If you are excited to get free stuff and make some money testing out items, then you will likely find product testing jobs interesting. Learn how such jobs operate and how you can start being a tester from your home. Understand the application process, what to look forward to, and search through a list of good sites with available product testing opportunities. Furthermore, we will add how product testing can be a factor that influences the process of product development, benefits companies and gives feedback that is useful for testers of all ages, including teens.
A guide to how home testing works
Product testing typically occurs through two main methods: in-home product tests and in the central location tests, respectively. In an in-home product test, or IHUT (In-home Usage Test), is a study where the product is sent to the homes of the participants and the research company gets feedback from them either by completing online questionnaires or through video diaries. The other category of location test is a hall test, which means that consumers evaluate a product in a central setting, such as a stand in a mall or a testing site. In-home tests, which are commonly used for products such as food, small appliances, and electronics, allow participants to try products in their own surroundings. For the perishable food items like yogurt or frozen pizza, delivery by courier in insulated boxes with the help of the ice packs is the common method to maintain freshness.
The process of product testing can reshape the product in the final stages of production.
As a participant in a product testing program, you may have the opportunity to evaluate products that are not commercially available yet. In these cases, manufacturers invite consumers to their test versions so as to fine-tune the product before its official launch. Prototyping testing helps the companies gather data on what their customers would want to use, how to use it and in what way it should be improved. Research in actual conditions is what allows observing the participants live and correcting them as for the design, features, and pricing strategy of the product. As a user, your voice can hugely determine the success of a product launch and say who it will be so far.
How product tests get companies all around.
Product testing allows companies to make a correct business decision based on results of tests. Through the product testing process, companies identify the consumer’s most affinity with the company’s product, which features are the most appealing, and the consumers’ value of the product. Below is a step-by-step example of the product testing process:
- The producer negotiates for the services of a marketer who will do the product test in the market.
- The two entities, that is, the product company and market research firm, agree on the desired demographic for the targeted focus group.
- The market research company is planning on creating a survey to filter for the wished demography.
- The market research company brings market members together to offer the best opportunities for free product testing.
- Members go through a pre-screen turning in order to confirm that they are of the desired demographic.
- Moreover, the market research company begins the member screening by email and phone in order to select the most appropriate ones.
- The market research company organize samples of products to be distributed in selected homes and instructions for following the testing methods.
- The participants who have not given feedback within the specified times are sent prompts .
- The rewards are given to all the individuals who log in during the testing.
- The market research company derives its findings in customer feedback and delivers them to the producer in the form of a report.
The participants of the research are required to assess the product based on certain factors that include satisfaction levels, comparison with other brands, the consideration factors that one takes in making a decision, the perception of brands in the market, and the price expectations. This is a typical question in product testing surveys and it gives us important data about the customers regarding their purchasing patterns and perspectives about the product. The steps specified ahead are the stages implemented in a life real process for conducting a test for a diaper product. For the selected households, diapers were availed to them for a few days and they were rewarded with a £25 gift card as they participated in the short-term study. Not only this but participants were also given the product free of charge, as well as for their involvement with the project.
– What you need to know about product testing jobs.
While trying to get product testing opportunities, you should stay three hundred and small. Although you’ll surely love this addition to your income and it may possibly turn out to be a full-time job, it’s unrealistic to assume it yet.
Some testers could be assigned to evaluate hi-tech products or fashionable items, while the rest would probably test the usual things such as kitchen-marketed goods, food, or small beauty products.
Getting event testing jobs consistently might be difficult since the number of gatekeepers interested in these gigs is high. The degree of success in regard to being selected is dependent largely on luck because it’s similar to winning a lottery that has always got a winner.
The listed websites ensure that the process of application is stress-free and of no charge as well. Products are delivered to your doorstep, which enable you to give them a try and give a review via an online form. It’s a great opportunity where you get something of use for free, sometimes making some pocket money.
Don’t have to pay for a program, and the procedure will be pretty easy if you have been chosen to try a product.
Generally, there are no cons to product testing tasks, however, one should not exaggerate them hoping that it will substitute a full-time job.
