiles, they will not allow you to join if you’re not yet 18 years old.
How Much Can You Earn on the Platform?
The pay you get for joining one of FocusGroup.com’s research activities can vary widely depending on the kind of study you participated in, the length of time it took to finish it, the company requesting the study, and many other factors.
Focus Group pays its members with its virtual currency called Focus Group by Schlesinger Reward points. Every 100 points have a value of $1.
These points are non-expiring for as long as you remain an active member of the Focus Group Community. This means that you need to have participated in at least one survey or research activity within a year from the last one you joined.
You will need to have accumulated at least 1,000 points or $10 before you can redeem your points for a Virtual or Physical Debit Card, an Amazon gift card, Best Buy gift card, iTunes gift card, and many more.
In general, a 15-minute to 1-hour online survey or interview will pay around $1-$10. Joining focus group discussions, shop-alongs, and product testings, on the other hand, can earn you a fairly decent amount of money ranging from $50-$250 per study.
People who live near one of FocusGroup.com’s facilities typically have a higher chance of receiving an invite. If you do happen to get one, take advantage of the opportunity and accept it.
Just keep in mind that you will be responsible for any taxes that may be due for the payments you receive from the company. FocusGroup.com will issue you an IRS form 1099 if you receive over $600 from them in a year.
How do you become a member?
Becoming a member of FocusGroup.com is quite simple. Here are the steps you should follow.
- Go to the FocusGroup.com website
Keep in mind that there is a separate platform for US residents and for UK residents. Visit the one that corresponds to where you live, and click on “Join Influencers Now” or “Join Now.”
- Complete your registration
You’ll have to fill in a bio-data complete with details like your name, birthday, area of residence, and many more. The questionnaire will also ask you about your spending habits, your lifestyle, any medical conditions you might have, etc.
Don’t worry, these are all secure and are made so that you can be matched with the surveys that best fit your profile.
- Verify your identity
For your security, you’ll also have to verify your identity by sending the company an ID. You’ll have to upload this on the platform after you fill in your personal details.
You’ll get a confirmation email from the team and you can just wait for invitations for the studies that match your profile.
How do you get paid on FocusGroup.com?
It’s important to know how to earn and how to sign-up, but it’s equally important that you also know how to get paid. Fortunately, FocusGroup.com offers a number of ways for you to claim your money.
If you attend an in-person focus group discussion or research activity, you will get your payment right before you go.
On the other hand, doing online surveys or phone and at-home interviews will earn you points in your account. You will need 1,000 points or $10 to redeem rewards, and you can get this through Paypal, Visa cards, gift cards, and many more.
What are the pros and cons of FocusGroup.com?
FocusGroup.com does have its advantages and disadvantages, which we’ve listed below.
Pros
Gives you a variety of earning opportunitiesRelatively higher rewards for participating in research activities compared with other similar companiesGreat and varied payout methods
Cons
Hard to qualify for in-person research activitiesMost high-paying earning opportunities are done in person at one of the company’s facilities
Generally, the company has positive feedback from its community. In fact, it has an 84% Excellent rating on Trustpilot, with users commending the company’s team for being extremely reliable.
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Most users report having great experiences, especially with the organization’s support team.
According to one review, they even “go above and beyond to help in a prompt, polite, and professional manner,” which makes the company something that they can truly rely on.
What alternatives are there for FocusGroup.com?
There are some companies similar to FocusGroup.com that you might want to consider, especially if the earning opportunities you want to join are not available in your area.
If FocusGroup.com isn’t available in your area, you may also want to check out User Interviews. This is another well-known research platform that encourages you to participate in studies in exchange for rewards.
While previously available only in the US and Canada, User Interviews is now expanding to cater to international clients as well. This is a big plus when compared with FocusGroup.com, as the latter caters only to US and UK clients at present.
Some of their earning opportunities include focus groups, multi-day studies, 1-on-1 interviews, and tasks. According to their website, an average study on their platform can earn you over $50.
Respondent.io also caters to international clients, which makes it great for people living outside the US, which is perfect if you’ve recently moved to another country and FocusGroup.com isn’t available to you.
They also have a lot of research activities you can join, with earning opportunities ranging from $50 to $250 per activity.
Being the third largest survey research firm in the world, Ipsos I-Say accepts people from all over the world.
Small surveys on the platform pay respondents $0.40 to $1.50 per survey, while high-end surveys and focus group discussions give you the chance to earn $50 to $100 for about an hour of your time.
In terms of pay, FocusGroup.com still rewards participants better. However, given that the platform only has a limited number of participants who can join, Ipsos I-Say can still be a good backup plan if you want to earn a few extra bucks.
Final thoughts: Is FocusGroup.com legit?
FocusGroup.com is a legitimate platform that pays you for answering online surveys, joining focus group discussions, and participating in other research activities. It’s a great way to get some extra income on the side, especially if you happen to live near one of its research facilities and you get an invite to join an FGD.
Again, while the earning opportunities here are slightly bigger compared with other survey firms, it still wouldn’t be ideal for you to quit your job. All the same, FocusGroup.com and other similar platforms are good sources of extra income that you can turn to if you need a few extra bucks to help you pay your bills.
FGDs and other research activities will not always be there, and sometimes, even if they are, they might not always match your profile.
Aidan has been writing about personal finance for over 6 years. Prior to this, he worked as a Corporate Finance Analyst where he specialized in Due Diligence, Company Valuations and more. He is a CFA charterholder.
