This document discusses sourcing the right participants for UX research and testing. It begins by noting that sourcing participants is often the #1 challenge and outlines an agenda to cover various sourcing methods. The methods are divided into two categories: doing it yourself using your own customers or visitors, and using external companies. Doing it yourself involves techniques like guerrilla usability testing, using customer databases, social media sites, websites/apps, and in-store locations. Using external companies involves online panels, traditional recruiting firms, new recruiting startups, specialized panels, and a new sourcing engine. It provides tips on screeners, study quality, incentives, and special considerations for regulated industries, B2B, research with kids

1. Sourcing The Right Participants
For Your UX Research & Testing
Kuldeep Kelkar, October 26th 2017

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3. Agenda
Kuldeep Kelkar
Global VP
UX Research & Participant Sourcing
Introduction
Various ways of sourcing participants
How to, Tips & Tricks
NEW exciting developments
Q&A

4. Sourcing the “right” participants
is the #1 challenge

5. And we know how much it matters!!!

6. Poll Question
Are you…
A) Already recruiting participants for your UX Research?
B) Want to start recruiting participants for your UX
Research?

7. Research Method does have an impact on how you source…
Moderated (Scheduling)1
2
3
Un-Moderated
Diary Studies

8. Good News: There are many ways of finding, sourcing participants…

9. Two categories for sourcing participants:
External Companies DIY: Your Own

10. DIY: Your Own Customers as Participants

11. DIY: Your Own Customers as Participants
Guerilla Usability Testing1
2
3
Customers Database: CRM, Marketing List, B2B Sales Lists; Private Panels
Visitors to Your Social Sites: Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn
4 From Your Websites: Desktop or Mobile
5 In Store
We cover these 5 ways of finding Your Own Participants…

12. Guerilla Usability Testing1

14. Customer Database
Assumption:
• Every organization has prospects and/or customer lists (database)
• Sales / Marketing, Customer Support and/or Analytics teams have access to
this prospects and/or customer lists (database)
2

15. Email Infrastructure to send out research participation requests
• Most companies have Marketing departments that send out emails
• May be customer support organization has email infrastructure
Tip: Make friends with Sales and/or Marketing for Customer Lists
Example: Large Financial firm that piggy backs on Market Research, NPS email
survey infrastructure
Best For:
Surveys & Task Based UX research, card sort even moderated.
Un-moderated Think out loud usability studies can be tricky.
Customer Database: @ email invitations…2

16. Its likely your company has:
• Customer Summit or Conference,
• Customer Advisory Board
• Online Private Panel or Community hosted by someone in marketing
Best For:
Surveys & Task Based UX research, card sort even moderated.
Un-moderated Think out loud usability studies needs expectations setting.
Customer Database: Private Panels, Communities2

17. Visitors to Your Social Sites3
Or Advertise on Mechanical Turk, Craigslist

18. From your website, mobile site or mobile app
UserZoom’s Pop Up to invite visitors to participate in research studies
4

19. From your website, mobile site or mobile app4

20. From your website, mobile site or mobile app4

21. In-Store, Local Branch, Conference Attendees
QR Code on poster is a great way to invite participants to join
5

22. DIY Challenges & Advantages
Challenges:
1. Finding and/or scheduling participants is challenging & takes a lot of effort
2. Takes valuable time away from research activities
3. Paying out Incentives means some paperwork and tracking
4. Start small → then build up capabilities
Advantages:
1. You can target your own customers & profile them better
2. At scale this could be a cost advantage (but does not work for all methods)

23. External Companies

24. Let specialized companies handle it
Online Panel Companies1
2
3
Traditional Moderated Recruiting Companies
New Recruiting Companies
4 Specialized Panels: Knowbility
5 NEW: UserZoom’s Sourcing Engine (we combine all methods)
We will cover these 5 ways of using specialized external companies…

