Introducing in-app shopping and rewards can transform your app into a shopping destination offering a diverse array of products and services from multiple sellers. The Zillow case study illustrates how a platform primarily known for real estate listings successfully integrated a multi-vendor marketplace for home improvement and decor products.
Vendo's robust eCommerce platform empowers you to seamlessly incorporate this multi-vendor marketplace strategy, enabling you to curate a wide selection of relevant products, manage multiple sellers as well as your own products, and create a personalized shopping experience.
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Let's explore how Vendo can help you leverage the power of multi-vendor in-app shopping to dramatically enhance your app's value proposition and significantly boost your bottom line, as demonstrated by Zillow's innovative implementation.
Zillow
Zillow was founded in 2006 with the mission to empower consumers with data and knowledge about homes, real estate, and mortgages. The company launched its mobile app in 2010, providing users with easy access to home valuations, property listings, and real estate market trends. Zillow quickly became a go-to resource for home buyers, sellers, and real estate enthusiasts, known for its "Zestimate" home valuation feature and comprehensive property listings.
How Zillow added a multi-vendor shopping feature
Recognizing the opportunity to enhance the home buying and selling experience, Zillow integrated a multi-vendor marketplace for home improvement and decor products. This feature was carefully designed to complement the app's primary functions of real estate listings and market analysis.
The app now offers product suggestions based on home styles or recent sales. For instance, users browsing mid-century modern homes might see recommendations for appropriate furniture or decor items from various partnered vendors. These suggestions are seamlessly integrated into the browsing experience, appearing as optional add-ons when viewing property listings or after a user logs a home purchase.
To ensure quality and relevance, Zillow partnered with reputable furniture manufacturers, decor brands, and home improvement suppliers. The app's developers also created an algorithm that analyzes user preferences, browsing history, and saved properties to provide personalized product recommendations, making the shopping experience feel tailored to each user's taste and needs.
How Zillow benefited from introducing shopping
The introduction of the multi-vendor marketplace brought several advantages to Zillow:
1. New Revenue Stream: Zillow now earns commissions on sales made through its platform, creating an additional source of income beyond real estate listings and advertisements.
2. Enhanced User Experience: By offering relevant home improvement and decor suggestions, the app provides a more comprehensive solution for home buyers and sellers.
3. Increased User Engagement: The shopping feature gives users another reason to interact with the app, potentially increasing overall usage and retention rates.
4. Competitive Edge: The combination of real estate listings and relevant shopping options sets Zillow apart in the property app market.
5. Expanded Partnerships: Collaborating with home improvement and decor vendors has opened up new opportunities for co-marketing and data-driven insights into home trends and user preferences.
Example products sold by Zillow
Zillow's multi-vendor marketplace offers a wide range of products related to home improvement and decor. Some examples include:
1. Furniture: Sofas, dining sets, and bedroom furniture suggested based on the style of homes viewed.
2. Lighting Fixtures: Chandeliers, pendant lights, and floor lamps recommended to match specific home aesthetics.
3. Window Treatments: Curtains, blinds, and shades suggested based on the window sizes in viewed properties.
4. Flooring: Carpets, hardwood, and tile options recommended for users interested in home renovations.
5. Paint: Color palettes and painting supplies suggested based on popular trends in viewed neighborhoods.
6. Smart Home Devices: Thermostats, security systems, and smart locks recommended for tech-savvy home buyers.
7. Outdoor Furniture: Patio sets and garden decor suggested for properties with outdoor spaces.
8. Kitchen Appliances: Refrigerators, ovens, and dishwashers recommended based on kitchen layouts in viewed homes.
9. Bathroom Fixtures: Faucets, showerheads, and vanities suggested for bathroom remodeling projects.
10. Home Staging Kits: Curated sets of decor items recommended for sellers looking to stage their homes for sale.
These product offerings are carefully curated to align with users' home preferences and potential renovation needs, providing relevant options to enhance their real estate journey.
Takeaways
Introducing in-app shopping was a game-changer for Zillow and it could be for your mobile app as well. By offering a curated and multi-vendor shopping experience, implementing a rewarding points system, and providing diverse product offerings, you can create a more engaging, valuable, and profitable app. This strategy not only opens up new revenue streams but also enhances user experience and loyalty, setting your app apart in a crowded marketplace.
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The success of Zillow's multi-vendor marketplace demonstrates the potential of thoughtfully integrated e-commerce in niche apps. By aligning shopping options with user interests and app functionality, developers can create additional value for users while also generating new revenue. As you consider implementing a similar strategy in your app, remember to focus on relevance, user experience, and seamless integration to maximize the benefits of in-app shopping, while always prioritizing the core functionality that attracted users to your app in the first place.
