Whether you are a legal expert, a vet, or a computer whizz, providing customer consultations can be a great way to make money online. These days, you can connect with customers anywhere in the world! If you know that your talent means you can provide valuable advice in any field, the first step is choosing how to connect with potential customers. The San Fransisco-based website JustAnswer is common landing place for people looking for solutions online. The big question is, is it the right platform from which to launch your expert consultation career?
An Unusual Model In The World Of Paid Chat
Most online advisory sites allow customers to pick a specialist, and go from there. However, JustAnswer is a little different. Rather than letting buyers peruse experts for themselves, JustAnswer pairs them with an available expert based on the nature of their query. Rather than paying an expert directly, users pay a membership fee for the platform, and might need to pay added fees on top for premium services such as speedier responses and phone conversations. Independant JustAnswer reviews on websites like Trust Pilot and Sitejabber suggest that this unconventional formula works really well for a lot of users, with ratings of 4.6 and 4.47 stars out of 5, respectively. However, the Better Business Bureau website reveals that JustAnswer reviews include a high volume of complaints. The difficult-to-navigate pricing structure for the site – both for buyers and sellers – may be a root cause for such negativity.
A Haze Around Costs And Payments For Consumers and Experts
Those visiting the website for the first time will probably have a hard time figuring out how much asking a question is going to cost them. Depending on how users sign up to the platform, and whether they come through an affiliate link, they may be able to sign up for a week long trial of the site for 1$ or 5$, or an initial membership fee of 22$. From there, they may have to pay an additional fee to consult with experts, which varies fairly broadly depending on the urgency of the question, the specialization required, and the availability of relevant experts. After an initial period, it is revealed that JustAnswer’s membership fees are also not an exact science. These are calculated based on your prior usage habits, so if testing out the platform, don’t go wild during your sign-up trial!
For experts, payment rates are also vague and unquantified. The value of questions can vary based on the same criteria as above, and answering a question still does not assure that you will be rewarded. When a member asks a question and you answer it, they can choose to accept or reject your response. Simultaneously, other experts on the platform can propose an alternative answer, which the member can opt for instead, diverting your earnings! This means that time invested in answering questions on the platform wont necessarily guarantee an income. We couldn’t find any indication on the JustAnswer website of what percentage they pay to experts on the platform. The only reference we found online was a blog that described initial pay of only 20%, with the possibility to rise up to 50%. If you find more information about JustAnswer pay rates, we’d love to hear about it!
Pros Of The JustAnswer Platform For Experts
Working as an advisor on JustAnswer means that you can create your own schedule, and potentially earn money from the comfort of your own home. The platform doesn’t ask sellers to commit to a schedule, or even clock up certain hours each month. You can simply log in and answer questions whenever you feel like it. In terms of payouts, JustAnswer lets you to cash out to PayPal whenever there is more than $25 in your seller account. The platform is open to experts from around the world – not just within the Unites States. It’s worth noting that in order to offer your services as an expert on JustAnswer, you must pass their screening process. This is carried out by a third party and requires some demonstration of your specialist skill. Vetting for experts in the US is said to take up to two weeks, while international experts may have to wait up to three.
Cons Of The JustAnswer Platform For Experts
Alongside difficult-to-predict earning potential on the platform, a number of other pitfalls may put you off becoming a JustAnswer expert. Your standing on the site is subject to JustAnswer reviews from not only users, but peer experts too. If your answers don’t meet the standards of those observing, your account will be terminated. Those wishing to safeguard their talent may be alarmed to realize that answered questions can be viewed by anyone! Simply Googling a topic followed by “JustAnswer” grants access to the questions archive, meaning that many may access your expertise for free.
The final stumbling block for aspiring online experts is that the JustAnswer format makes it difficult to build a meaningful rapport with long-term clients. For many virtual advisors, the chance to establish strong working relationships can be one of the most valuable parts of the job. If this is important to you, then JustAnswer probably isn’t going to be your bag.
Providing An Expert Consultation Service Your Way With Premium.Chat
Many modern professionals are harnessing paid chat platform Premium.Chat in order to turn their knowledge into a steady source of revenue. Rather than being for experts behind a virtual wall, Premium.Chat offers a perfect paid chat solution for those who are building a great reputation on social media, or have their own website. Signing up with Premium Chat is free, and there are no monthly fees to worry about. Customers pay either a fixed per-minute rate or a per-chat session rate, depending on your preference.
We take a transparent percentage fee from each successful sale you make, and the rest of the revenue you generate is yours, free and clear! In return for use of the Premium.Chat platform, you will pay a 20-40% fee, depending on how much you earn each month. Detailed analytics mean that you will always know where you stand, and how much you’re making. Your reward awaits every month, and can be paid out via PayPal, or Direct Deposit – the choice is up to you!
A Flexible Premium Service That You Make Your Own
After signing up for free with Premium.Chat, you can create your own unique profile, and establish the types of consultation you want to offer. This profile page is perfect for sharing on your social media platforms. Once that’s ready to go, you can build your own chat widget in a matter of minutes. This will allow your clients to initiate a chat with you right from your very own website! Premium.Chat is entirely web based, which means you and your clients don’t need to waste time downloading and installing software. What’s more, Premium.Chat is compatible with any device, meaning that you can earn money at home on your computer, or on the go from a tablet or smartphone!
This year has seen a vast rise in professionals using video chat to communicate. While text-based chat officially tops the popularity charts in terms of contemporary communication, video chat offers a great option for those wishing to provide a more personal face-to-face consultation service. With both tools at your disposal, you can decide whether to offer one, the other, or both! You can set your own rates, and offer whatever consultations offers you want to. Finally you can automate when you appear online as available to chat, or switch it on and off as suits your schedule.
JustAnswer is certainly an innovate model when it comes to online expert advice, but if JustAnswer reviews have given you pause for thought when it comes to your own career path, consider signing up with Premium.Chat today. Getting started is risk free, and the potential is limited only by your imagination!
