Tag Archives: online consumer panels

Happy Birthday Jay!

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This is a special note celebrating the birthday of McMillion Research Vice President Jay Mace, who turns 42 this week.

Now, 42 is not a milestone or anything, but we didn’t have a Facebook page when he hit the big 4-0! So please indulge us for a moment.

Jay has been with McMillion Research/MindField Online since 1992. He has been a key player in the growth and development of the company, helping us to become one the most successful consumer research firms. Jay wears a lot of hats, but much of his job is about troubleshooting the process, doing what he can to make it smooth and satisfying for members like you.

A married father of two boys, Jay plays indoor soccer, listens to Elvis and is downright obnoxious about his beloved Steelers. And in the course of 20 years, Gary and Sandy McMillion say that Jay has become like a son to them.

Please help McMillion Research and MindField Online wish Jay Mace a very happy birthday!

Take the MindField Online Nickel Tour!

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Over at the MindField Online Facebook page, we commonly hear, “I’m new—how does this whole thing work?”  That’s a pretty broad question, so we usually answer, “There’s plenty of info to be found at our website, www.mindfieldonline.com -check it out!”

But exactly what you will find has been a mystery, wrapped in a riddle, wrapped in an internet – until now!  So, keep your hands and feet inside the tram as we take an informative, exciting (but mostly informative) tour of the MindField Online Internet Panels website!

Home Page

What kinds of people make good MindField Online Internet Panels members? Awesome people, for sure, but for more specifics, click HERE.

How it Works

Would you like a simple, easy to understand explanation of how the whole MindField Online thing works? Sure you would. Here’s THIS instead!

IQD

Other than farm fresh ingredients, what steps does MindField Online Internet Panels take to ensure the quality of our data? Find out HERE.

FAQ

Check out the answers to some frequently asked questions HERE. Then, take a moment to realize “So THAT’S what FAQ stands for!”

About

Because corporate histories are so darn exciting, click HERE to learn more about MindField Online and parent company McMillion Research.

Register

Want to find out more about becoming a panelist for MindField Online Internet Panels? HERE is the place to find it!

Privacy

Concerned about your privacy online? Hey who isn’t? Check out all the ways MindField Online goes about protecting your personal info HERE.

Sweepstakes

SWEEPSTAKES! Who is eligible? How do you enter? What are the rules? What’s all that fine print say?

And that brings us back to the lobby. We hope you have enjoyed your tour of the MindField Online Internet Panels website! Thanks for your attention. Please exit through the giftshop…

Lost in the Mail?

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Attention MindField Online Users:  Stand by for some highly technical yak having to do with email providers.  Do you use any of the following email providers?

@aim.com

@alltel.net

@aol.com

@bellsouth.net

If so, keep reading…

Some email providers tend to “rate limit” our emails frequently due to a number of reasons. This is in spite of our “white listing” provisions and your “double opt-in requirement.”  This means our emails to you are often delayed and sometimes never received.

What’s this mean to you? It means you miss survey opportunities and/or come into a study late – which makes your opportunity of qualifying more difficult.  If you are an email user of one the providers listed above and you ALSO have a secondary email, we would like to encourage you to log into your account and provide a different email for your MindField Account.  This will allow you to avoid any delays that may be created while they censor our sends.

Meet the Panelists: Molly

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Molly

Molly lives in Florida and has been a member of MindField Online since 2004. As she puts it: “It’s been a great experience. I love completing MindField surveys and, over the years, I have been able to voice my opinion and thoughts about all kinds of products!  It’s exciting – almost like being in on a big secret!”

Molly is a stay-at-home wife with a disability that keeps her from working and driving. But she’s no shut-in – she’s fully wired and web-savvy! She’s got the time and a real enthusiasm for surveys.  And she LOVES to hear the UPS truck rumbling down her street bringing the latest test product from MindField Online!

What does Molly like about MindField Online? Obviously, she likes qualifying. And when she doesn’t, “it’s disappointing, but I know that I will be entered into a sweepstakes nonetheless for my time and effort. It’s never a waste of time!”

As for compensation, she likes MindField’s low payout threshold. “But I like to let my account build into a nice fat check. And the checks ALWAYS come, very promptly and without fail.”

Molly was also excited to learn that MindField Online had started a blog and Facebook page, and “friended” us right away. This automatically registered her for our December Apple drawing, and led to a big Christmas surprise: winning an iPhone 3G! “I was shocked! It took years, but I FINALLY won one of the famous MindField Online sweepstakes! ALL of my friends and family are envious!”

