This paper reports on the authors’ survey of popular websites that use crowdsourcing to conduct one or more steps in their business processes, for a period between 2012 and 2016. The survey’s objectives were to identify factors affecting visits to the site, using metrics drawn from Alexa’s criteria (https://www.alexa.com), and how crowdsourcing relates to different fields, such as open innovation, outsourcing, online surveys, and open source. Websites were classified into groups such as microworks, crowdfunding, mobile outsourcing, content generation services, data entry services, knowledge acquisition services, program development, web and graphics design, translation services, and product reviews and testing. Related statistics have been computed and reported for each of these groups using ordinary least squares (OLS) and fixed effects (FE) analysis to highlight correlations between visits and website characteristics.

The authors present results using ten tables and four graphs, and stipulate an empirical model to highlight the connection between service quality and traffic. They conclude that the study shows the following:

(1) For selected groups of websites, a website attracts more crowds when it offers a framework that can be easily standardized, such as graphics design;

(2) Mobile devices have significantly altered the modus operandi of crowd participation; and

(3) With technological advances and social acceptance, crowdsourcing could be a labor source for future business processes.

The paper should interest website developers and managers.