What are the best ways to compensate participants for user research?

2 Products or services

Products or services can be a great way to compensate user research participants, as well as get feedback, exposure, and loyalty for your product or service. However, they have some limitations, such as being less appealing to some participants, being irrelevant or inappropriate for some research topics, or being difficult to deliver or access. To overcome these challenges, you should consider the value of the products or services offered, their relevance to the research topic and participants' goals and context, and how you will deliver them. For example, if you are conducting user research on a fitness app, you can offer a free or discounted subscription to your app, or a complementary product or service. On the other hand, if you are conducting user research on a banking app, you should avoid offering financial products or services as they might raise legal or ethical issues. You should also deliver the products or services as soon as possible after the research session, preferably on the same day or within a week. Additionally, you should follow up with your participants to ensure that they receive and use the products or services and collect their feedback and reviews.

3 Incentives or rewards

Incentives or rewards are a form of compensation for user research, especially if you are conducting online or asynchronous research. They can encourage and acknowledge participation, as well as create a fun and engaging experience. However, there are risks associated with incentives or rewards, such as being perceived as manipulative or ineffective. To avoid these problems, you should consider the type, amount, and delivery of the incentives or rewards when choosing them as compensation. The type should be appropriate and meaningful for the research method and participants' profile and motivation. You can use points, badges, certificates, leaderboards, raffles, donations, or social recognition to appeal to different types of participants. The amount should be proportional and fair for the tasks and effort. You can use a point system or tiered structure to assign different values to different tasks or levels of participation. You can also use a random ratio to increase the excitement and unpredictability of your incentives or rewards. The delivery should be as soon as possible after the research session, preferably on the same day or within a week. You can use email, SMS, or app notifications to inform participants about their incentives or rewards and provide them with details on how to claim them. Additionally, you should track progress and status and remind participants of their incentives or rewards if they are incomplete or inactive.

4 Non-monetary benefits

Non-monetary benefits are a form of compensation for user research, especially if you are conducting research with existing or potential users of your product or service, or with a community or a group of stakeholders. They are valuable for providing satisfaction and building trust with participants, but they can be intangible, subjective, or insufficient for some. To overcome these challenges, you should consider the type, amount, and delivery of non-monetary benefits. Offer benefits that are relevant and useful to participants and that align with your research goals. Ensure they are sufficient and realistic, and adjust them according to participant satisfaction. Deliver the benefits as soon as possible after the research session, preferably on the same day or within a week. Use email, SMS, or app notifications to share feedback, insights, recommendations, or learning materials. Maintain regular communication and update participants on the progress and status of your research and product or service.