Frankly my dear, I do give a damn

Spidermetrix.com is an Australian company that has created a community of over 160,000 members, from all over the world, with one common purpose: to make the Internet a better, more useful medium. "Frankly my dear, I do give a damn", is what members whisper as they log into the spiderMetrix site.

Affectionately known as ‘spiders’, members have the opportunity to voice their opinion about the internet as a whole, the technology that drives it, or about any particular web site that needs a wake up call. Through participating in various on-going studies, discussion forums and focus groups, each spider’s opinion is not a drop in the ocean, but a voice to be heard.

The brain child of Mr. Jerry Evas, spiderMetrix.com was born in 1999 to serve both the Business and the Internet user community. "It is a simple way for webmasters to get feedback on their sites, even before they are open to the public" Mr. Evas said. "Why settle for a dozen people in a focus group, when you could have the opinion of a 1000, tabled and analysed, in less than 48 hours?"

Spiders love the opportunity to get involved, by being asked to offer their opinion about a new service or product. It’s always a thrill, to see one’s suggestions being considered, rather than falling on deaf ears. Whether it was a new web site, a new feature, a product launch or a marketing campaign, having participated in a study, spiders can say "I helped build that!".

Studies are not limited to web sites. Opportunities exist for spiders to participate in market research surveys, product sampling, in fact any study that needs access to a large audience. Mr. Evas explained "Last year, we did a survey for a New York based Telcom, undergoing a merger and change of name. The study aimed to pick the company’s new name, and our spiders responded beautifully. Within 24 hours the client had the results, and it was a thrill to see that they did use the name our spiders suggested!"

Currently, members participate in studies on everyday household products, from breakfast cereals to computing equipment, from clothes to contact lenses, television shows and Hollywood movies, sometimes, even before these are released into the market. Imagine seeing a movie trailer, before they changed the ending..!

"I have a folder dedicated to the Thank You emails we receive from members for giving them the opportunity to make a difference. There are over a thousand emails in it!" Mr. Evas said, stretching that that is on top of the rewards spiders are offered for participating in studies. "We have a fair reward for effort system in place, where each and every spider is rewarded for every participation". Unlike other survey sites, where members have a chance of one in a thousand to win a prize, spiderMetrix offers a points system that you can use to claim cash, vouchers and other gifts.

"We thought about the reward system very long and hard" Mr. Evas said "and decided against a lucky draw. In our system, spiders have the option of participating once and cashing out, or keep accumulating points for a larger reward. It’s up to the individual. There is even an option to donate your points to World Vision and other charities."

SpiderMetrix.com is not a get-rich-quick scheme. The emphasis is placed on voicing an opinion rather than quick bucks. A small reward as a token of appreciation, rather than say-anything for a shot at a free trip overseas. "Most of our regular spiders wait to get to the $50 or $100 dollar mark before claiming a reward. We’re happy mailing out a hundred dollar cheques!". As one spider recently put it "thank you for the opportunity to make my voice heard, the points are just the icing on the cake".

"It’s not the money that makes the spider community so special. We believe spiderMetrix.com to be one of the very few spots left on the Internet where people’s voice is actually heard. Our site usage stats show that the results page is one of the most regularly visited pages. We know that it is read by marketing companies, market researchers, web site designers, webmasters, and eBusinesses alike. We see our results being used on mailing lists and discussion boards. We have seen web sites change because of what our spiders have recommended."

But be careful, because it’s not all serious... The member profile hides some hilarious options, the spiderVoice forum is an eye-opener for good, bad and ugly sites, and the competitions, when live, are legendary!    

So, ready to combine fun with some paid work..? Free to Join at http://www.spidermetrix.com/sm120.php3?refspider=OzFree