Jasmine Birtles
Your money-making expert. Financial journalist, TV and radio personality.
How would you like to earn £5-10 for just 10-20 minutes of your time, from the comfort of your own sofa?
Sound too good to be true?
Well you really can do this! You can make money by testing websites and apps. It’s an easy way to make a bit of extra cash, you just need to know how to sign yourself up for it.
Once a website is up and running and has been tested by experts, they often need users like yourself to test them.
There are websites which you’re able to sign up to who will list all the make money through testing opportunities and, if you’re selected, provide you with the instructions you’ll need to complete a test.
As a usability tester you are trying out the website or completing a specific task on the site given to you, typically for 10 -20 minutes, and giving your opinion on what works well and what you find confusing.
Your clicks and keystrokes will be recorded so the site owners can see what you’re doing. You may also be required to have a webcam and microphone so they can see your reactions and you can speak your thoughts out loud.
If you want to make money by testing apps, then that’s much the same: you’ll be giving your opinion on what you think works well and what you struggle with. Often you’ll be given a few specific questions to answer to guide your review. App testing can take a little longer than website testing, however. While there are tests that last 15 minutes, there are some which can last an hour.
Being a usability tester is about being able to give a detailed and honest opinion on how you found your experience with the app or website.
You won’t need to be a tech whiz, all the complex stuff is handled by professional testers, you just need to be able to articulate your experiences as a user.
Of course you’ll need to be reasonably comfortable using websites or apps – if you’re completely computer illiterate this probably isn’t one for you.
You’ll need to be open and honest, comfortable saying what you think does and doesn’t work, and be able to express your thoughts clearly and articulately. You’ll also need to be 18 or older.
Some sites will require you to use a webcam and microphone, so you might need to make a small investment (although it shouldn’t cost too much.) Obviously if you want to test apps or mobile versions of websites then you’ll need to have the appropriate devices to use.
If you want to make money by testing websites, then they tend to pay in dollars, so you will need a PayPal account to receive the payment.
The good thing about testing is, as long as you’re over 18, there’ll be an opportunity for you to be a tester somewhere on something!
Websites that organise usability tests put potential testers into particular demographics and different sites, apps and tasks will require different ages, sexes and professions.
If you don’t fancy testing but want to make some easy money, consider Nielsen Online Panel. All you have to do is download their app onto your home computer and you’re automatically entered into a prize draw of up to £30,000. There’s a new competition each month!
How much you can get paid varies between companies but you should be able to earn $8-$15, which is about £5-£10 per test session. That’s not bad if you want to make money online by testing websites and apps.
The average pay is $10 per test, which equates to about £6.40. When you bear in mind that, for websites at least, this is for around 10-20 minutes of work, it’s not a bad opportunity.
The trouble with a relatively easy money maker like this is it’s going to attract a lot of people, so actually getting an opportunity is going to be competitive – most the sites freely admit there are more testers than available tests.
To increase your chances of getting picked for an opportunity you should sign up to as many sites as possible and write a good, well-written review when you are given a chance.
Realistically you’ll be able to do a few tests a month. Making money from testing websites is not the kind of thing you can earn a living from – it’s very unlikely you’ll be able to earn a steady income. Instead just use it as a nice, easy way to make a bit of extra cash.
For more easy ways to make money, take a look at our online surveys article with a whole load of survey sites where you can earn easy cash.