Do you have a few extra spare minutes before starting your work day, during your lunch break, or after dinner? Are you looking for another way to participate in paid market research online and make extra cash? Website user testing with UserTesting is a great way to do exactly this.
What Is Website User Testing and Paid Market Research Online?
First of all, what is website user testing? Website user testing platforms allow people like you to help companies improve their products and services. User testing websites allow you to fill out short surveys. These questionnaires ask you about your daily habits, interests, work situation and family life. If you qualify for a test, you’ll receive an invite to test out a company’s website or app. Companies want you to give live feedback on how much you enjoy browsing through the website, including how easy or difficult it is to navigate, features you like, and more.
In this article, I’ll talk about UserTesting, one of the top testing platforms. I’ll go over what it is, how to sign up, and how to make money online with this platform.
What Is UserTesting?
UserTesting is an online usability testing platform where people just like you complete audio tests, video tests and online surveys, providing feedback to businesses on their products, apps and services. With this testing company platform, you complete a variety of audio tests, video tests and surveys and receive payment for your time. Tests are available on both desktop/laptop and mobile, as companies are looking for feedback on both websites and apps.
Does UserTesting Pay Well?
UserTesting is a great side hustle and one of the best to do in 2023. Shorter studies and surveys pay $3-5 USD and typically take 5-10 minutes of your time. Longer studies pay $10 USD and last from 10-20 minutes. Depending on your demographics and experience, you can make anywhere from $100-400 USD per month. Keep in mind that earnings depend on your profile and how quickly you fill out survey screeners.
Paid Market Research Online – How to Use the UserTesting platform
After signing up on the platform and verifying your email, complete your profile so you receive as many opportunities as possible. Fill in your age, location and work history so you are sent survey screeners that potentially match your profile. While filling in details is time-consuming, it’s worth it. Why? When you have a complete profile, researchers can easily determine whether or not you’re a fit for their research study opportunities.
Completing the Test
Once you’ve accepted the test, follow the prompts to complete the study. If you are asked to record your voice, be sure to speak slowly and clearly. Speak your thoughts out loud, and don’t be afraid to give your honest (yet polite!) feedback. Companies want to hear both the good and bad about their app, website or product, so if you provide honest feedback on what can be improved, they’ll be able to make an even better version.
How to Accept Survey Invitations
Once you’ve filled out your profile, it’s a waiting game! When you receive a test invite, you’ll hear a notification bell and see a number at the top of your screen indicating that there is a new (1 more) screener for you to fill out. Fill out the survey screener as soon as possible before it fills up.
While you may fill out a number of screeners, you won’t qualify for all of them. Not to fret though – there are always more coming! Platform users typically qualify for 1-2 out of every 10 screeners so long as they are answering questions truthfully and honestly. If you work in a specific, in-demand industry such as IT or software development, you’ll likely receive more study invites. Less people qualify for these studies. What does that mean for you? Chances are, you’re more likely to be selected for a study. To qualify for studies, make sure to fill out your profile thoroughly and honestly. When you have a complete profile, researchers can determine whether or not you’re a fit for a study.
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Completing Studies
When you receive a study invite and you qualify for a survey, click the ‘Accept’ button to start the test. Important: only accept the test if you are ready to take it right then and there. This means that you need to have a phone, laptop or computer with a strong internet connection, a quiet space to work and time to complete the study – at least 10-20 minutes! If you aren’t ready to do the test, click the ‘Decline’ button. While it’s disappointing if you aren’t able to complete a study, companies rate participants’ feedback on a scale of 1-5 for the quality of their feedback – this includes audio quality.
Paid Market Research Online with UserTesting – Live Interviews
In addition to unmoderated audio tests, video tests and surveys, UserTesting occasionally offers live interviews. You’ll be interviewed by one person or a panel of researchers. Just like unmoderated tests, you’ll fill out a brief survey screener. If you qualify, you’ll be asked to sign up for an interview date and time that works for both you and the researcher(s). Studies typically pay $30 USD for 30 minutes and $60 USD for a full hour. One huge advantage about live interviews is that you can plan ahead of time – no need to take the test once you qualify!
How Often Does UserTesting Pay?
After completing a study, your study will upload to the platform. Payment on your profile will be marked as pending. After 7 days, the payment will be released to your PayPal account, so be sure to have a valid PayPal profile so you can participate in studies. Keep in mind that researchers are looking for quality feedback. They can rate your study on a scale from 1 to 5 and explain why a study isn’t up to their standards. If your study isn’t up to their standards, they can request User Interviews to rescind the payment. Therefore, be sure to complete tasks as thoroughly and accurately as possible! Studies are for real companies and real people who invest money into improving products and services, so they need quality feedback.
How Do I Succeed with UserTesting?
Additionally, every participant on UserTesting has an overall rating from 1 to 5 stars. A lower rating will prevent you from participating in future studies and will harm your reputation as a Contributor, so be sure to provide the best feedback you can! Remember, being part of the Contributor network is a privilege, and companies are paying money to receive quality feedback.
UserTesting will not work outside of your home country. Since UserTesting does not want robots or automated machines to complete tests, they have a robust VPN detection system. As UserTesting doesn’t work outside of the country you’ve filled out in your profile, this is a great side hustle to do in your home country, but not while you’re abroad for work or travel.
One great way to be first in line for a survey screener is to keep the browser tab open while you’re completing other tasks on your laptop. When there is a new survey, you’ll hear the notification bell and can apply to studies then and there, increasing your chances of qualifying for paid studies. In conclusion, to succeed on UserTesting, provide honest feedback, keep your browser tab open so you’re ready to apply to studies, and be ready to be recorded on audio and/or video if you qualify for a study.
Conclusion – Paid Market Research Online: UserTesting
UserTesting is a great way to make extra money online. Paid market research online opportunities aren’t always a consistent source of income and won’t replace your day job. However, participating in market research via UserTesting will allow you to help companies shape future products and services and enjoy making money online!
Sign up for UserTesting here.
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Janita is a frugal living expert and owner of Frugal Fun Finance. With over five years of personal experience finding and trying out the best ways to make and save more money, she's eager to share her knowledge. Janita's strategies have helped her save thousands of dollars for funding investments and traveling to over 20 countries.
Janita completed training in personal finance at The University of Western Ontario and McGill University, two prestigious Canadian universities. Her expertise has been shared on GoBankingRates, Yahoo Finance, and NASDAQ.com.
