This article is part of a series where I examine if certain side gigs are worth it. Millennials, like myself, are often told that we have to pick up side gigs to supplement our incomes. I was reluctant to do side gigs while I was employed because I already had a source of income that I could live comfortably on. Now that I am unemployed, I have more time and no income so I’m trying out different side gigs. A very common side gig recommendation I see is website testing. Here’s my experience with a few different companies.
Introduction to Website Testing
Website testing is exactly what it sounds like. You’ll sign up through a company to become one of their testers where you’ll test out their clients’ website or phone app. You have to record your screen while you do certain activities and provide written and/or oral feedback. These tests are utilized to gather user experience research. They want to see how users interact and navigate through their sites
UserTesting
Application process
Apparently, this is the most well known and popular website testing company. When you sign up to get initially approved to be a tester, you’ll have to download the software that will allow Usertesting to record your voice and screen. I was weary of this as I was unsure of the security of software on my computer. Was it going to record everything I do? Anyways, I followed through and loaded the software. After I opened the software, I was shown a video on how to provide good feedback upon loading the software. I was then taken to my first test. I needed to complete and pass this test in order to complete the application process and be fully considered as a tester. After completing this first test, it said it would take a few days for them to review it to make sure that I was a suitable tester.
(Note: If you’re still interested in being a website tester after this review, the video below is a tutorial on the initial test I took. It’ll give you tips on how to pass the test and further excel your testing skills)
Testing Process and Critiques
After being approved, I made an account and was taken to the homepage of my account (Image 1). As you can see there’s a lot of opportunity, but you’ll have to take a screener to make sure you qualify to take the test (Image 2).
Image 1
Image 2
Tests constantly come and go. This is my biggest peeve about all this. You have to be the site constantly watching for new tests to appear. They’ll occasionally send you tests when they’re available. However, by the time you check your email and login to UserTesting, the test could already be gone, You also don’t really want them to send emails every time there’s a new test because there’s so many tests everyday. Alternatively, you can leave the Usertesting window up and wait to hear for a sound notification. A bell sound will ring every time a new test is available.
Results
In the course of an hour, I took about 10 screeners until I finally qualified for a test. The test took me about 30 minutes. They say it’ll take around 20 minutes, but I was inexperienced and I wanted to do a thorough job. After completing the test, they said I would receive $10 via Paypal pending review.
Over the course of the next few days,I spent about 3 to 4 hours a day just waiting for new tests. I was either waiting on the site constantly refreshing or browsing the web waiting for a sound notification. Ultimately, I took about 40 screeners and qualified for 3 more tests. I made $10 on each test.
Final Impressions
Website testing for UserTesting does work. You will get the money. However, if you’re constantly on the site waiting for more tests, it’s definitely not worth it. You can spend hours waiting, taking a number of test screeners and you might not even qualify for a test. You can leave a tab open, while you browse and do other things on the web until you hear the sound notification but you’ll have to interrupt everything you’re doing immediately and take the test or it might be gone. There’s also no guarantee that you’ll qualify for the test. If you don’t mind all these nuances then it might be worth it.
Userfeel
Process
Userfeel is another company you sign up through to be a website tester. The application process is similar to UserTesting. You sign up, download the software, make an account and take an initial qualifying test. After the initial test, you’ll be qualified to take more tests. In the course of a week, I only got a few test invitations and qualified for one. I made $10 after completing the test. I left the Userfeel window open anytime I was on the computer constantly checking the site or waiting for a sound notification that another test was available.
Final Impressions
I did get paid via Paypal, but the lack of tests was concerning. Additionally, similar to UserTesting, you’ll have to keep checking in or waiting for a sound notification that a new test is available.
I did make something at least…
Userlytics
The sign up process was similar to UserTesting and Userfeel. I made an account hoping that I could finally have steady tests and more that I would qualify for. That hope quickly dwindled as i just didn’t have any opportunities to even qualify. Over the course of about 6 months, I only received 4 invites.
4 invites over 6 months
Conclusion
It’s a viable way to make money, but not very efficient. There might be a more efficient way that I haven’t realized yet, but in my research i couldn’t find one. Additionally, I only tried three companies so there might be a better company out there. However, after reading reviews about other companies I doubt there is a better one that would solve my critiques that I have with this gig. It seems the test taking process is the same for all these testing companies.
The tests themselves will take about 20 minutes. However, you’ll have to spend a lot of time waiting to take tests and taking screeners to see if you qualify. I qualified for about 1 in 20 tests.Test will not wait for you. They’ll go fast so you have to be on the site waiting or keep the window open while you wait for a sound notification that will alert you of a new test. The latter seems easy, but you’ll have to stop everything you’re doing to take a screener for a test you might not qualify for. Additionally, because you’re waiting for a sound notification, you can’t be listening to music or watching anything that has sound because you might miss the alert.
TLDR
- Essentially you’ll be on your computer, checking the website occasionally or waiting to hear a sound notification that a new test is available.
- Tests do come but most will expire fast.
- you won’t qualify for every test after taking a screener.
- I qualified to take about 1 in every 20 every test i tried to qualify for
- Test duration is about 20 minutes.
- You will get paid via Paypal.
- It is not a scam and you can make money
