I recently encountered a website called SIS International Research that claims to offer paid opportunities for participants willing to share their opinions.
It sounds like a good way to earn, but is it a legit way to earn some extra cash, or just another site with minimal payout?
In this SIS International review, we’ll break down what it’s like to participate in its earning opportunities, how much you can actually earn, and whether the opportunity is worth your time.
So, let’s dive in, shall we?
What is SIS International Research, and what does it offer?
SIS International Research is a market research company that specializes in providing its clients with actionable insights and strategic intelligence. To earn, you’ll have to participate in the focus group opportunities it offers. Then, clients can use the data gathered by these focus groups to improve their products and services.
And yes, it is legit since the opportunities it offers will really pay you.
Now, to find out if it is worth it, the first step is to understand how it works. The only way to do so is to take a look at the earning opportunity it offers, so you will have a good idea of how much time and effort is needed to earn from it, and how good it really is.
The video below explains exactly how SIS International Research works. You can also read the full details below the video.
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The earning opportunity – Focus groups
The only way to earn from it is to participate in focus group opportunities. There are two ways you can do so. First, you can wait for an invite from the website to participate in a focus group. This invite will be sent via email, so make sure to check your email inbox regularly.
The other way is the more proactive method. You can visit its Facebook page to see if there are any focus group opportunities available. The site also has a Twitter (now called X) and Instagram account, but for some reason, they only post the opportunities on Facebook, so you should just go to its Facebook page directly instead.
Now, for each opportunity, you’ll be asked to go through a screener survey where you’ll have to fill out a form. The information you provide in this phase will be the information the website uses to check if you qualify for the opportunity.
Now, it is important to take note that just because you filled out the form, it doesn’t automatically mean you’ll be included in the panel. SIS is very particular about who they accept as participants in the focus group. After all, they want to make sure that they will be getting relevant insight from the focus group.
So, it will take quite a bit of patience to qualify for one. To maximize your chances, you should apply for every opportunity you think you are qualified for. You’ll be notified via email or phone call if you get chosen to participate in a focus group.
Most focus groups are conducted online, but from time to time, there will be opportunities that will ask you to be physically present in a certain location to participate. Of course, this will only be profitable to you if the location is near where you live.
It doesn’t make sense to fly to the location just to participate in a focus group because the money you will earn will not come close to your expenses. So, only go for those opportunities if they are near where you live.
The topics that will be discussed during these focus groups will be quite varied because SIS’s clients are also very diverse (Fortune 500 companies, startups, government entities, etc). One thing is clear, though: each opportunity will take some time to finish, so make sure you have enough time to finish it if you ever decide to participate, because you won’t get paid if you leave midway through the session.
In the next section, I will discuss how you will get paid.
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How do you get paid?
It’s not quite clear what payment method SIS uses to pay its members. The website doesn’t tell you this information. It will only tell you how much you will earn if you get chosen to participate.
But based on my experience, you will usually get paid through some convenient payment method like PayPal or a direct bank transfer. One thing is clear, though. You will not have to reach a certain threshold to receive your earnings.
When a focus group is concluded, the payment will usually be processed more or less immediately, so you don’t have to wait that long to receive your earnings. Overall, I expect the payment system to be relatively convenient.
If you are interested in more sites that use a convenient payment system, I recommend you also check out the top sites that pay via PayPal.
How much money can you make?
I will tell you right now that you will earn a significant amount from most of the earning opportunities SIS offers. You will typically earn around $200 to $300 per focus group you participate in, and that will usually take around an hour of your time.
That being said, the overall earning potential will still not be that great simply because it will be quite hard to regularly earn from it. You can consider yourself lucky if you get chosen to participate in a focus group once a month.
So, you must adjust your expectations accordingly in terms of its earning potential.
Can you use it on mobile?
Most of the opportunities offered by SIS will require the use of a computer, so you will need to sit in front of one if you want to earn. That being said, there will be some opportunities where you can use your phone to participate in an online focus group.
If an opportunity requires you to use Zoom, then you can just use your phone and wear headphones while you are in a Zoom conference. But apart from that, all the other opportunities will ask you to sit in front of a computer.
Who can join SIS International Research?
Technically speaking, you can sign up as a member of its panel anywhere in the world. However, most of the opportunities offered will be for people who live in the US, UK, and Canada. So, if you live somewhere else, the opportunities to earn will be quite few and far between.
To become a member of its panel, you must fill out the sign-up form, which is designed to establish your profile as a participant. So, make sure to answer all questions honestly.
Once you’ve submitted the sign-up form, all you have to do is wait for an invite to participate in focus groups. But as mentioned earlier, you can also be proactive and apply for opportunities on its Facebook page.
Can you get support?
The website doesn’t have an FAQ or Help section you can check out if you have questions. So, you must get in touch with its support team directly to resolve your concerns. Fortunately, it does provide a convenient way for you to contact support.
You can use the Contact Us link located in the lower-right corner of the website, or you can also message them directly on any of their social media pages. Overall, I would say that it does provide decent support to its members since it offers an easy way for you to ask for help.
That being said, it would still have been better if the website also provided a Help section to minimize the instances of having to contact support.
Final Verdict
SIS International Research is a legit website that will let you earn by participating in focus groups. It has a couple of good features, but it also has some limitations you must consider.
Let me wrap up this review by summarizing its pros and cons so you can see a clear overview of what it offers. Then, you can decide if it is worth it or not.
Pros:
- Offers high rewards
Cons:
- Limited earning opportunities
- Most opportunities will require a bit of time to finish
In my opinion, SIS International Research is not a bad site to earn from. However, you must adjust your expectations accordingly in terms of its earning potential. Sure, it pays well, but the opportunities to earn will be quite limited, so it’s not something you can expect to earn regularly from.
You must also set aside some time if you decide to participate in a focus group, because they usually take at least an hour to finish. It can serve as a decent secondary site to earn from, in my opinion.
Now, if you are looking for primary sites to earn from, I recommend you check out the top survey and GPT sites in your country. The sites and apps on this list all have good earning potential, so you can earn extra cash regularly from them.
Plus, you will definitely find a site you can join regardless of where you live.
If you have any comments, questions, or experiences with SIS International Research, I would love to hear from you in a comment below.