Instalink
Concept of redesigning Instagram by adding an inbuilt feature to include product links within the showcase of content, saving time and a few extra clicks
Project Outline
Time: 4 weeks
Challenge
Instagram is home to a lot of influencers who promote their brands by driving traffic. However, the extra steps involved in finding the product links by visiting bios or external websites often interrupt the user flow and can dampen the impulse for purchasing. These extra clicks often result in lower conversion rates. People get distracted and most often skip or forget to buy the items that they wish to buy. This is a challenge for business owners and influencers marketing products on Instagram.
Solution
- In order to take full advantage of impulse buying, product tagging is necessary in Instagram.
- Not only it benefits the creators, but it also helps the users finding the products without any hassle.
Design Process
EMPATHIZE
Understanding User
The report released by Facebook stated that 87% of people surveyed said ; they would take action after seeing product information on Instagram. 46% of those people actually made a purchase online or offline. The user interviews and further researches led to the conclusion that most Instagram users are annoyed that they need to visit the creators bio or exit Instagram and search it up to get a product's link. Moreover, the creators are also losing referrals due to this same problem.
Even though the two user groups, the users and creators, are benefitted if a product tagging feature is added, this case study is only focusing on the users. Therefore, the user group comprises people who regularly use Instagram for entertainment and who would like to buy products while viewing any Instagram posts.
Persona
"I find myself drawn to accessories preferred by my favorite fashion figures"
- I want to get the product links easily without any extra clicks.
- Likes to preview the product without exiting the app.
- The extra steps involved in finding the product link, like visiting bios or external websites, interrupt the flow and can dampen impulse to purchase.
Samantha, a young shopping enthusiast, craves a seamless way to discover and preview products endorsed by her favorite social media influencers. She finds the current process of fetching links from bios or personal websites tiring and desires a more integrated experience.
DEFINE
Major Pain Points
- The extra steps involved in finding a product's link.
- Extra clicks killing the impulsive buying behavior
Problem Statement
Samantha is an impulse buyer who needs to shop easily through Instagram because she wants to save time and get rid of the hassles of visiting creator's bio or website to find the product's link.
IDEATE
Competitive Audit
Direct Competitors
There are no direct competitors for Instalink. This is a new idea where a social media app is integrating product tagging. Hence, this is a harbinger for the future.
Indirect Competitors
Design Ideas
After brainstorming using the Crazy Eights method, I came up with various ideas to tackle this problem and the surrounding uncertainties :
- Integrating a product tagging feature within the contents for business accounts verified by Instagram.
- Add an option to tag title, image and affiliate link of the product while posting a reel without any hassles.
- Adding a preview option to drag and adjust product showcase.
- Add view products option within the content for the users to view the products tagged by the creator.
PROTOTYPE & TEST
Wireframes
Usability Study Findings
Conducting the first level of usability studies and preparing affinity diagrams threw light on various loopholes.
Gaps:
- For purchasing the product the user should exit the app anyway
- Only applicable for business accounts, all type of creators should have been considered
Opportunities:
- Provide coupons, rewards or discounts for completing a purchase of the tagged product.
Takeaways
Even though Instagram is not a proper e-commerce app since it lacks search filters and sorting options, adding this feature will help users find products with ease, thus improving usability of Instagram.
If needed, search, filtering and payment options can be added to Instagram business profiles for a better shopping experience. Further research has to be conducted for understanding the use cases for setting up these features.