A previous FreelanceMom.com article about microconsulting described the trend of microconsulting and highlighted some of the most popular microconsulting websites currently in use. One we featured was AskYourUsers.com, which is a well-known option that is worth exploring both as a microconsultant who can provide a service and as a business owner who needs the kind of feedback the AskYourUsers site is able to provide. TechCrunch said “AskYourUsers.com is a simple service that helps you find people for microconsulting projects … it works very smoothly, and definitely solves a need.” So we thought we would take a more in-depth look at this type of service.
As a business owner, you can create a survey (or just a fill-in-the-box question), select the target demographics you’d like to reach (the reviewer network is verified through LinkedIn and the feedback provider’s experience and expertise is available to view), and get results in days. AskYourUsers.com suggests that their service is useful for the following:
- Idea Testing
- Sales Pitch Testing
- Usability Testing
- Price Testing
- A/B Testing
- Graphics Testing
- Marketing Collateral Testing
- Expert Analysis
Here we’ll study a few businesses from the AskYourUsers.com testimonial page to see how the site is being used. If you want other ways to use AskYourUsers.com, reference this article by Ingrid Lunden. As a side bonus, we’ll simultaneously be introducing three cool websites that provide interesting personal and professional services.
Dreamly
The Dreamly.com site is still in beta mode, but it’s clear from a quick visit that the site aims to connect people with dreams to those who can help them achieve it. Co-Founder and CEO Paul Shustak reported using AskYourUsers for feedback on an early iteration of the site. By going through a site like AskYourUsers, Dreamly could avoid the overhead of sourcing a certain type of provider for feedback, arranging to contact them and soliciting their response, and collecting those responses.
For a service that doesn’t sell a traditional product but relies on users to be successful, getting early feedback on the website’s look, feel, and function is vital. They specifically must be sure that “dreamers” (i.e. your target user) will be comfortable posting personal wishes of such significance on a website and that they are set up to effectively connect people.
Just Sayin’
The Just Sayin’ app is billed as “the perfect way for you to listen and speak to your favorite celebrities, politicians, anyone who has something to say.” It allows you to post your voice, text, photos, and videos to your Facebook page. Bernard Fraenkel of CloudTalk, creator of the app, got instant feedback on the ease of learning to use the application. The feedback identified what motivates their users to keep up with Just Sayin’ on a consistent basis, resulting in “actionable insight” that enabled them to better serve their customers.
You cannot underestimate the value of random but targeted feedback in identifying what motivates your customer. The opportunity to get inside the mind of a user is not to be missed, and it would be much trickier to coordinate without a site like AskYourUsers.com.
Be Scrappy
Be Scrappy aims to help anyone who plans to start (or, less fortunately, is in the middle of) a home improvement or professional project but is missing an important tool to get the job done. The site connects those in need of a tool with someone near them who is willing to rent the tool out. They’ve created a network of “willing lenders and project experts” that can help neighbors (and strangers who happen to live near each other) identify who has what and is willing to rent it out without asking around.
The concept is solid – I remember the last time I tried to reinstall a kitchen drawer that collapsed on one side. I didn’t have a cordless drill, and didn’t want to buy one…which turned out to be a bigger inconvenience for my father than me, as he ended up driving to our house a few towns away to furnish the drill.
But how were the Be Scrappy idea’s merits fleshed out online?
Founder Priya Sheth reported posting three questions to AskYourUsers.com with the goal of understanding the potential customers for the project and therefore validating the business idea. A few questions directed to the right people is really all you need to get feedback on the core of your concept or design.
Is this a pattern? A service that connects those who need (a business looking for feedback) with those who can provide (verified reviewers with LinkedIn profiles). Now there’s a popular trend if I’ve ever seen one…
Do you have any experiences using these types of services? Let us know. Your insight and our insight can create knowledge for you and others.
