UserTesting: A Guide to Earning with Website Testing

What is UserTesting?

UserTesting enlists freelancers to review new websites and mobile apps to see whether they’re user-friendly, paying roughly $10 for each 20-minute test.

How it works

You fill out a short application to apply here and take a 15-20 minute practice test. You’ll need a relatively decent late-model computer or smart phone, with substantial random access memory, a microphone and high-speed internet.

If you’re planning to use your smart phone, rather than a computer, you’ll also need to download UserTesting software. This software is generally not required if you’re using a PC or Mac. You’ll also need to set up a PayPal account, if you don’t already have one, to get paid.

Once you’re approved, the site will start sending you tests.

UserTesting review

In exchange for a $10 tester fee, UserTesting expects freelancers to spend about 20 minutes checking out websites to see whether they’re easy to navigate and intuitive. The idea is to help the web developer understand the user experience of using a site. However, each test is a little different, so you’re given a description of what’s involved before you apply for any given gig.

If you do want to take one of the available testing gigs, you may be asked to take a screening test. This could result in you getting — or getting declined — from taking that particular assignment. Like other testing sites, UserTesting tries to match freelancer interests with the sites they’re testing. The idea is that you’ll simply be a better tester if you’re interested in the topic.

Gig frequency

The site says that the typical tester might get one or two assignments in any given week. Thus, you can expect that you’ll get less than an hour a week of work here, so don’t quit your day job.

Getting paid

Testers are paid via PayPal roughly two weeks after completing an assignment.

Tester experience

While this site is likely to offer just pocket money, nothing close to a full-time income, testers are generally satisfied with the experience. It’s time-flexible, remote and relatively easy to meet test requirements.

Recommendations

This is a nice gig, if you can get it. But because you’re only likely to qualify for a few tests each month, we’d recommend that anyone who wants to do this type of gig sign up with multiple user testing sites. You can sign up with UserTesting here.

But we also recommend UserFeel, Userlytics and UserPeek.

What their users say (from Glassdoor):

Very good pay considering the easily attainable job position, you set your own hours and work is remote. But it’s difficult to get consistent work. One week might give you around five hours of work, another just one. It varies very heavily on your location and random experiences from your past.

Flexible time. You get to pop on the platform whenever you have time. But it’s unstable income. You’ll never know when you’ll get a gig

There are a variety of tests that you can apply for. But it’s difficult to be qualified to take the screenings. Each test looks for a very specific demographic.

What their users say (from Indeed)

“This isn’t a full time job. You usually take several screening tests to qualify to take a test. They want very specific demographics for each test. I like earning a few bucks here and there, but you won’t make a lot. You provide feedback for websites and prototypes, to help improve user/consumer experience.”

“Once they accept your application for CONTRACT work as a tester, THEN you still have to fit the random demographics of every single stupid client that comes along.”

Tech glitches

“There are so many technical issues with this company. So often the UserTests are unable to be completed because there is a technical error with the screen recorder or with the test itself. This is even more true on mobile. When technical issues happen– and it is often– the additional time required to find support and ask for fair compensation well exceeds the time that should be taken working on a test for ten dollars. This isn’t even considering the time spent interrupting your day with unpaid screeners, which leads me to say this job is extremely underpaid for the time spent on it.”