25. Online Panel Companies
We have extensively worked with these and many more globally
OP4G (Opinions4Good): http://www.op4g.com
ProdegeMR: http://www.prodegemr.com/
SSI: http://www.surveysampling.com/
Light Speed GMI: http://www.lightspeedresearch.com/
Critical Mix: http://www.criticalmixcom/
Best For: Surveys & Task Based UX research.
Recruiting + Incentives: $20 to $75+ per participant depending on the criteria
Lead Time: 1 week
1

26. Traditional Moderated Recruiting Companies
Companies that have Focus Group or Usability Labs provide recruiting services for a charge…
Fieldwork: http://www.fieldwork.com/
Schlesinger Associates: http://www.schlesingerassociates.com/
Plaza Research: http://www.plazaresearch.com/
Watch Lab: http://www.watchlab.com/
Intact Qualitative Research: http://www.intactqualitativeresearch.com/
Best For: Moderated Scheduled Sessions (In-Person, Onsite or Remote)
Recruiting + Incentives: $100 to $500+ per participant depending on the criteria
Lead Time: 2+ weeks
2

27. New Recruiting Companies
TestingTime: http://www.testingtime.com/
UserInterviews: http://www.userinterviews.com/
Ethnio: http://www.ethn.io/
Respondent.io: http://www.respondent.io/
Best For: Moderated Scheduled Sessions (In-Person, Onsite or Remote)
Recruiting + Incentives: $50 to $400+ per participant depending on the criteria
Lead Time: 1+ weeks
3

28. Specialized Panels
Knowbility Access Works: https://access-works.com/ Niche panel of blind users and people with
other disabilities
Best For: Accessibility Testing (Moderated)
Recruiting + Incentives: $150+ per participant depending on the criteria
Lead Time: 2+ weeks
4

29. NEW: Sourcing Engine

30. Two ways to source participants via UserZoom Platform:
We get it done... Invite your own…
Intelligent Sourcing Engine
Invitation Links
120
MILLION+
UserZoom
Panel
Unique URLs

31. Two ways to source participants
We get it done... Invite your own…
Intelligent Sourcing Engine
Invitation Links
120
MILLION+
UNLIMITED
and FREE
Email QR Code Mobile Intercepts Web InterceptsPrivate Panel Social Sites
Unique URLs

33. Keys to success …

34. Simple Screener
Agile TOL (Think Out Loud) Studies

35. Advanced Screener
All Other Study Types

36. Screeners
Quality of screeners will determine the quality of your participants
Screeners Best Practices:
1. Elimination questions upfront
2. Precise questions (not vague)
3. Are more multi-choice
4. Are NOT overdone, shorter the better

37. Screeners
Quality of screeners will determine the quality of your participants
Don’t over specify! Don’t have a very narrow definition because it
dramatically increased time in field and costs of recruiting
Ask: Does it really matter for rich qualitative results?
Accuracy is the enemy of speed and agility…

38. 1. Spend time optimizing participants experience
2. Keep length of study as low as possible
1. Moderated: 30-45-60 mins is good. Beyond an hour is really stretching it.
2. Un-Moderated: 15-20 mins is good. Beyond 20 mins is really stretching it.
Research Study
Quality of your study build (or protocol) will determine the quality of the Insights

39. Incentive Payments
DIY:
● No Incentives and/or branded freebies
● Monthly draw
● Payouts (Gift cards, PayPal)
External Companies take care of participant incentives

40. Special Considerations for
Certain Use Case

41. Special Considerations
1. Highly Regulated Industries: Healthcare, Patient data / HIPPA, Financial Advisors
2. B2B: A small number of enterprise customers. Sales & Account Mgr own the relationship.
3. Research with Kids: COPPA Compliance
4. Very Niche Participants: Specific Network Engineers, High net worth clients, Specialized Doctors,
Accountants, Enterprise Database administrators, People with disabilities: Blind, physical
disabilities
5. Global: Recruiting across the globe.
Talk to us! We have sourcing specialist who can scope and recommend feasible options!

42. Q&A

43. THANK YOU
Recruiting participants can be challenging
but we can help…
kkelkar@userzoom.com +1 866-599-1550