Taking online surveys can be an easy way to make some extra cash and to help make the products you enjoy even better. However, it can sometimes feel like surveys drag on endlessly, whether they’re five minutes long or thirty minutes long. All that scrolling and clicking can make your mind go numb, leaving you more tired than when you started! Luckily, there are some ways to make sure your experience taking surveys is quick and easy, so you can maximize your earnings.

Don’t Overthink Your Answer

Do you prefer the blue cushions or the yellow ones? Are the cookies too soft, or not soft enough? While it’s important to consider each question in a survey carefully, make sure you aren’t spending too much time debating between two very similar answers. Many survey companies would actually prefer to have your first, immediate thoughts on a product since it’s more instinctual and therefore more true to how you really feel. So next time you find yourself in a ten-minute mental debate between A and B, take a step back and go with whichever answer that calls out to you first.

Train Your Brain

How long does it take you to read a book? Surveys also require a lot of careful reading, so the faster you can read, the better. Of course, you want to make sure you’re reading everything right: reading too quickly and answering incorrectly could lead to disqualification or maybe even a ban. However, if you can practice reading faster, taking surveys will become a whole lot quicker too.

Improve Your Typing Skills

While most survey answers are a matter of A vs. B vs. C, some surveys require you to express your thoughts in writing. Short answer questions can seem a little daunting, but it’s always better to give full answers about how you feel. Rather than skipping through these with one or two-word answers, try improving your typing speed. The average typing speed is about 40 words per minute. To find out how fast you are, search for a typing speed test online. One free typing test can be found at Typing.com. If it’s lower than average, don’t worry! Practice makes perfect, and the more typing you do, the faster you will become.

Fast Internet = Fast Answers

How long does it take for you to move from one question to the next? If the page doesn’t load in a couple of seconds, chances are your internet is pretty slow. Having higher internet speeds translates to less time waiting for the next question to appear on your screen. While paying for higher-speed internet could be the solution, it could be expensive or outright unnecessary. Check your computer or other computers within your household to see if any other programs are accessing the internet: too many users can slow down internet speed for everyone. If you’re not sure of your internet speed, there are plenty of free internet speed tests online to check how fast your internet is.

Take Your Time

The most important thing in taking surveys is making sure that your answers are accurate. By going too quickly, it’s possible that your answers aren’t accurate or don’t reflect how you really feel about a product. Even worse, many sites pay attention to those that speed through their surveys. Go too quickly, and your account could be banned! So while it might be tempting to blaze through your answers in search of that cash prize at the end, remember that it may not be worth it in the long run.

Ultimately, when it comes to shortening your time taking surveys, practice makes perfect. The more surveys you can take, the faster you’ll go through them. Sticking around could even net you long-term rewards too! With ACOP.com, long-term panelists receive more surveys than new or short-term panelists and are more often included in higher-paying projects including product testing and focus groups. That means more contributions and more money. Remember these tips for your next survey, and you’ll be completing them in no time!