Q&A websites have slowly evolved to become a major resource on the web today. I assure you it’s no fad, the “answers” trend is here to stay. In fact, it could even be the future of how internet users find information.
Google has owned search for some time, but more recently people are more and more searching for answers to very niche questions. Look at Twitter for examples, where people ask questions of their friends all day.
Which product should I buy? Can anyone recommend a good restaurant in Soho? Who needs a search engine when you have thousands of people eagerly waiting to answer your daily questions on the spot?
Taking it further, sites are sprouting up left and right with the sole focus of questions and answers…and they’re doing pretty well.
What is it about the Q&A concept that makes it so popular? These sites provide a few clear benefits:
1. Easy to organize
Have you ever searched a forum? It sucks. It sucks a lot. Now go search Quora to see if someone already asked your question. Much easier.
2. Clear benefits
In a forum, you may get some notoriety amongst the community. On today’s best Q&A sites, you can establish yourself as an expert (literally) in targeted categories.
3. Human quality
Using a search engine to find an answer to your specific question won’t always get you the level of quality in an answer that an actual individual can provide.
4. Personalized
The answers that you get on a search engine are the best matches for the masses. On Q&A sites, the answer is specifically for you and your question.
5. Creates new content
If you search for something on Google and it’s not there, tough luck. On a Q&A site, you can ask and it will be created.
6. Focused
For sites or communities that are focused on a specific niche, Q&A systems can be an amazing resource. You can have a Q&A specifically for entrepreneurs for example.
Why do you think Q&A sites are valuable? Are they better than search engines when you’re looking for an answer?]]>