21–30 of 57 posts
This is anything but seamless. As soon as I saw them slide out that webview with the vendor's site I nearly vomited. They had a chance to make buying items that users like so much more painless, but they only delivered a partial experience. I don't want to bother with creating an account for every random vendor, typing in my CC info, and then having to rummage through emails to get tracking info. This is a great idea…
This is anything but seamless. As soon as I saw them slide out that webview with the vendor's site I nearly vomited. They had a chance to make buying items that users like so much more painless, but they only delivered a partial experience. I don't want to bother with creating an account for every random vendor, typing in my CC info, and then having to rummage through emails to get tracking info. This is a great idea…
As much as I'd love IG's UX to become the baseline level of ecommerce quality, I can see why they went the route they did.
Trying to solve this problem myself back in 2013 with a somewhat popular iPhone app, the key will be to rollout this feature to smaller merchants, or maybe even to "fashion inspiration" accounts who provide a massive followership, as well as massive engagement on their posts - but I don't really see that happening.
Why not extend this to every account? Whenever an Instagram user posts a picture which hosts a product, they can decide in that post to create a link to that product. Followers can then buy the product through Instagram, knowing that they are getting a genuine product (unlike, say, if they were going to buy through Amazon). Manufacturers are incentivized to list products through Instagram to drive sales. Users are incentivized to link to the products in their posts because it makes them eligible for some small percent of sales driven through that post. Instagram takes a cut for making the sale happen on their platform. Everyone wins.
This is anything but seamless. As soon as I saw them slide out that webview with the vendor's site I nearly vomited. They had a chance to make buying items that users like so much more painless, but they only delivered a partial experience. I don't want to bother with creating an account for every random vendor, typing in my CC info, and then having to rummage through emails to get tracking info. This is a great idea…
I wanted it to be a social network where brands can hook into and sell their stuff directly from within like you describe. People share their outfits and followers can tap on times like in this demo and directly buy the item if a vendor hooked into it.
I get that this is a pilot program of sorts, but it seems rather... limited. Why not extend this to every account? Whenever an Instagram user posts a picture which hosts a product, they can decide in that post to create a link to that product. Followers can then buy the product through Instagram, knowing that they are getting a genuine product (unlike, say, if they were going to buy through Amazon). Manufacturers are…
Letting publishers have control of this sort of linking increases the value of the sponsorship, thus helping out content creators. Like how YouTube's ad-revenue sharing supports people making videos.
I would see this more as a way for content creators to monetize better than for Instagram to monetize.
Interesting how it evolved from a social media site to an online shopping mall!
This is anything but seamless. As soon as I saw them slide out that webview with the vendor's site I nearly vomited. They had a chance to make buying items that users like so much more painless, but they only delivered a partial experience. I don't want to bother with creating an account for every random vendor, typing in my CC info, and then having to rummage through emails to get tracking info. This is a great idea…
I've been thinking about building something like this for over a year now (I know I know, ideas are worthless). I wanted it to be a social network where brands can hook into and sell their stuff directly from within like you describe. People share their outfits and followers can tap on times like in this demo and directly buy the item if a vendor hooked into it.
This is anything but seamless. As soon as I saw them slide out that webview with the vendor's site I nearly vomited. They had a chance to make buying items that users like so much more painless, but they only delivered a partial experience. I don't want to bother with creating an account for every random vendor, typing in my CC info, and then having to rummage through emails to get tracking info. This is a great idea…
The situation you describe would require building and maintaining what's basically an etsy competitor. That's a hugely more complex undertaking compared to "here's a buy button that links to a URL". As much as I'd love IG's UX to become the baseline level of ecommerce quality, I can see why they went the route they did.
Alternatively it could be seen as a sign that IG are becoming complacent. A competitor may just swoop in, out-execute, and take the chocolates.
It's a good idea as it's pretty much a shopping mall for yoga wear, protein powder and leotards now. Interesting how it evolved from a social media site to an online shopping mall!
Curation is the key.