Swipe right to approve or swipe left to disapprove a possible match is the basic operation of Tinder, the popular online dating app that has now been adopted into e-commerce.
It is true that navigating between applications and websites is nothing new; users have been using social networks like Facebook and Instagram for years. But recently several online retailers have adopted this same scrolling interface type in Tinder to offer a mobile shopping experience that is having great acceptance.
Buyers can then swipe right if they like a product, and swipe left to discard it. However, does the use of the popular swipe interface does it really drive conversions in ecommerce or is it just a fad that will fade over time?
How is social Tinder applied in ecommerce?
Although initially the Tinder interface it was used for purely functional applications such as political polls and recruitment, many of these applications were not well regarded due to the trivialization of complex problems. However, the marketing and e-commerce segment is an area where the "Tinderization" it is thriving rapidly.
And is that the scrolling interface offers the perfect solution for those brands with visual products that will most likely be purchased based on details such as color, aesthetic design, and price. In this way, the phenomenon of tinderization has given retailers something that had previously been lost in the rush to connect, that is, the ability to browse.
It must also be said that one of the main problems faced by Ecommerce-based businesses it is related to their inability to generate a real notion of chance. It is true that ecommerce sites do an excellent job of providing recommendations, accurate search results and help customers find what they are specifically looking for. However, they are always faced with the impossibility of recreating the serendipity of a physical shopping experience.
Even e-commerce greats like Amazon still struggle to provide an environment where shoppers “stumble” on products they have never considered before. But with a user interface similar to that of Tinder, sliding the products to choose yes or no is the closest thing to physically walking through the aisles of a store.
Products are in the eyes of customers in a flash of colors and shapes, with no shipping details, plenty of options, or never-ending revisions. Only a segment of colors and offers occasionally captures the gaze of customers as they move from product A to product B. With an interface like this, the thrill of browsing can be brought closer to the buyer, giving them the ability to decide which items they like and of which you want to get more information or buy, all directly from your mobile devices.
And when is scrolling interface Combined with a better mobile payment system, Ecommerce businesses can improve conversions three to five times compared to mobile benchmarks.
What does a swipe interface offer to online stores?
Today we know very well that a responsive web design in mobile commerce It is a more important than desktop web design in an online store. Just a few adjustments to the way information is presented can make or break the online shopping experience. For shoppers, a slippery interface can make mobile phone browsing a bit easier and more entertaining.
El traditional grid layout, where you have two or four products in a row, forces shoppers to click on a detail page to see more information about the product. In contrast, a swipe-based interface design displays one image of one product at a time. After taking a closer look at an item, shoppers can simply tap on it for more information, including product details, features, specifications, alternate views, even videos of the products in use.
All this does nothing but accelerate the speed of purchase of brands, which is critical for the demographic of millennials, who have shrinking attention spans and who also spend up to four hours a day using their mobile devices. The screen swipe-based user interface works very well for brands with highly visual products that are design-focused and interesting to the point that users want to take a look at them before continuing to browse.
Integrate the functionality of a swipe user interface in a mobile online store, It also helps shoppers organize the products they like and also easily share them with friends, which of course increases the social reach of retailers. Currently it is possible to find Ecommerce mobile applications that show a large number of products that buyers may or may not be interested in. These apps even have the ability to learn shopper preferences to improve their shopping experience and of course increase conversions.
Now, although a shopping interface based on the screen scrolling can increase conversions When done correctly, the biggest benefits for online stores are actually related to the data they can collect from shoppers. That is, every time a buyer chooses the products they like and discards those that do not interest them, brands have a more precise idea of what their audience wants to see.
Many online stores already use a swipe interface for mobile shoppers They can comment on the articles that they like and want to see more often and those that do not interest them. This information is then used to determine which products should be displayed in the online store and therefore, an offer of items is offered that users will surely like and will most likely buy.
On the other hand, the compilation of this type of information can also generate data regarding maximum usage and purchase times, which in turn allows brands to improve the shopping experience in ecommerce. The most popular products can be featured in email messages, social media campaigns, or pay-per-click ads.
Is this the best option to get higher conversions in Ecommerce?
It is important to mention that the using a swipe interface similar to the one used by Tinder may work in specific situations, however, there are difficulties to implement it in an online commerce store. For one thing, product navigation is perfect for exploring, but it's not the best solution for highlighting specific product categories or even the inventory you want to move.
Not only that, an interface of this type could have the opposite effect to what the content marketing, causing users not to establish a connection with the brand. Unlike what happens with the swipe interface, which allows users to discard items as soon as they are displayed on the screen, content marketing allows building relationships between customers and the brand, educating those users, inspiring them and at the same time boosting sales.
Focus on Generating high-quality content can help improve a brand and create new relationships when such content is shared via social media or via email. Tinder's approach is the opposite of content marketing in that it puts short-term decision-making before building long-term brand loyalty. While Tinder's interface provides an incredible user experience, these micro-interactions need to be supported by something relevant in the long run.
Therefore, online marketers who adapt the "Tinderization", They must be very careful not to damage their own relationship building efforts. With the vast amount of information being collected, brands must try to cultivate the interests as well as the preferences of shoppers, all with the goal of offering more than just a simple list of items that can be swiped. It should never be forgotten that content marketing continues to be a fundamental piece in building relationships.
Consequently we can say:
No doubt that the Social Tinder in Ecommerce is a topic of discussion with many points of view. However, it cannot completely replace the detailed and informative content that attracts buyers. While there are no shortcuts to real, ongoing engagement in e-commerce, trending can be used to make a profit through data collection, product offering, and marketing to shopper preferences.
In the end, the ideal is to have a solid database of products and content to be able to build true relationships and focus on developing a contextualized interface that really works both for your Ecommerce business and for customers.