If you’ve never used them, you may be surprised how much of a little gold mine focus groups and interviews can be. Let’s take a look at the best sites in the UK, how much they pay and what you can expect.
How to make money from focus groups and interviews
Anybody who knows me will tell you that I spend a lot of time earning money from online surveys – probably a bit too much. And whilst I enjoy them and they don’t take too much effort, they’re not the greatest of earners and pay similar to minimum wage.
However, I soon found that these survey sites started to send me focus group opportunities. Although I wasn’t particularly keen at first because I’m a fairly shy person, I soon changed my mind when I found out how much they actually paid.
What is a paid market research focus group?
Independent market research companies usually run online focus groups (also known as opinion groups) and interviews on behalf of a client. They usually involve a small group of people led by an interviewer. In this group, you may be asked to test a website, take part in product trials, watch movies or just share your opinion on services you have received. It really depends on what the research study is focussing on.
As they are independent, focus group participants can be as honest and brutal as they like. In the words of Catchphrase, “Say what you see.”
Until recently, most focus group sessions were in person, usually in major towns or cities. Of course, that meant you had travel costs and time to consider. However, 2020 changed all that and marketing companies shifted most of their work online. Occasionally, you may be invited to participate in phone surveys, but these are becoming rarer.
What do focus groups and interviews involve?
I have taken part in lots of groups and interviews over the last few years or they’re very rarely the same. I have broken them down into five main tasks.
- 1-on-1 interviews. This will involve you speaking to an interviewer, you’ll answer questions and give your views on certain topics
- 1-on-1 user testing. You’ll be asked to view a new website or mobile app and share your views.
- Group chat. You will be joined by between 2 and 5 others and discuss topics or new products. This will all be led by an interviewer.
- Product test. Not quite so common, but some focus groups require you to test a product over a webcam. You won’t need to speak, but some reviewers will watch your reactions as you try out a product they sent you.
- Product rating. This doesn’t require a camera or a microphone. You’ll be shown a product and review it by filling in ratings or typing your opinion, along with dozens of other reviewers. You’ll also get to see other people’s thoughts too.
Also worth reading
How long do the interviews take?
Most 1-on-1 interviews take between 45 minutes to an hour, but they can finish earlier depending on the interviewer. Group chats will take longer, usually between 90 minutes and 2 hours. Although longer, you get more of a break as other people speak. In all my time, I have only had one task overrun, which was only by around 3 minutes. Remember, they want to finish early too!
How much can you expect to earn?
This really depends on the company and the type of interview. 1-on-1 interviews nearly always pay the most and can pay anywhere between £50 – £70 per hour. Group chats aren’t quite so generous and I find that pay ranges from £30 – £50 per hour.
Some companies will pay you in cash by bank transfer, via PayPal or with a Visa gift card, whilst others may allow you to redeem your payment for a gift card for companies like Amazon and Argos.
Also worth reading
Which are the best paid online focus group sites?
There are plenty of sites out there, but below is a list of my favourite and most trusted. And remember, the more you join, the more you can earn.
TestingTime
TestingTime is an all-rounder and a great way to start, offering online focus groups, surveys, interviews and website testing.
As a tester, you can’t log in to the TestingTime website, so you must wait until you receive an email invite when a suitable job is available.
You do have a ‘wallet’ though. So anything you earn will go into that account and you can withdraw it once you have at least £20. This can be through PayPal or a gift card and your earnings reach you in around 10 days, although often much quicker.
TestingTime will send you an email to access this wallet with a link to click on when you receive payment.
The average pay for TestingTime can be between £40-£60 per hour. There is also a referral scheme which will earn you £5 if your friends join.
Or take a look at my TestingTime review.
User Interviews
This is my favourite paid focus group company because they have the most research projects. User Interviews focus mainly on website and app testing. If you’re testing an app on your phone, you may not even need to speak to anyone and will have to record your thoughts over audio or video. These pay around $10-$20 and take 10-20 minutes.
Interviews generally take around 45 minutes and pay $50. Most will be made through your computer, although some can be conducted through your smartphone.
