Archive for August, 2009
A New Business Opportunity for Mahalo
Mahalo.com is a human-powered search site that launched in May of 2007. About one and a half years later Mahalo launched Mahalo Answers. Rather than explaining the site myself, here is a brief summary of Mahalo Answers straight from the horse’s mouth:
The site allows users to post questions on any topic; if the query is time-sensitive or may require in-depth research, users have the option of offering payment (known as a “tip”) for the best answer. Participants earn points for answering questions. As their points accumulate, users move up in belt levels and can do more on the site.
A day later after Mahalo Answers launched, I decided to sign up for an account. Since that time, I have participated enough to earn me a green belt and am about 500 points away from the purple belt. Their points, dollars, and belt structure is elegant and simple to comprehend. It works very well. The more you participate the more points, Mahalo dollars, and belt levels you get. The satisfaction of helping others, the utility of having others help me, and the addicted nature of the point-structure kept me coming back. In my opinion, the point-dollar-belt system is the best thing that has come out of Mahalo.
The point-dollar-belt system has all the components in making an online community an addiction. As a matter of fact, on the site itself, some people have expressed their addiction via questions:
- Mahalo user matthewh asked: My parents say I’m addicted to Mahalo and they are going to block the website. What do I do?
- Mahalo user baalcat asked: How much time do you spend on Mahalo a day? I joined this service just under a week ago and I’m already an addict! I just love this service and being able to answer people’s questions.
- Mahalo user easyeboy asked: How can I put a limit on Mahalo Answers usage and addiction? It is sometimes a distraction from me getting real work done.
Why not does Mahalo create a platform around the point-dollar-belt structure and license it for other companies? Companies such as Best Buy, Amazon, or Dell will do anything to have their customers say something like “Damn, I am addicted to this new Best Buy community.” or “I cannot stop participating in the new Amazon community.” It would be great if they can offer this platform for free for non-profit web sites such as, my very own, musicgenretree.com 
Some of the features that the platform may offer:
- ability to change the look and feel completely to match that of the customer
- ability for community members to exchange their dollars for products that the customer offers. Think Best Buy dollars, Dell dollars, or Amazon dollars.
- users do not need to create seperate accounts. For example, my Dell account can be used to participate in the Amazon community and all my points, dollars, and belt level will carry over between sites. Furthermore, the Mahalo Answers own account can also be used
- one of the powerful features in Mahalo Answers. Is the lack, or completely absence, of trolls. This technology can be used to filter out all the trolls from the customer’s communities, as well.
If Mahalo does not monetize on this, others will simply catch-on the addicted nature of this structure and start implementing their own versions of this point-dollar-belt platform around their communities.
Obviously, I have not invested a lot of time in perfecting this idea. With more though and brain storming sessions, I think this is a viable opportunity for Mahalo, no? The platform almost sells itself!
Add comment August 16, 2009
