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 Robe rt Boyle’s vision...