You are either paid with Amazon gift cards or through PayPal, although all payments are made in $US. Don’t worry if you opt for a gift card, as this will be converted into £’s and can be used on the UK site.
You can find available studies through the User Interview website or allow them to send you emails for interviews you may be eligible for. I prefer to stick with the emails as you’re more likely to be eligible to take part.
On average, the pay works out at around $60 per hour. Expect to receive your reward between a few hours and two working days after you complete your work.
Or take a look at my User Interviews review.
Respondent.io
Respondent.io provides a lot of interview opportunities, although many of them are aimed at business professionals. Because of this, you can earn as much as $150 (£110) per hour.
But that doesn’t mean you won’t find earning opportunities when discussing day-to-day products. I’ve been invited to long-term focus group studies. One of these lasted a year and needed me to discuss cleaning products and send in videos. In total, I was paid $750.
Payment is usually made in gift cards, although there may be the occasional cash offering. Plus, Respondent.io has a referral programme. Share your unique link with friends and earn $20 when they complete a project.
Or take a look at my Respondent.io review.
UserTesting
This site gives you a couple of options to earn. Like the other sites on this list, you can participate in interviews, usually lasting between 1 and 2 hours.
Alternatively, you take part in unmoderated tasks. These are often shorter, lasting between 10 and 20 minutes and require you to test websites or software. Instead of speaking to a researcher, you use the UserTesting software to record your thoughts.
All of the available UserTesting jobs can be found on your dashboard.
Interviews tend to pay around $60 (£50) per hour, whilst the unmoderated tasks pay $10 (£8) for 15 minutes.
Or take a look at my UserTesting review.
Angelfish Opinions
Angelfish concentrates more on interviews and longer-term studies. For example, I participated in a 5-day discussion on a forum regarding fast food. Each day, I spent around 30 minutes answering questions and recording videos (including one of a taste test) and earned a £110 gift card. I was also selected to participate in an online discussion group, which paid an extra £45 for 2 hours. On top of all that, I was reimbursed for 2 meals!
You can apply for studies and interviews through the Angelfish website or wait for them to send you emails. They’re also very active on social media, so you can stay updated through sites like Facebook. The payment method Angelfish uses is either a gift card or PayPal, and usually takes a few days to reach you.
Average pay works out to around £40-£50 per hour. As a bonus, if there is a survey available that you think your friends might be interested in, you can earn a £10 gift card for referring them.
Take Part in Research
This site offers a decent number of online interviews and quite a few in-person ones… although they’re mainly in London. You can also pick up some longer-term work.
You can find new studies through their website, Facebook page or wait for an email to come in.
Focus groups tend to pay around £50-60 per hour. The rate of pay is very similar whether online or in person. How much you can earn from longer studies really varies; they can take anywhere between 2 days and 12 months.
However, some top earners will pay you as much as £400.
Your Voice Market Research
This isn’t a website but is conducted over Facebook and email. The company is based in London but recruits people from all over the UK. I have used them a couple of times and they always pay promptly.
Jeremy at Your Voice has recently changed how their system works and you can now fill out your application through Google Sheets rather than by email, which is a much quicker way to do things.
And the best thing about this research company is the fact that they tell you the kinds of people they are looking for (such as age and location) before you apply.
The average pay is, again, around £50 per hour.
Bunnyfield
This is a site that I have joined but had little luck with so far. They have offices in London and Sheffield and have been operating since 1999. They recruit participants for a whole range of studies, including:
- Website research
- Retail and in-store experience
- Product packaging testing
- Software & games testing
- Mobile/Tablet touchscreen website and apps
- Interactive TV interfaces
- Print advertising
- Email marketing
You can’t browse jobs on the Bunnyfield website, you have to wait for an invite to arrive in your inbox. Payment is made through a company called Wise. Although for many people, this is a new account you need to set up, it’s free to do and is a very useful account to have.
I expect to earn around £50 per hour from the invites I have received.
A couple of other sites to consider
Dedicated sites like the ones I have listed above should be your first stop when looking for online focus groups. However, you may stumble across some on survey sites. They aren’t as common, but they are still worth keeping an eye on.