What to include in the application for product testing roles
Although you can avail product testing jobs that are home-based and earn money by testing products in your home you need to apply for most of them on web through a simple application process. Many of the top product testing opportunities are found on survey websites, which you can be a member by signing up for free, by entering your basic informational data or by linking your Facebook account.
After logging into these sites you’ll be able to wait for product testing opportunities to appear on the site and then apply. These contracts are usually featured on a specific page within the survey website or may also be directly notified to your email the instant the job postings are up.
If you’ve chosen to undergo a product trial, the website will send you a notification with additional details. The product will be sent to your home and you will have to reply to our feedback request within the given timeframe. This feedback can come as an online diary, a video survey, a questionnaire, or participating in a focus group.
Rewards for participating
The sites, as a token of admiration for your assessment, give you points that you use to buy cash or gift cards. In some instances, you are permitted to retain the product that you have tested, and especially if it’s a small kitchen appliance being manufactured. The expense and hassle of bringing the products back to the market research company can be very high, therefore, providing the participants with the product they can keep is a generous way to allow them to participate.
The rewards for the people who agree to take part in tests are usually really big. In order for research companies to accrue useful information, product tests are often designed to involve only a handful of people, rarely going beyond 25-30 participants. Thus, the companies need to make sure that the testers remain committed to the study throughout. Consequently, the amount of pay is not at all unjust.
9 websites with the best available product testing jobs
The majority of payment survey sites provide trial opportunities for product testing. Since these websites are run by market research companies that have a specialty in getting opinions about products and client interests, product testing is a logical complement to their services.
With the purpose of testing the product one may find that the process of making the selection may be a little complicated but on the other hand, the rewards received are usually more significant and the process is more interesting.
Here is our selection of the best product testing sites:
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Pinecone Research
The network partner of Nielsen, the world-famous market research company, is Pinecone Research, which does paid surveys and product testing, including food, drinks, and beauty products.
Despite its more exclusive membership which results in a queue to be accepted, once allowed in, the members are closer to success when in product testing. The price that participants can get is up to £3 for the item they will receive in the end. They are allowed to keep the item. The payment methods include direct cash transfers to payment options of bank accounts or selection of a preferred gift card.
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YouGov
To date, the keynote company in Britain in the field of marketing research has been YouGov; their polls are referenced by many important news organizations from all over the world. YouGov, besides conducting online surveys, at times, provides members with a choice of getting a chance to test sample other products.
The most common compensation of consumer testers is PayPal payments and gift cards whereas testers may end up taking the product they have evaluated in some cases instead.
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IpsosiSay
Ipsosi-Say is one of the oldest market research firms having the consumer opinions since 1975 and a record of 70 million interviews per year. Despite the fact that it would not be often asked to participate in various surveys like some competitors, it still presents its members with occasional product testing occasions in which they can test items like food, beauty products, cleaning products, and food for pets.
In return for their engagement, as in the case of YouGov, the members can look forward to getting cash rewards or gift card fees as rewards for their input.
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Toluna Influencers
Toluna Influencers is mostly designed to provide surveys that are monetized but it differentiates itself with the diversity of giveaways it offers. Testers don’t make a profit from their evaluations, but, instead, they get to keep the products for free. Bath and body care products and cosmetics are among the common offerings.
Just to take part, go to the “testing” area of the website and click on the trial application button. A group of testers are randomly picked from the candidate pool. Despite Toluna Influencers members having over a million, not everyone will apply or be interested in the available product tests. Thus 200-500 testers are needed per product available.
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Opinion Outpost
Opinion Outpost gets kudos for its continuous offer of short questionnaires for its members only. Besides surveys, it enables investors of all stages to gain practical experience.
What is more, you are free to withdraw your earnings as soon as you accumulate £5, and the list of nations where the newcomers are from includes the USA, UK, Canada, and some European countries.
Annually, members rear more than £5,000,000 in rewards which are given out as PayPal cash, Amazon gift cards, and Visa gift cards.
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OneOpinion (USA only)
Over 10 years ago OneOpinion began to gather a group of partners, the majority of which are large global businesses interested in research.
From time to time product testing, for already released but not yet for the launch, is offered to us. Regardless of where you are, from your room, for example, you can test these products, provide feedback on them, and keep the product as a reward, as well as receiving free points.
