D. Microtasks, surveys and testing (ways 33–41): small online tasks, usability tests and bounties
These are the easiest online tasks to start: answering surveys, completing small tasks, testing websites and apps, joining research studies. They need few skills, which is exactly why they usually pay little and work isn't always available. Used well, they're a way to earn your first dollars, learn how online platforms work and fund data or a laptop while you build a bigger skill. This unit explains nine methods honestly, including which ones are worth your time.
33. Microtask platforms
What it is. Tiny tasks of seconds to minutes: categorising images, checking if a search result matches, verifying business details, short transcriptions, writing a sentence, tagging products.
Where: Clickworker (clickworker.com), Toloka (toloka.ai), Amazon Mechanical Turk (mturk.com; acceptance outside the US is limited and often closed), Appen short projects, OneForma.
How to start:
- Sign up with your real details; complete qualification tests (they unlock better-paid tasks).
- Start early in the day and check regularly; tasks appear and disappear.
- Track your effective hourly earnings; drop task types that pay too little.
- Withdraw regularly via PayPal/Payoneer.
34. Paid surveys (honest view)
What it is. Answering market research questionnaires for points or small cash.
How to start: reputable panels that accept Kenyan members change over time; look for long-established market research panels and read recent reviews from Kenyan users before signing up.
Honest view. Expect frequent disqualification, small rewards and high payout thresholds. Never pay to join a survey site; never give ID or banking passwords. Surveys can be an occasional extra, not a strategy.
35. Website and app usability testing
What it is. Companies pay ordinary people to use their website or app while speaking their thoughts aloud and recording the screen, so designers see where users get confused.
Where: UserTesting (usertesting.com), Userlytics (userlytics.com), Testbirds (testbirds.com), Trymata, Userfeel. Availability varies by country and demographic.
How to start, step by step:
- Sign up and take the practice test seriously: think aloud clearly, describe what you expect and what confuses you.
- Install any required screen recorder and test your microphone.
- Answer screener questions honestly (lying gets you banned and wastes the client's money).
- Check for tests several times a day; good testers get more invitations.
- Speak continuously: "I'm looking for the sign-up button... I expected it at the top right... this text is too small on my phone."
Pay. Per test (often 10–20 minutes); better than surveys per minute, but tests are limited.
Bonus skill. This is real UX research experience. Combined with design learning, it leads towards UX research and design roles (method 46).
36. Crowdtesting (software and app beta testing)
What it is. Finding bugs in apps and websites on your own devices and reporting them clearly; companies pay per valid bug and for test cycles.
Where: uTest (utest.com, part of Applause), Testbirds, Test IO, Testlio (more selective, for experienced testers).
How to start:
- Join uTest Academy (free courses on testing basics and writing bug reports).
- Learn to write a perfect bug report: title, steps to reproduce, expected vs actual result, device/OS/browser, screenshots or screen recording.
- Join test cycles; follow scope rules exactly (out-of-scope bugs don't pay).
- Build reputation, then move to paid test cycles and better platforms.
Career path. Software testing (QA) is a real profession: crowdtesting experience plus learning test automation (Selenium, Playwright) can lead to QA jobs.
37. Paid research studies and focus groups
What it is. Taking part in academic and market research studies online (questionnaires, experiments, interviews, focus group calls).
Where: Prolific (prolific.com) is a well-known platform for academic studies; country eligibility is limited and changes, so check. Locally, market research firms recruit participants for focus groups in Nairobi and other towns, sometimes paying participants for their time.
Tips. Be honest in screeners, pay attention (studies include attention checks), and only join firms you can verify.
38. Mystery shopping
What it is. Visiting shops, restaurants, banks or calling customer care as a normal customer, then reporting on service quality using a detailed form. Increasingly includes online mystery shopping (testing a company's website, chat or delivery).
How to start: register with established mystery shopping/market research companies operating in Kenya; complete assignments exactly as briefed and submit detailed, timely reports.
39. Game testing
What it is. Playing unreleased games to find bugs and give feedback on fun and difficulty.
Reality. It's mostly a QA job (repetitive, detailed bug reporting), not "getting paid to play". Paid opportunities come through crowdtesting platforms and game QA studios. Mobile game studios in Kenya and Africa also hire testers occasionally.
40. Cashback and referral bonuses
What it is. Getting a percentage back on purchases through cashback programmes, or earning bonuses for referring new users to legitimate services (some banks, apps and online services run referral programmes).
Honest view. Small amounts, useful only if you were buying anyway. Never join "referral" schemes where your earnings come mainly from recruiting people who pay to join: that's a pyramid scheme, illegal in Kenya, and most participants lose money.
41. Contests and bounties
What it is. Competing for prizes or rewards:
- Design contests (e.g. 99designs, logo contests): many designers compete, one winner is paid.
- Data science competitions on Kaggle (kaggle.com) and Zindi (zindi.africa, an African data science competition platform with prizes and job opportunities).
- Bug bounties (method 88): rewards for security vulnerabilities.
- Writing and essay competitions, hackathons and innovation challenges.
Honest view. Winning is uncertain, but contests build portfolios and visibility. Zindi and Kaggle results are respected on CVs for data science jobs.
Which of these are worth your time?
| Method | Effort | Pay per hour | Builds a skill? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Microtasks | Low | Low | A little (attention to detail) |
| Surveys | Low | Very low | No |
| Usability testing | Low–medium | Medium (when available) | Yes (UX) |
| Crowdtesting | Medium | Low–medium, grows with reputation | Yes (QA career) |
| Research studies | Low | Low–medium | No |
| Mystery shopping | Medium | Low–medium | Some (reporting) |
| Contests (Zindi, Kaggle) | High | Uncertain | Yes (data science, design) |
Use low-skill methods as a bridge, and spend most of your time building a skill from the other families.
Common mistakes
| Mistake | Fix |
|---|---|
| Joining dozens of survey sites | Pick a few reputable ones; track hourly earnings |
| Lying in screeners | Answer honestly; bans are permanent |
| Paying for "task apps" or "VIP levels" | Scam; never pay |
| Forwarding money in "mystery shopping" | Fraud; refuse |
| Treating microtasks as a career | Use them to fund learning a real skill |
Practice tasks
- Sign up on one microtask platform and one usability platform; complete the qualification or practice test.
- Write a perfect bug report for a real bug you've noticed in an app or website.
- Record yourself (screen + voice) testing a Kenyan e-commerce website for 10 minutes while thinking aloud.
- Create a Zindi account and read one beginner competition's description.
- Track a week of microtask work: hours, earnings, effective hourly rate.
Summary
- Microtasks, surveys and studies are easy to start but pay little and availability varies.
- Usability testing and crowdtesting pay better and build real UX and QA skills.
- Contests (design, Kaggle, Zindi, bug bounties) build portfolios and visibility.
- Avoid pay-to-join task apps, pyramid "referral" schemes and money-forwarding "mystery shopping".
Check yourself
In usability testing, what should you do continuously while using the site? (two words)
Show answer
think aloud
Which African data science competition platform has prizes? (one word)
Show answer
Zindi
In a bug report, what list lets someone recreate the bug? (three words: steps to ...)
Show answer
steps to reproduce
Is a scheme where earnings come mainly from recruiting paying members legal in Kenya? (yes or no)
Show answer
no
Should a mystery shopper ever forward money to someone? (yes or no)
Show answer
no
Which platform's free Academy teaches crowdtesting basics? (one word)
Show answer
uTest