Joining a specialist research panel

Research panels are indispensible tools for many companies of all sizes, and vital to helping them stay ahead of the competition when it comes to satisfying customer needs.



As a consumer, you have incredible potential to make a real difference to many of the products and services released into the marketplace, and you can make your voice heard - as well as raise some cash - by getting involved in the market research field. This doesn't have to involve training or a career change, as there are now many ways to get paid for your contributions from the comfort of your own home.



Market research panels are extremely useful for allowing companies to receive a broad spectrum of opinions from across many target demographics - so you should never feel that you aren't the 'type of person' researchers are looking for. That said there are certain polls and surveys that you may feel more qualified to contribute to than others, such as those that fall within your field of interest - for example, a cosmetics company may only be looking for responses from consumers who are familiar with the type of beauty products currently available on the market.

The growth of the internet has seen research panels become ever more specialised, as it's now easier to obtain a wide range of responses than ever before, thanks to online opinion polls. A study carried out by Inside Research in January 2006 found that almost one third of all money spent on surveys is for online surveys, and this figure has likely increased in subsequent years, as ever more companies realise the cost advantages and efficiency of the online research model.



Rather than having to employ researchers to interview consumers in the street or send out expensive leaflets and other materials, businesses can save significant amounts on their research budget by sending out polls over the internet. As long as the survey is able to be self-administered and the type of person the survey is likely to reach will be a useful part of their target demographic, online surveys are often no less valid for research purposes than traditional methods.



The anonymity of online opinion polls can benefit both parties too, as the company is able to explore new directions without alerting the general public and media to its ideas, while respondents completing the survey at their leisure may be more honest about their answers than they would in a face-to-face interview situation - potentially leading to more trustworthy results.