What is UserTesting & How Does it Work?
UserTesting, which was founded in 2007, is a human insight platform that allows businesses a behind-the-scenes look into how their target audience interacts with their product.
Facebook, Wayfair, Ford, Alaska Airlines, Adobe, Walmart, and other major brands have utilized this platform to learn more about how to enhance their products, messages, and apps.
It’s comparable to a focus group, but it’s conducted entirely online and is usually unmoderated. This usually implies there isn’t a real person to ask questions to, there isn’t a group setting, and the eligible participant must follow the brand’s on-screen instructions.
Companies can use UserTesting to locate testers for their new site, product, and user experience. Companies who want to use UserTesting’s tools can choose between individual or enterprise plans.
After the company has received enough data and input through UserTesting, they should be able to further develop their product.
The Other Side of UserTesting – Getting Paid to Test
Let’s get to the main reason you’re here now that we’ve covered the basics of UserTesting.
Getting paid to conduct research. It’s exactly what it sounds like, and anyone over the age of 18 can sign up for free.
You provide your comments through a microphone and a shared screen once you’ve qualified for a test or an interview (don’t worry, it’s not scary).
To join, you’ll need a computer, laptop, tablet, or mobile device, as well as an Internet connection and, if your device doesn’t already have one, a microphone. Lindsay, one of my teammates, and I both use our laptops and phones.
Retail sites, banking apps, and meal ordering apps all want actual people to give honest feedback, therefore user experience tests are common.
How it Works as a Member
- To discover what tests are available, go to your account dashboard.
- There will be screener questions on each accessible test to see if you qualify for it.
- Once you’ve been qualified, you’ll begin recording your voice and screen to follow the brand’s directions.
- Upload the video of your finished test.
- Your money will be deposited into your PayPal account after 7 days.
Know that you’ll be disqualified a lot of the time because brands occasionally look for a very narrow group of people. However, if you put up the effort to keep track of tests, it may be a rewarding experience.
How Much Does UserTesting Pay?
The majority of tests pay $10 if you pass them.
You can earn $10 on average each 20 minutes, which is the average length of each test.
You can sometimes finish a test in 5-10 minutes and still get paid $10.
It is entirely dependent on the brand and what you are asked to do on-screen.
Live Tests are longer tests with a moderator present, and depending on the length of time, you can earn $30 or $60.
What to Expect in a Live Test
I recently took part in a Live Test for $60, so here’s a quick rundown:
- After you’ve been accepted, they’ll ask if you’re available for the Live Test on a specific date and time.
- At my scheduled time, I joined the Zoom call directly from the dashboard.
- A moderator explained the situation and offered me a link to a non-disclosure agreement that I could sign digitally.
- After that, it’s similar to other UserTesting exams in that you’ll be given tasks to complete and discuss, but on the other end, a live person will be taking notes and asking questions in real time.
- It took roughly 50 minutes for the Zoom phase (you’ll have to share your screen).
- A post-test survey with roughly 5 additional questions was also issued by the moderator.
Overall, it was a pleasant experience! It’s the same as being in a one-on-one focus group.
Be Sure to Have PayPal
Because PayPal is their only mode of payment, make sure you have one, which you can do for free. UserTesting pays quickly, and when you’ve completed a test, they’ll send you your money within 7 days.
Under the Completed Tests tab, which looks like this:, you may keep track of your tests and payment status:
Status of Payments
You’ll see three different payment statuses:
- Processing (this usually switches to Pending rather quickly)
- Pending (The 7 day period where the brand reviews video)
- Paid (Woohoo you’ve got money!)
The Details button will display all of the questions you were given for that specific test.
We’ll go into the specifics of what the Rating is later!
What Does it Take to Become a UserTesting Tester?
If you love providing feedback on a website or product, can consistently speak your opinions while you follow instructions, and really want to help a brand develop by providing honest input, then you’re a good candidate for a tester.
To become a UserTesting tester, you must complete their practice test, which is free.
- Sign up for UserTesting with your email address.
- To verify your account, open the email and click the verification link.
- Watch the short video(s) below to learn more about UserTesting and what to expect.
- UserTesting software can be downloaded here (a browser extension that records your voice and screen)
- Take a practice exam.
You should know if you passed or failed the practice test within 48 hours. Make sure your microphone is working (you’ll be prompted to do so), then find a quiet spot to take the practice test and any future tests!
Close any other browser tabs you might have open as well. To avoid being distracted, I want to have my screen displaying simply the UserTesting test. They have no need to know about my Amazon purchases, Facebook chats, or work details!
What is the UserTesting Practice Test and how does it work?
Lindsay and I both took the identical practice test, so I’m guessing it’s the same for the vast majority of folks interested in joining.
You’ll be taken to the Air & Space Museum’s website, where you’ll find instructions for using the screen recorder widget. The premise is that you’re arranging a visit to this museum, and they’re curious about how you use the site to discover specific information to aid in your planning. You’ll be asked why you went to certain portions of the site and if you can locate what you’re looking for.
It’s critical to talk about what you’re doing, why you’re doing it, and to point out anything that’s confusing or doesn’t make sense as you take the practice exam and navigate the web.
I like to read the assignment aloud to make sure I understand what I’m supposed to accomplish, and then talk about how I’m going to finish it. Tasks are divided down into sections to make them easier to understand, and you can always see where you are in the process.
The practice site will be determined by how well you read the instructions and communicated your ideas. You should find out within a few days of receiving your test results.
After passing the practice test, you’ll be ready to take the real thing.
After passing the practice test (congrats! ), you’ll be directed to complete your profile and enter your PayPal information so that you can get paid for future tests.
This enables UserTesting to send you available tests for which you may be qualified.
Your location, age, household income, work status, and other details are often included in this information.
How to Avoid Making Mistakes on My First Official Test & What Ratings Mean
When I was qualified for my first formal paid test, the subject was entertainment, I was ecstatic. For the work, I was directed to a website that specialized in aggregating all major streaming services’ content in order to simply show which movies/TV shows are accessible on which platforms, such as Netflix, Hulu, HBO Max, and others.
This was my first assignment:
You are about to be shown four different lists of popular and trending TV shows, and you will be asked which one you prefer.
And:
Take a look at this list of movies and tell us what you think.
How accurate do you think this list is?
What movies appear to be “popular” or “trending” in your opinion?
I got carried away talking about the shows and movies since I was so thrilled about the subject that I failed to concentrate on the user testing element of it. A UserTesting staff member will give you a rating along with observations on your performance and suggestions for improvement.
Make sure you don’t make the same mistakes I did.
My suggestions for improvement are as follows:
Overall, you did a fantastic job on your first test! Please keep in mind that your evaluation was quite lengthy. Remember that most customers organize their jobs to take between 15-20 minutes to complete. Your test lasted more than 30 minutes.
Make sure you’re concentrating on offering feedback rather than reading what’s on the page. Customers want to know what you’re thinking and why you’re doing what you’re doing.
Also, avoid making broad generalizations like “I don’t like that” or “interesting” without elaborating. Remember that being able to speak your ideas while you perform activities is an important component of being a test participant.
The more you explain why you do things and what you want from the customer, the more beneficial your video will be.
Let’s Talk Ratings
You’ll get a 4 or 5-star rating from the UserTesting staff member so that you’ll be more likely to get future tests.