There are now millions of websites on the internet and more new ones spring up every day. If website owners are going to make sure their sites stand out and are as successful as possible, they need to make sure that they work well. This is why so many websites hire people to test their sites for them, meaning that if you know where to look, it is possible to make money by testing new websites.
So what are the requirements if you want to test websites for cash? Normally, you’ll need to be over the age of 18 to qualify and you’ll need a computer with an internet connection. You’ll also generally have to fill out an information form when you sign up to a website testing site such as UserTesting.com, which will record details such as your age, location, computer skills and other relevant information. As well as a computer, you’ll need a screen recorder so you can record the pages you are looking at and provide comments (often verbal) as you go along.
Why do websites want people to test them? As mentioned above, if a website doesn’t work well, it’s going to be much harder for them to be successful as web users are likely to find them off-putting. This means that a large part of website testing is about checking the usability; you might be asked to go through the website navigation system and work out how easy it is to find information. For instance, the website owner might want to know how easy it is for you to find details about their key products or their ‘contact us’ information. You’d then set up your screen recorder and find out what they wanted to know.
Also, different websites target different demographics, so they often want to make sure their sites are appealing to the people they’re trying to target. For instance, a website for young people might be fun and interactive, while a website detailing the services of a law firm would have a focus on professionalism. This means that the sorts of websites you get asked to test are likely to depend on your age and other demographic information that you provide when you first sign up to be a tester.
You might have to give your views as to whether you find a particular website appealing, or if the information on it is readable and easy to understand. This can form valuable feedback for website owners and, if you have significant computer experience, they might ask you to do more detailed tests for them so they can check the performance of the site in as many ways as possible.
When you’re testing websites for money, it’s important to treat it as professionally as you would any other job, as if you do a good job and give good feedback, you’re more likely to be asked to offer your views again. Depending on the websites you test and the site you go through, you can normally expect to make around $10 for each site you test.
