Guide to Building a Question and Answer Site Like Quora

Web Application

Posted on 01 Sep 2022 8 min read Share On:

It is a new world of information sharing, and we have been drawn to sites like Quora that allow users to ask questions and then answer those questions by other users with relevant expertise. Questions can be requested by anyone and answered by anyone with sufficient knowledge on the subject of the question.

If you want to build such a site but need some help getting started, this guide will show you how to build website like Quora from scratch. It is important that you partner with a trusted agency providing end-to-end web application development services.

What is Quora?

Founded in 2009, Quora is a social question-and-answer website to collaborate by editing questions and commenting on answers submitted by other users. With almost 300 million users a month, Quora is a goliath of information sharing and a benchmark for success.

Quora: Quick Stats

Quora has 300+ million monthly active users
The majority of Quora users are from 18 to 24
The average time spent by a user on the platform is around 8-10 minutes
3000 to 5000 Questions are asked on the platform every day
Men users access the platform more

Why is Quora so popular?

When you have a question, you go to Quora and either search for an answer or ask your question. If you search for an answer, you’ll see a list of questions related to your query, as well as the top solution for each question. Also, other users can answer your own question or offer their own insights if you ask your own question.

You can also upvote or downvote questions and answers, which helps surface the most popular content.

In a nutshell, here are a few reasons why Quora is so popular:

A great resource for finding answers to questions you may have.
Great way to connect with like-minded people.
A platform for promoting your business or website.
Build up your credibility as an expert in your field.
Generate traffic to your website or blog.
Build backlinks to your website or blog.
Raise brand awareness to get people talking about your brand or product.
Ask community questions, even if experts do not answer them in the subject matter.
Answering questions can help them gain recognition and support businesses.
Build brands and attract new followers on social media channels.
Learn more about what people think about topics related to your industry or niche topic.

Business model of Q&A Site like Quora

A question-and-answer website like Quora typically generates revenue through advertising. Content is user-generated, meaning the site does not have to create its content. Instead, it relies on its users to generate content.

This content is used to attract visitors to the site, who are shown ads. The site may also sell access to its user data and offer premium features that allow users to get more out of the site.

Key features of a question-and-answer website

A question-and-answer website like Quora allows users to ask and answer questions on any topic. The site typically has a search function so users can easily find answers to their questions. In addition, the site may also have features like upvoting and downvoting, tagging, commenting, and social media integration. A question-and-answer website is a great way to build an online community around a particular topic or interest. If you have any further ideas to build website like Quora, you partner with a development agency, specializing in providing web application development services for advance needs.

Search page
Search for any questions, answers or topics on Quora
Monitor questions
Manage Topics
Answer Change Log
User endorsements page
Redirecting questions and answers
Mark as best answer
Editing questions and question details
Users profiles
Activity feed
Following topics
Social media sharing
Internal messaging system

How to build your own Q&A website?

Quora has become one of the most well-known sites on the Internet in recent years, and its tremendous success has inspired many startups to follow in its footsteps. But how do you build your question-and-answer site? How do you create a compelling website that users will love?

And what can you do to guarantee your site becomes as successful as Quora?

To answer these questions, we’ll look at some elements to build website like Quora, and how you can apply this knowledge to build your successful question-and-answer site.

Step by step guide to build Quora like website

Creating an online Q&A platform takes some work, but it’s worth it if you’re looking for more engagement with your customers.

a) Discovery & Planning

This critical phase involves complete research and planning that will create a strong foundation for your site. There are several questions that you should answer which will become a part of your strategy.

What is the objective? Who is your target audience? Are you looking for large-scale traffic or personal, more intimate discussions? What will you do with the information they provide?
How many questions will there be on the site, what are their topics, which should be able to ask and answer them, and how often should new questions be added?
How will you reward users of your website (points, badges, reputations) and keep people coming back?
Will this be an informative site, or will you offer products for sale too?
Is it appropriate to use other people’s content without permission, such as copying and pasting articles from Wikipedia?
Who should own the intellectual property rights over any text created by other users on your website – yourself or the authors of that content?

b) Create a user-friendly and intuitive design

One of the first things you need to decide on is the design. It’s important for your site design to be easy for people to use and navigate. Otherwise, you’ll have a very low percentage of visitors taking time out of their day to participate in what you have available.

Think about how someone will search for an answer – it should be simple with specific keywords. Don’t overcomplicate your layout with information that doesn’t matter because it’ll distract from the content that does matter.

c) Development

Now is the time to transform your research, planning, and intuitive design into reality with the development stage. You can avail web development services to build a custom question and answer website that totally reflects your brand identity. A custom solution can easily grow as your site changes and gains market traction.

d) Launching the Website

To start your website, you need to register the domain name and find a hosting company. You also need to set up databases for your site, which will serve as the backbone of your website. Databases are created using MySQL or Microsoft SQL Server or cloud-based services such as Amazon RDS (AWS).

If you have time and are skilled with code, setting up the database may save money because you’ll have fewer monthly hosting fees with this option.

How much does it cost to build a site like Quora?

If you’re looking to build a website like Quora, you’ll need to invest in some software and hosting costs. Depending on the features you want to include, your development costs could vary significantly. Plus, you’ll need to factor in hosting costs, as well as the expertise of your team.

To create a Q & A site, you need to hire a team of web developers, which will include the following specialists:

Project Manager: Oversee all aspects of project management during the development lifecycle and delivery. Project Manager/ SPOC will coordinate with onshore and offshore teams.
UX/UI designer: Manage diverse aspects related to design and UI/UX development.
iOS/Android developers: Smartphone users prefer to use the service using an application rather than a browser.
Backend developers: Expertise in creating the “server” part of the site.
Frontend developers: Responsible for implementing software that interacts with users.
QA Engineer: Conduct quality assurance checks to ensure a seamless experience across devices.

Why choose Hidden Brains to build question & answer website like Quora?

Hidden Brains Infotech is a leading provider of web application development services. We’re always striving to innovate by adopting emerging technologies, developing innovative products, and creating new solutions. You can depend on the diverse expertise of Hidden Brains to address your complex challenges. We combine the latest in technology and knowledge with industry expertise.

We offer a range of enterprise web and mobile app development services that connect devices, applications, people, and processes—while staying true to our commitment to delivering transformative results for you.

And at the heart of it, all are employees who derive strength from knowing what matters most to you and how they can create real value for you—building relationships based on trust and ensuring an ROI every step.