DATA DOCTORS

Understanding the growing use of surveywalls

May 16, 2015, 7:22 AM | Updated: 7:22 am

Q: Why are so many websites forcing me to take a survey in order to read the news these days?

The Internet has spoiled us into believing that everything we want to access should be free, but content providers must find a way to monetize their information or go out of business.

The old newspaper model of charging readers for a subscription (a.k.a. paywalls) has not translated to the Internet, unless you’re a large news organization such as the New York Times or Wall Street Journal.

Since so few websites can survive using a paywall and display advertising can’t pay the bills, a new tool called a surveywall is being used to help fill the revenue gaps. Instead of charging you directly for access to the information you seek, you get to pay the site with a small amount of feedback via the survey.

I have to admit, when I first started seeing surveywalls, I too was aggravated because I just wanted to get to the information.

That all changed when I attended an enlightening presentation led by Monica Plaza, Head of Business Development for Google Consumer Surveys.

GCS is the brainchild of a couple of engineers at Google, one of which is married to a journalist. They knew that quality content costs money and, if news organizations can’t find a way to generate revenue for content, journalists will obviously be impacted.

What I didn’t realize was that an app that I’ve been enthusiastically using and recommending to Android users for years called Google Opinion Rewards is the same system.

I’m more than happy to take short surveys in exchange for credits in the Google Play Store, so I shouldn’t be any less enthusiastic about supporting a website that has information that I value.

GCS started out on a small number of major news sites, but has been expanded to over 1,000, so you’re likely to start seeing them more often.

If you’re a small business and want to do any form of market research, you really should take some time to learn about this pretty impressive tool. GCS can get your market research questions in front of more than 10 million respondents per week and generate responses in a very short period of time.

I decided to give it a test drive for a project myself and created a two-question survey just to see how the system worked (I also found an online coupon).

You can ask up to 10 questions per survey and you only pay for completed surveys. They start at 10 cents for each one-question survey and range from $1.10 to $3.50 for two- to 10-question surveys.

If you’ve ever paid for a focus group or market research in the traditional manner, you know that the sample size is usually very small, it takes a long time for the research data to be compiled and it can get very expensive.

Within an hour of submitting my two-question survey, I had 37 completed responses with a plethora of detail and I should have the 500 I asked for within 48 hours.

Whether you’re a web surfer or business owner, hopefully your perspective on surveywalls will be more well-rounded now!

Data Doctors

(Pexels photo)...

Ken Colburn, Data Doctors

What are the pros and cons of using security keys for online accounts?

When it comes to using security keys for your online accounts, there are both pros and cons for users to weigh before deciding which is best.

3 days ago

(Pexels Photo)...

Ken Colburn, Data Doctors

The problem with iPhone and Android text messaging

iMessage is the default for iPhone users, which can cause inoperability issues. Depending on your iPhone settings, messages may not make it.

10 days ago

(Pexels photo)...

Ken Colburn, Data Doctors

What to do if your digital calendar has been invaded by spammers

A possible result of calendar spam is malicious links within the details trying to lure you to a dangerous place or an malicious file.

17 days ago

(Pexels Photo)...

Ken Colburn, Data Doctors

Here are tips for improving your laptop’s battery life

The age of your laptop’s battery and how many times it’s been charged and discharged also play a large role in its current capacity.

24 days ago

(Pexels Photo)...

Ken Colburn, Data Doctors

Here are tips for resolving blue screen errors

There are hundreds of codes that may accompany your specific error, so documenting the exact error is critical to begin the troubleshooting process in an efficient manner.

1 month ago

(KTAR News Graphic)...

Sponsored Content by Boys and Girls Club of the Valley

KTAR launches online holiday auction benefitting Boys & Girls Clubs of the Valley

KTAR is teaming up with The Boys & Girls Clubs of the Valley for a holiday auction benefitting thousands of Valley kids.

Sponsored Articles

Follow @KTAR923...

The 2023 Diamondbacks are a good example to count on the underdog

The Arizona Diamondbacks made the World Series as a surprise. That they made the playoffs at all, got past the Milwaukee Brewers in the NL Wild Card round, swept the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NLDS and won two road games in Philadelphia to close out a full seven-game NLCS went against every expectation. Now, […]

...

Midwestern University

Midwestern University: innovating Arizona health care education

Midwestern University’s Glendale Campus near Loop 101 and 59th Avenue is an established leader in health care education and one of Arizona’s largest and most valuable health care resources.

...

SCHWARTZ LASER EYE CENTER

Key dates for Arizona sports fans to look forward to this fall

Fall brings new beginnings in different ways for Arizona’s professional sports teams like the Cardinals and Coyotes.

Understanding the growing use of surveywalls