Competitive Analysis
justanswer.com | prestoexperts.com
justanswer.com
What are they selling?
They are selling users access to ask questions of professionals from a range of fields.
What are they communicating through their product?
They are communicating access to a wide-range of professionals along with claims of credibility by showing users positive reviews of the site by multiple major news outlets and the BBB, user product reviews, and a claim to stand behind all answers users receive.
What are they missing in their messaging, product, and overall offering?
The pricing information is hard to find and clearly understand. Users are supposed to be able to name the price they are putting on their question, but there is no easily accessible information about average prices/costs or what the user can expect from the price they are placing on their question.
Key Objectives
To connect users with experts in a wide-range of different areas of expertise to be able to ask questions that create revenue.
Overall Strategy
Justanswer.com emphasizes the value of a fast process users will experience when asking an expert a question without an appointment or referral. There is also an emphasis on the credibility of the experts and a claim to stand behind the answer users receive with expert bios and positive reviews from previous users. These things are used to create trust and create a value in the users mind.
Market Advantage
Justanswer.com was the first to appear in my first google search. There are other websites or apps that aim to offer the same type of service but with some differences. One of the advantages of the site is the wide-range and large number of experts available. The positive press touted on the site creates an advantage and something I didn’t see on
other sites. There is also a highly rated app in the Apple app store that comes up in the top of the app store search results.
Marketing Profile
Justanswer.com uses several social platforms for marketing including Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and LinkedIn. On several of those platforms and on the about page on justanswer.com they share information about the origins of the site and let users know that it was created by first-time parents who had lots of questions about parenting and
babies, but felt they had limited outlets for quick answers without making an appointment with a doctor. This helps to create a mirroring in users who also see themselves as someone who is also looking for a quick answer without making an appointment with a professional. The multiple positive media stories and reviews of the site add to the
credibility and authenticity of the site which reinforces users belief in the platform.
Usability
The site is fairly easy to use but has a few pain points. When users are on the registration page they can’t go back to the home page with using the back arrow. There is a chat box on the homepage that can help guide users to an expert in their field rather quickly, which is helpful, as long as the information the user types in to the chat box is clear.
Layout
The homepage is organized clearly. Some of the secondary, topic specific pages, have a lot of information on them with topic specific articles which can create some congestion on those pages.
Navigation Structure
The site and user flow is easy to navigate with the exception of only being able to use the back arrow to get to the homepage when on the registration page. The site was the first that came up in a google search and the first that came up in an app store search.
Compatibility
The app is very different than the website. A possible user isn’t able to see any general information without first logging in and having a credit card on file when using the app. This seems like a way for a competitor to capitalize on users in the Apple app store by allowing possible new users to get familiar with the site before registering and
joining.
Differentiation
Justanswer.com does a good job of communicating reliability and credibility by including third party media reviews, clearly stating they guarantee user satisfaction, and user reviews in the app store.
A roadblock is with the app and the block on new potential users who can’t navigate the app without logging in and having a credit card on file.
Clear pricing information is lacking on the site and can be frustrating to clearly understand.
Justanswer.com shows users the experts bio information, but doesn’t allow users to choose the specific expert they want to ask their question of.
More transparency in pricing and a more accessible app for non-registered users would be a way for a competitor to differentiate themselves.
Calls to Action
When looking at specific areas on the site there is a pop-up letting the user know there is a user guarantee and that their question can be answered immediately if they are about to leave a page. When registering, the sign-up process is very quick, and no credit card is required until you ask a question and request an answer.
prestoexperts.com
What are they selling?
They are selling users access to ask questions of professionals from a range of fields.
What are they communicating through their product?
They are communicating a wide-ranging group of available experts who are willing to answer questions easily for a fee. The site includes reviews of each expert, along with their bio.
What are they missing in their messaging, product, and overall offering?
The site lists bio and background information for the experts, but it can be lacking in detail about degrees and professional accreditations. The pricing information is also on a case-by-case basis so the user will have to see how much the expert will charge after asking the question, which could steer users away.
Key Objectives
To connect users with experts in a wide-range of different areas of expertise to be able to ask questions or help solve problems to create revenue for the site and for the experts.
Overall Strategy
Prestoexperts.com claims to have 30,000 experts in 600 different fields which creates expert advice for a broad range of users. The site also gives users several ways to connect with the expert they’ve chosen to increase the chances of a successful experience for the user. There is a large FAQ section which is a helpful way to answer possible users questions.
Market Advantage
One of the advantages of the site is the wide-range and large number of experts available. The large FAQ section is also an advantage and something the other site didn’t include.
Marketing Prole
Prestoexperts.com uses several social platforms for marketing including Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest. The facebook page has fairly regular posts with a variety of topics included in the postings. There isn’t very much detailed information about the company, who owns the site, or who their leadership is, which can make it seem kind of
impersonal. There also aren’t any third party reviews and articles from the media talking about the site to add to the credibility of the experts and highlight positive user experiences.
