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Ranker gives users a forum to share their favorite things. The site allows users to list various items that cover a wide range of categories. These items are then given a rank by the user and can be voted on by others in the Ranker community. Users can show their love of an item by voting for it on Ranker. The categories listed include sports, television, music, film, people, cars, tech, books, comics, arts, travel, places, food, drink, and world.

Ranker was founded in February of 2008 by CEO Clark Benson. The site took another year, which included a few months of beta testing, before it was officially launched. Ranker is based out of Los Angeles, California and currently employs a small staff. From the beginning, Ranker was intended to be a large database that would link items and users through interests and opinions and it still does that to date. In April 2011, the company raised $1,3 million from Draper Associates, Rincon Venture Partners, Newport Coast Investments, Factual founder Gil Elbaz, Pasadena Angels and previous investor Siemer Venture Capital

Ranker is unique because it covers a wide range of very diverse topics. This allows users to include almost anything they want to promote on Ranker. The site then provides the everyday user with a voice through the voting system. Users can guide the popularity of various items, which helps to create a pristine, honest environment to share opinions and make deserving items gain popularity. Ranker operates on pure opinion which provides user with an accurate review of various items they may find interesting.

Ranker uses a fun green and blue color scheme to liven up the site design. The functions are primarily used for entertainment, and the site reflects that in its design. For the most part, the layout is logical and easy to navigate. There are advertisements found on Ranker, however they are for the most part tactfully placed so that they do not take away from the user’s experience. New users can easily find what they are looking for right on the Ranker homepage, whether it is the search function for a specific item or the scrolling feed that highlights popular categories.

The link to create a Ranker account is not immediately apparent. Users might first notice the Facebook and Google icons, which allow them to sign in using these two types of accounts. Those who wish to go the traditional registration route can click the blue “Sign Up/Login” link to the left of the Facebook icon on the homepage header. A username, email address, and password is required to create a Ranker account as well as terms of service agreement. After getting all green lights, the user can submit the information and begin accessing their Ranker account.

Ranker offers a fun service that can help users learn about popular trends in many different categories. That being said, the site doesn’t really offer anything of tremendous value that would warrant a membership fee. Ranker does not currently require any kind of payment for users to create and manage their accounts. There is no premium account offered, with no indication as to whether this will change down the road. For now, Ranker is available at the right price: absolutely free to all users. The zero price tag will also help encourage users to participate and increase the site’s value.

Frequent internet users who love to share their opinion can appreciate what Ranker has to offer. The site provides features that allow users to vote on their favorite things in a number of very unique categories. Users can also learn about items they may be interested in but had no idea existed.

• Connect to Ranker through Facebook or Google accounts
• Add your own listings of favorite items to the Ranker database
• Rate existing items through the voting feature
• Browse a diverse collection of categories
• Promote your own media or website by listing it on Ranker

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