Well, thanks for your years of loyalty, Molly – and your incredible enthusiasm. Enjoy your iPhone, and keep spreading the word about MindField Online Internet Panels!

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Hey folks, do YOU have a fun MindField Online story like Molly’s? Leave us a note in the comment section below!

Year-end Apple Drawing Winners (Finally!)

Maybe it’s the time of year, but it took FOREVER to track down our latest batch of Apple winners for the MindField Online December drawing! Truth be told, we are STILL waiting to hear from a couple.  But we didn’t want to keep you guys waiting any longer, so we decided to post and do an update when we hear from the stragglers.

So, without further ado, meet your MindField Online December Apple drawing winners!

Amanda Chandler

Amanda Chandler of Douglasville GA won an iPod Shuffle!

Michael Gallatin of Ann Arbor MI won an iPhone!

Molly Block

Molly Block of Lake City FL won an iPhone 3G!

Marissa Gold of Milwaukee WI won an iPod Touch!

Jennifer McNally of Asheville NC won an iPod Nano!

Shannon Story

Shannon Story of Aloha OR won an Apple TV!

Michelle Enzinger of Indianapolis IN won an iPod Shuffle!

Debi Fitzsimmons

Debi Fitzsimmons of Corpus Christi TX won an iPod Touch!

Bruce Wade of Round Rock TX won an iPod Shuffle!

Julie Gottlieb of Cincinnati OH won an iPad!

Meghan Gresick

Meghan Gresick of Baton Rouge LA won an Apple TV!

Congrats, Apple winners! Thanks again! And stay tuned for future cool drawings –

only from MindField Online Internet Panels!

The Best Facebook Fans in the World!

UPDATE:

2/16/11 OK, it’s been 5 months, and now over 6,200 fans! Now, to be like the entire REST of the internet, the new comments are on top. Enjoy!

UPDATE:

1/12/11   Well, it’s been 4 months, and now over 5,000 fans! We thought we’d keep this post active and drop in the nice comments we get from time to time. New comments are at the bottom. Thanks again for your membership, your support and your kind words! XOXOX

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Original Post:

MindField Online Internet Panels has been on Facebook for a little over three months. In that time we have grown from zero fans to (any minute now) 4,000 fans!

We took a moment to look back on some of our user comments to pull up some of the nice things our fans have had to say about MindField Online. Remember, these are actual comments, and you can look them up right on our Facebook page!

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Debra says: I love your site!! You have great surveys and once in a while I get to actually try some of these products in my home. I like to give my opinion and I say it like I see it. Keep up the good work – you have a faithful survey taker in me!!

Buck says: I love Mindfield! They pay good!

Kayla says: Thanks for all the awesome surveys! As an encouragement to new pollers, it really is pretty nice when you get to cash out into Paypal or via check 🙂 Good night-out-with-the-spouse money!

Carol says: I’m a newbee…I just signed up and thought I would check out the facebook page. I like that Mindfield actually answers all the posts!

Rebecca says: I have been doing this since 2006. I have made some decent cash from these surveys. I have done three that paid $25 or more. Others are a buck here and there – they add up! It’s legitimate, and you do earn money – no bs:)

Mariela says: This is a legit site! Great product testing and good surveys! I’ve been a member since 2009 =)

Martha says: MindField Online you have been nothing but a godsend to me! God bless you all! Keep up the good work!

Cecelia says: MindField Online Internet Panel is the best survey site I have EVER been a part of! Keep up the great work! If anyone needs some extra cash in their pocket, they need to join this really wonderful, and exceptionally easy survey site,

Ann says: Love, love, LOVE MindField surveys!! You have the best surveys of all the survey companies that I have dealt with – just wish you would send me more of them…. so keep ’em coming

Elizabeth says: I like MindField. They pay quick, and they keep track of what you do…what more can you ask for?

Vera says: Greetings, friends. Mindfield Online is a good company to participate as a survey opinion member. You have the opportunity to share your opinion about various products before they hit the market (or even after they are already on the shelves). You also get paid to share your opinions. Now you won’t get rich this way or earn enough to feed the family or pay the electric bill, but you will see a few extra dollars come your way. Enjoy.

Kristi says: I have been a member for a long time and I really like taking there surveys and rewards. Thanks MindField!

Sandy says: I just love taking surveys for MindField Online Internet Panels!!!! Thanks guys!!!

