What is UserTesting.com?
UserTesting.com uses the Web 2.0 crowdsourcing model to dramatically drop the
price of usability testing. It lets website owners easily get pre-screened
users to rapidly do usability testing of their websites.
How much does it cost?
$29, which gives you two things:
-
A Flash video of a user speaking their thoughts as they browse your website.
Watch a sample video.
-
A written summary where that same user tells you what they liked, disliked, and
what would have caused them to leave your site.
See a sample summary.
Do the videos record both audio and video?
Yes. Our screen recording software records both the audio of the user
speaking and the video of the screen.
Watch a sample video. The videos are Flash files, the same format used
by YouTube.
How long are the videos?
Usually about 15 minutes. The length depends on how many tasks the user
is asked to do. Tasks should be written so that they can be completed in not
much more than 15 minutes. See how to post a longer test.
How quickly will I receive my video and written summary?
Here's the most common scenario: A website owner requests five usability tests. In that scenario, you usually receive a couple of the results within the hour and all five within one day. Requesting users with specific demographics slows things down because fewer users are qualified to do the test. Also, our users are more likely to sign up to review a site that they feel they can understand and add value to. So if you have a vertical website (like an application for real estate brokers), most of our users aren't qualified to test it, so it won't be completed as quickly.
How do I watch videos of my website?
Go to “Your Account” page on UserTesting.com. That’s where you watch the videos online and read the written summaries.
Who are the users?
If you’ve done much usability testing, you know that some users
offer more useful feedback than others. What makes them more helpful? For one,
they find glaring problems that make you slap your head and say “why
didn’t we think of that?” For another, they continuously articulate
what they are thinking as they browse. We at UserTesting.com have made a big
effort to find the most helpful users and make them available to you for
a low price. See more details about our users
here.
I want my own customers to be the users. Is that possible?
Yes. This is a common request that will become a standard feature on our site. In the meantime, contact us and we'll explain how you can have your own customers - or anyone else you want - be the users for your site.
How many users should I sign up for?
We recommend five, since
some usability experts say that you’ll discover most of a
site’s problems with as few as five users.
My test requires that the users do something extra. Can you still test it?
Yes. Our screen recording software records everything happening on your
website, including Flash videos. If your test involves downloading software or uploading files, integrating with a user's account on Facebook or some other social network, then we recommend you offer the users a bonus (must be in increments of $10), otherwise it may take a long time for anyone to do your test, if at all.
Can I test other websites?
Yes. You can test any website. In fact, you can run a test where the user looks at two different websites (such as your website and a competitors) and (for example) tells you which they prefer and why. To do this, when posting your test, just enter one of the websites in the URL field and reference the other in your task description.
Can I test a site that's only partially done or requires a password?
Yes. When posting your job, in the task description field, just warn the users that the site is only partially working. They'll have no problem with this. If your site requires a username and password, just provide it for the users in the task description field.
What if I want to watch the users sign up using a credit card?
You have two options:
1) Tell them to go through the process of buying your product with a credit
card, but tell them not to click the final "SUBMIT ORDER" button.
2) Provide the users with a dummy credit card number that they can use.
Can website owners outside the US use UserTesting.com?
Yes, about 15% of our clients are from outside the US. However, be aware that all of our users are currently located in the US. (In the future we plan to offer users in other countries.)
I want a refund. What do I do?
If you are not 100% satisfied, just click here for a full refund.
I am a usability expert. Can I share test results with my clients?
Yes, you can set-up tests for your clients and easily share the results with your comments embedded in the video (see a sample video). You'll select the tests you want to share from your UserTesting.com account page and then publish a web page with your logo on it that you can share with your clients (see a sample page). Contact support
usertesting.com to get set-up.
Do you have usability experts that can help me?
Many of our clients are usability experts or website optimization experts. They can set-up tests for you on UserTesting.com, summarize the results and make recommendations. Click here to see a list of experts who utilize UserTesting.com.
You didn’t answer my question. How come?
Probably because this FAQ was written by a PR person. Please ask us your
question using our contact us form.