Ask.com is Putting a Face On Answers

August 10, 2010 / Melody Smith / Comments Off on Ask.com is Putting a Face On Answers

August 10, 2010 – During a time when it seems everyone is trying to automate every process possible, Ask.com is human-answering the majority of its questions with a real live community.

BNet.com brought this news to our attention in their article, “Ask.com Asks: Is It Finally Time for Human-Answered Search?” The long-admired search engine reinvented itself last week. Now no longer a purely algorithmic search, Ask.com has shifted into a human-powered question-and-answer service, joining a handful of like-minded competitors.

It seems that like so many other Web tools, Ask’s potential lies in how it can be used to leverage other services. With their construction of the “community” that provides the answers, Ask may have a better shot at success because of its brand recognition and its legacy in search. If members are answering questions, not paid employees, then they become increasingly involved in the community. Engagement by users goes a long way to loyalty.

Melody K. Smith

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Melody Smith

Melody K. Smith has provided organizational, social media and digital communication services to a large non-profit for the past twenty years. Prior to that she championed employee engagement and communications in the healthcare field. She holds a Bachelors degree in Marketing. When not wrangling and writing TaxoDiary content for your reading pleasure, Melody writes fiction, rescues dogs and throws legendary dinner parties.