Ipsos iSay
This survey site pays you in cash via PayPal or you can opt for gift cards. Not only can you take part in online interviews, but you are also sometimes chosen to receive products to test.
The pay for the interviews isn’t quite so good, so expect around £30 per hour.
Swagbucks
Swagbucks isn’t just a survey site, you can earn from searching the web, playing games or watching videos. However, the bulk of your income will come from surveys.
Sometimes, you will see some surveys that pay far more than others, and these will be focus groups. These are product testing groups (as I mentioned above), and you won’t need a microphone or camera.
These usually pay around 2,500 Swagbucks for an hour’s work. If you convert these into Amazon gift vouchers, it works out at just under £20 per hour.
How to make the most of UK focus groups
These sites are a good idea for anybody looking to make extra money.
The issue you’ll find with any of these sites is that plenty of other people are looking to take part too… and who can blame them when there’s so much money to earn? So to increase your chances of being selected for groups and interviews, you need to join as many companies as possible.
And check your registered email address as often as you can. When a notification says you might be suitable for a particular study, answer it as soon as possible. You can be sure others will and it might be a case of first come, first served.
On average, I take part in around three activities each month. But, how many you receive will depend on your demographics. And how quick you are to reply.
Are the interviews difficult?
No. They’re quite nerve-wracking to begin with, as you don’t know what to expect. But, once you’ve done a few, they become quite natural and easy to make money. I have not met an unpleasant interviewer yet and they are always happy to help. Ultimately, there isn’t a right or wrong answer, they just want to know your thoughts. The reason for these groups is to get an opinion from real people and what you might think of as rubbish, I could think is quite brilliant.
Do you need any equipment?
So, different groups and interviews will need different equipment. Usually, you will need a laptop or computer with a camera and microphone, although sometimes it can be done from a smartphone. You can use headphones, but it’s not essential unless you live in a noisy house. You can use a separate microphone, but most modern computers have a decent built-in option. But, you should receive a brief beforehand, which will always tell you if there are any special requirements.
As well as the above, you’ll need a decent internet connection. Nothing super fast, but you will need to stay connected, so you can hold a decent conversation and sometimes share your computer screen.
Be polite
By this, I don’t just mean being polite to other panel members and interviewers. That goes without saying. But life gets in the way of plans, and you may be unable to attend an interview or a group. If this is the case, let the company know. The sooner you can, the better, as this will allow them to find a replacement.
If you ignore your time slot, there is a good chance that you will never be invited to another one.
And don’t worry about forgetting your meeting. You’ll find that most companies will email you multiple times (and sometimes text), so it’s almost impossible to forget it!
Do you need to download software?
Most groups and discussions can be completed just by following a link through an email. Occasionally, you may be required to download a specific piece of software, especially if the online research requires a test for user experience. But this is quite rare.
If your meeting takes place over Zoom, I recommend downloading the app, as this works better than the Zoom website. The last time I used the website, the sound would cut out every few minutes and it became very frustrating having to ask the interviewer to repeat the question.
On occasion, you may need to set up permissions to share your screen. This isn’t too complicated and with Windows machines, it should just involve clicking ‘allow’. MacBooks are a little more complicated and need to go into your security settings. But, I have found that when screen sharing is needed, the interviewer is knowledgeable and can guide you through the process.
If my review of online focus groups hasn’t convinced you, why not take a look at my other favourite side hustles?
FAQs
Do online interviews and focus groups always need video?
The vast majority do, but not always. Some groups have over 50 people in, so it would be impossible for everybody to be on a video call. Instead, you will be shown products and asked to type your thoughts and give ratings.
How much do online focus groups and interviews pay?
Pay varies between companies, but expect an average pay of around £50 or $65 per hour.
Kes
Thursday 22nd of December 2022
Hello. Are you able to advise about https://www.opiniongroups.com/ ?
Money Saver Pete
Thursday 22nd of December 2022
Hi Kes. From what I can see, this site just directs you to other survey sites. They won't provide you with earning opportunities themselves and will earn a referral fee for each site you sign up to. I don't think it's worthwhile.