6 New Apps for Uncovering the Best Local Knowledge
At some point after Quora launched in 2009, the Q&A concept has moved from the realm of stodgy forums to burgeoning tech trend. Meanwhile, hoards of startups are taking cues from buzz-generating location-based services like Foursquare and Gowalla by adding location to everything from to do lists to shopping.
It’s no surprise that the latest generation of startups is combining these two concepts.
These six new location-based Q&A services send questions about places to locals likely to have the answers. Some of them, like Localmind, even go so far as to track down potential answerees, while others solicit more general suggestions.
1. Loqly
Loqly users can find local businesses via a Google-powered search, browsing by popular categories or by asking for a referral. Each business page has an option to share, mark as a favorite, or view its Yelp reviews. From the same business pages, users can ask specific questions about the business to other users in the area. “What days of the week do they have free salsa classes?” or “What are some good strong beers here?” are some sample questions.
People can also use Loqly for more general recommendations like “What is a good sushi restaurant in the area?” After users tag the question with a city and category, Loqly adds it to a question queue for local users.
2. Crowdbeacon
Crowdbeacon helps users track down answers to location-based questions by directing them to local experts nearby. When users first download the app, they’re asked to identify their location and broad categories for which they feel comfortable answering questions. These sections include active life, beauty, restaurants, shopping, etc.
When you ask a question, you identify which category experts it should be sent to. Founder Robert Boyle’s vision is that some respondents will be local businesses who have whatever it is that you’re looking for and can offer you a deal. There are about 100 such businesses currently participating in New York — home of the just-launched startup’s strongest user base.
If you happen to live elsewhere, you might need to recruit some fellow users before you get regular responses to your questions.
3. Ditto
Launched in early March by Jaiku founder Jyri Engestrom, Ditto encourages users to state what they’re going to do before they do it. They can either push these statements to their friends or to strangers nearby. The idea is that others who see something like “I’m going to breakfast” will naturally respond with something like “Oh, I know a great place.” Better yet, they might offer to join.
Ditto is unusual among location-based Q&A apps in that it covers activities in addition to location. Users can just as easily solicit book and movie recommendations as they can restaurant and bar recommendations.
4. Loqize.me
Switzerland-based Loqize.me is a Q&A service exclusively for location-based questions. Founder Philip Estrada Reichen was inspired to start the company after he moved to New York City. Most of the questions he asked using social media had to do with where to find things (a haircut, dinner, a place to watch a game, etc.) in the city.
“The way I solved it is I posted questions on Facebook, I tweeted, I asked my friends, but there was no real easy way to get these sort of questions answered,” he says.
Loqize.me is still in private beta. It allows users to tag their questions with a location. Users who “follow” that city or that user will see the question in their feeds and have an opportunity to answer it or to read others’ answers. It’s also possible to browse the questions by most recent or unanswered questions.
5. Hipster
Formerly stealth startup Hipster gave the world a peak at its location-based Q&A service at SXSW this year with a trial version dedicated to the conference.
If Yelp and Quora had a child under the influence of GPS, it might look a bit like this web app. Users see newsfeeds of popular, recent and friend activity. They can also follow people, categories, neighborhoods, and specific questions to create a “My Topics” feed.
The app integrates with Foursquare, Facebook and Gowalla accounts to let users follow locations that they’ve checked in to.
6. Localmind
Localmind’s specificity sets it apart from most other location-based Q&A services. When you launch the app, it presents you with a list of locations that other users near you are currently checked in to. You can send those specific users questions about their current location. You can build karma points by answering these questions, replying you’re busy, checking in, and inviting friends to join. Users who rack up enough points earn titles like “expert,” “champion,” and “legend.” When users reach the expert level, they’re able to answer questions regardless of whether they are checked in to a specific area.
“One vision we have for the expert layer is a crowdsourced customer support network, where your customers answer questions on your behalf, and are recognized for it,” explains founder Lenny Rachitsky. “Recognition could be [as] simple as a deal/coupon, or as interesting as a plaque on the wall at the venue that we ship to the venue.”
Localmind was smart not to launch its own check-in service. Accepting check ins from Foursquare, Gowalla, and Facebook gives it a broader reach and increases the chances you’ll find someone to answer your local question. There’s also an option for people who don’t use check in services to sign up using their Twitter accounts.
Image courtesy of iStockphoto, cosmonaut