Apart from the winning, you can also redeem your points as a cash transfer to your PayPal account, or a virtual Visa card, or various gift card options, to mention but a few, for your contribution as a paid product tester.
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Clicks Research
Clicks Research is customer orientated by mainly doing product testing, but also running occasional surveys which can earn you extra cash. Clicks Research cooperates closely with various well-known cosmetic retail companies such as Boots, Marks and Spencer, Sanctuary, and The Body Shop for testing of different products including clothing, cosmetics, toiletries, and pet products. Our club membership gives you the chance to have and use those samples and items you buy and write about, not to mention you will save a lot of money.
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Alba Science
As part of its ‘Alba Volunteers’ initiative, Alba Sciences is looking for help in pilot testing multiple new toiletries and cosmetics before they go to markets. We should have a core group of 15,000 volunteers in the UK for this reason. Unlike volunteers, retailers will be paid for their services, but they can take the treated products as free samples if they want. Alongside Alba Volunteers running clinical trials in the Edinburgh headquarters, offering their members from £20 to £500 per trial. Therefore, you may engage in the trials if you stay in the city.
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Product Testing USA, UK, and Canada (overview)
Product Testing USA has been regarded as one of the most successful product local firms in the USA marketplace. Working with the same owner, Product Testing U.K., and Product Testing Canada satisfy customers in the U.K. and Canadian markets respectively. The platform brings in a good audience because of its approach of offering small opportunities to select products that are highly wanted like the new iPad, FitBit or Xbox One, etc. For starters, consumers get opportunities to play around with the motor vehicles to thoroughly evaluate their performance. They can also try out various other high-end electronics, yard equipment, beauty products,and many more. On the other side, Per Product Testing USA and its international partners’ reports claim that receiving product testing can be easier for highly demanded items. Though the majority of people always are not selected, the lucky members are deemed in a minority. Such members are expected to give lengthy reviews, which should include a 500-word writing and a one-minute video review. This is way more complicated than other similar platforms. In the case of rewards for testers, the keepsake is all that the product provides. To participate in this company’s goods testing, one must pass through a lot of adverts and bids from third-party data requesters that make some users grieved by the bombardment of unsolicited sales calls and emails. In addition, Product Testing rewards its users with the option of mystery shopping and introduces them to other legitimate paid survey websites. In fact, if you are convinced enough to be product tested, these platforms may still be worth searching.
Product testing for teens
Although teenagers who wish to offer their opinions about product testing may find not as many opportunities compared to adults, still there are online platforms available where they can place their applications. The following websites provide opportunities for teenagers (note that some may require parental permission to join) and are free to sign up for:
- LifePoints: Ages 14+
- YouGov: Their counterparts in the USA are aged 14+, & in the UK ones aged 16+.
- Toluna Influencers: Age 13 and above.
- MySoapbox: The US, 13+; The European countries, 16+ teens.
- OneOpinion: Ages 13+
Other companies to check out:
Here are additional product testing companies not mentioned earlier that you might want to explore:
- Adidas Product Testing: Feel free to try new Adidas products and give us your feedback just before you send it back to us. (Check our guide on how to become a tester, in case you have a trial with Adidas.)
- Nike Product Testing: Also, please be informed that you can still be able to test the Nike products but you will not be able to keep them.
- New Balance Product Testing: Test New Balance’s product prototypes as part of the team.
- L’Oreal USA Consumer Participation Program: Be given different beauty products free of charge to make use of them and write about my experience with them.
- Microsoft User Research: Try any new technology, or state your view on the everyday product usability to earn rewards.
To sum it up
Home-based paid product testing jobs can be a great way to earn some extra income. However, they are not usually full-time job that can provide a sustainable income. The frequency of such assignments depends on the total number of tests in the market and the particular demographic traits the firm focuses on.
It is good to increase your chances of getting constant product testing opportunities, then it is important to sign up with many testing companies that offer such assessments. Through diversification, you increase your choices which in turn increases your chances of getting chosen for such projects. What’s more, you must keep your profile information with these survey platforms filled and updated. This is one thing that assists in keeping you on the good side in the eyes of the research companies hence the chances of inviting you in future trials rise.