Melissa says: I love MindField surveys! They are fun and I’ve made some cash too! Thanks!!!

Kelli says: This is a very good site. I have been with them for a long time and they always pay!!

Laura says: Thank you MindField!!! Can’t believe I’ve been with your group over a year now! So nice to get rewarded for sharing your opinions! Love my groups!!! 🙂

Sarah says: I love MINDFIELD ONLINE !!! They pay quick and the surveys are easy!!!

Mary says: I’ve been with MindField for a very long time and I love you guys. You just keep on coming with new and interesting surveys. Welcome to Facebook, and thanks again.

Jack says: Thanks for the opportunity to voice my opinion. MindField, you offer relevant panels with great rewards…KUDOS

Marie says: My husband just cashed out for $27 dollars! They always pay too so never fear MindField Online Internet Panels DO PAY! MindField totally rocks!

Jennifer says: MindField is awesome. I have made 35.00 and have received more products to try out than I can count. Thank you for the opportunity to let my voice be heard and let me try out the new products. The money is nice to stash for x-mas in these tough times 🙂

Martha says: MindField Online you are awesome! Best online survey group that has ever happened to me! Happy holidays guys – keep the faith and good work! Love ya all!

Sarah says: I love you guys!! I had a question about money that was pending on my account and I called you and you answered my questions and took care of it right away. You guys and gals are great!! Thank you.

Melanie says: I have been a member for over 3 years. I love this site. Surveys come regularly, easy to complete and payouts are easy.

Judith says: MindField is a legit, professional survey company.  They always pay – and pay promptly!

Timmie says: This is a great survey company that actually pays! And no hoops to jump through!

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So there’s a sampling of some our Facebook fan comments. We know that not EVERY MindField Online member is this happy. Depending on a lot of factors, different people have different levels of satisfaction. But please know that we read EVERY SINGLE COMMENT on our Facebook page. We look into complaints and problems, and we are always trying to make it a better online consumer panel experience for you!

A Senior Survey Moment…

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From time to time we like to answer some common questions we receive at the MindField Online Facebook page. This time, we will try to answer the question, “Am I getting fewer online survey invitations as I get older?”

In general, makers of consumer products are trying to reach specific audiences. Think about the commercials you see on TV. Who are they aimed at? VERY generally speaking, you tend to see:

  • Cars, beer and electronics for the fellows.
  • Fashion and beauty for young women.
  • Groceries, cleaning products, and childcare for moms.
  • Insurance, health products and pharmaceuticals for older folks.

So, as an older MindField Online member, you are far more likely to survey a term life insurance product than you are the latest smart phone.

On the other hand, there are products that EVERYBODY uses.  Whatever our income, we all drink a certain famous soda pop from time to time. We all use bathroom tissue. We all have to fill up the gas tank.

And whatever our gender, race, income level, education, etc., we each represent a certain percentage of the population. For instance, seniors 65 and older make up about 12% of the general population.  So, even on a very general product, our clients might (but not always) request that we limit seniors to 12% of the survey invitations. Bottom line, there ARE fewer opportunities as we get older, because there are increasingly fewer of us. That’s not MindField, that’s statistics. But we still try to steer as many invitations to you as we can.

Another consideration is timing. We try to rotate our invitations using a number of internal algorithms (that’s fancy computer talk) to give all members an equal chance to participate. So, if our clients are looking for a certain number people like you, but you wait two or three days to respond to the invitation, we may fill our quota and you will miss out.

So, even if this wasn’t the answer you were hoping for, we hope that it helps you understand the invitation process a little better.

Next time, we will look at a HOT topic: “Why do I get invitations, begin the survey, and then get kicked out in the middle?”

Refer a Friend, Earn More Cash!

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MindField Online Internet Panels recently re-launched our Refer-a-Friend campaign. If you would like to get involved and earn more cash, log in and follow this link:

http://mindfieldonline.com/user/refer

There, if you have NOT already activated your referral account you will see the following text:

Cash Reward Referrals

You will receive $1.00 for every friend or family member you refer to MindField Online – once they register, activate their account, complete their profile and begin participating in surveys.

How does it work? It’s simple . . .

