tl;dr
IntelliZoom – https://www.intellizoom.com/
Pros:
- The testing dashboard is easy to use
- The pay structure is transparent and easy to understand
- Respects my time — no need to monitor the dashboard with email notifications, and screener questionnaires are short
- Tests seem personalized based on my profile, less likely to get disqualified
- Website has cute (?) cartoon characters
Cons:
- Not a lot of tests
- Lower pay rate
- Mobile app used to be impossible to use
Previously, I wrote a review on UserTesting, and today, I am writing about its sister company, IntelliZoom, another site I frequently use.
Who/what is IntelliZoom?
IntelliZoom (sometimes referred to as UserZoom) is a Usability Testing website that connects companies with testers to test websites and apps. It was acquired by UserTesting sometime ago, but the functionality doesn’t seem to have changed.
When you sign up to be an IntelliZoom tester, you first set up your profile by providing your info like age, gender, household composition and income, location, and devices that you own. IntelliZoom would then use your profile to pre-qualify you for tests. Whenever a test becomes available to you, you will get an email notification (unless you have turned it off) and then you can take the test screener on IntelliZoom’s dashboard.
How much have I made with IntelliZoom?
I started using IntelliZoom in April 2021. Because IntelliZoom doesn’t have a “history” page showing past tests, I had to log into PayPal to see the past transactions. PayPal shows that I have done 89 studies total, and each study paid either $8 or $5, so I took the average and estimated that my total earnings so far was 89 x ((8 + 5) / 2) = $667.5. Not a lot of money, but compared to the other Usability Testing platforms, I spent WAY less time on IntelliZoom, so the effort is relatively low. I will explain why that’s the case in the next section.
What do I like about IntelliZoom?
As mentioned in the previous section, IntelliZoom is very efficient and respects the testers’ time.
First, IntelliZoom only sends me a few (2-5) tests each week. This is a good thing because it means I can turn on email notifications and only return to the dashboard when a test becomes available. Unlike other platforms with many tests, receiving 2-5 email notifications per week is perfectly manageable.
In my experience, the test matching algorithm is working well because I qualify for most of the pre-qualified tests IntelliZoom sends me (unlike UserTesting, which sends me a lot of tests but I qualify for very few of them). Even when I don’t qualify for tests, the screening process is short and easy so they don’t take me much time.
IntelliZoom runs tests on your computer using a Chrome extension. The extension is very reliable and I haven’t had any issues with it. The tests are also asynchronous and not timed, giving you a lot of flexibility to take them when it’s most convenient. I remember a test where I got distracted and forgot about it, but I remembered it in the evening and was able to finish it.
Finally, IntelliZoom has a very simple user interface. The dashboard shows the tests for which I am pre-qualified.
As you can see, there are cartoon characters on the website! Some people may find it unprofessional, but I find it endearing.
What do I not like about IntelliZoom?
IntelliZoom pays $5 for each “card sorting” test, $8 for each regular usability test, and $30 for the interviews. This pay rate is quite low compared to other usability testing platforms. IntelliZoom also has a low number of qualifying tests, which makes it difficult to make a decent income.
Also, in the past, there were some technical issues with the mobile app and the interview environment checkers (a program that checks my web browser to see if my internet is fast enough, and my mic and camera are both working), and I could never join a mobile test and pass the interview environment checks, so I only did (and still do) desktop sessions. This was several years ago though, maybe things have improved since then.
Would I recommend IntelliZoom?
Yes. I would recommend IntelliZoom to anyone who is looking for extra income on the side, or stay-at-home moms/dads. Just sign up on your own, populate your profile, turn on email notifications, and then do the tests whenever IntelliZoom emails you.
You should be able to earn at least $50 per month – good to buy a couple of bobas!