  1. Click on the Activate button below to activate your referral account.
  2. Upon activating, use the URL link provided to send to your friends, post on your Facebook page or any other legal website. This is your referral link that will allow us to track your referrals back to you for crediting once your referrals do their part. The more creative you are the more opportunity you have to earn the extra incentive.
  3. Your friends and family will need to click on the link that will take them to our registration page. They will need to follow the same steps as you did to register and activate their account as well as complete their profile questionnaire. As soon as they begin responding to our questionnaire invitations and complete their first survey, you will receive credit for the referral.
  4. As part of our required data quality policies, referrals are subject to ongoing verification.

If you have any questions, please contact our support department at [email protected] or by calling 800-969-9235.

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Once you have activated your referral account you will see the following text:

Cash Reward Referrals

Send the link below to all of your friends, associates, etc. Even put it on your Facebook, MySpace and Twitter sites. By referring your friends you can sit back and increase your earnings. MindField Online will credit your account $1.00 for everyone you refer who fully activates a brand new account, completes their profile and completes a survey.

Sorry, you can’t join multiple times as that would be a violation of our Member Terms and data quality policy. But you can earn a great deal of extra money by referring as many people as possible. So what are you waiting for? Email this link to your contacts . . . IM it to your buddy list . . . post it on your website and let your friends and MindField Online make you extra money!

“I haven’t gotten any surveys in a while…”

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On the MindField Online Internet Panels Facebook page we have noticed more people saying “why haven’t I been getting any surveys lately?”  Previously, we have said that it can take a week or two to get started when you first join MindField Online.

But for members who have been around awhile, there may be different issues. It can also be a matter of your personal profile not being up to date. Like, MindField Online didn’t know you had a baby, so we haven’t sent you any “mommy-type” surveys.

Other times it is a technical issue with your email. Depending on your email program, you may have a storage limit. Your mailbox may be full, and you can’t receive any invitations. Cleaning out your old messages may help.

Also, there’s the issue of Spam. Internet service providers (ISPs) are getting more aggressive, always looking for ways to stop spam and junk mail from clogging up your IN box…and usually, that’s a GOOD thing! Unfortunately, this is not a perfect science, and messages you would want to receive sometimes end up in your Spam or Junk email folder – and you may not even know it!

It’s usually pretty easy to fix this, though. For example, in Yahoo Mail, you can highlight a message in your Spam folder and mark it “Not Spam.” Then, messages from that sender that come after that should land in your proper IN box.

At any rate, MindField Online is looking into the issue. We are reviewing members who haven’t received a survey in a while, and trying to figure out what the problem might be. So, please be patient! And THANKS!

Consumer Testing: A Big Business, and Getting Bigger

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It’s a fact: today’s consumers have a big say in the types of products and services that companies introduce to the marketplace.  This influence comes by way of consumer research and product testing.

Consumer research and product testing is a big business, and one that keeps growing. Why? Because it is enormously expensive to introduce, market and sell new products to the consumer. It is also very risky. Some statistics say that four out five new products introduced will fail in their first year, potentially costing companies millions of wasted dollars.

Companies have no real way of knowing how the public will respond to a service or product, without trying to measure that reaction by way of consumer research and product testing. They can’t simply guess or assume! Testing – extensive consumer research and product testing with as many consumers who represent a company’s target market – is a key ingredient of a new product’s success.

To do this, many companies hire online consumer research and product testing firms like MindField Online Internet Panels.

MindField Online members complete a series of consumer profiles to paint an accurate picture of their demographics including gender, age, income, family makeup, type of home, number and type of automobiles, appliances, and on and on. Using this information, MindField Online Internet Panels matches the consumer with relevant surveys commissioned by corporate clients.

MindField Online members are often asked to give their consumer opinions about existing products and services, so that companies can improve their product quality, marketing or advertising messages. Or, MindField Online members are asked about new or proposed products that don’t yet exist, so that companies can decide whether or not – and how – to proceed with their introduction. Often, these surveys include free samples of the product in question.

In return for giving their consumer research information, MindField Online Internet Panels members earn extra cash and prizes, and are eligible for frequent member appreciation giveaways for popular items like Apple iPods and iPhones. MindField Online Internet Panels also encourages members to log on to its growing social media network including its Twitter feed, Facebook page and blog site.

As the field of consumer research and product testing continues to grow in size and importance, the need for qualified consumer testers will also grow. Consumer research firms will compete for panel members, forcing these testing firms to constantly seek better ways to serve their members. Improved service, greater incentives and a growing sense of community are all ways that MindField Online Internet Panels will continue to attract and reward its loyal members in the future.

For more information, please visit the MindField Online website at http://mindfieldonline.com/