Like it or not, tablets are the next big thing. In
fact, it is predicted that there will be more than
82 million tablet users in the U.S. by 2015, according
to Forrester Research.
And, although they are still seen as luxury
items by many marketers, smart merchants are
quickly realizing the potential for this new gateway
to higher conversions. The primary reason
is that tablets can provide an immersive and engaging
shopping experience for end-users. According
to a recent comScore study, almost half
of tablet users made purchases on their devices
in September 2011.
To take advantage of this highly lucrative avenue
of commerce, merchants should be aware
of the most current shopping applications designed
specifically for tablets. That’s the only way
they can analyze what works best and know
where to focus their time, energy and investment.
Two of the most popular shopping catalog
apps for tablets come from TheFind and
Google. Each one enables users to interact with,
browse and purchase products from retailer catalogs,
but that’s not to say they are in any way
equal to one another.
What follows is a head-to-head comparison of two of
today’s premier catalog apps for tablets:
The Matchup
In the left corner ...
is TheFind’s Catalogue with more
than 170 catalogs. This app is an
extension of the TheFind’s search
engine shopping website.
In the right corner...
is Google Catalogs, with more than
125 brands. This app is a revival of
Google’s original catalog search product,
which was abandoned in 2009.
Round 1: Search
TheFind: Consumers can sort catalog issues by category, latest issue or alphabetically,
as well as use keywords to directly search catalogs or products.
Google: Consumers can sort content through brand and category, or use the searcheverything
option, which utilizes keywords in order to search for a product or catalog match.
Winner: Google – Better category-search options. Besides, how could the search giant
really lose this category?
Round 2: Interactive Features
TheFind: Includes augmented reality features, which allows consumers to view products
through a camera in order to see how particular items might look inside of a living space.
Google: Includes an interactive price-tag feature that appears on products inside of retailer
catalogs. This enables consumers to quickly view a description and price of a product,
and allows them to locate selected items at local brick-and-mortar locations.
Winner: TheFind – Augmented reality provides many opportunities for the future of online
shopping.
Round 3: Customization
TheFind: Allows consumers to create their own catalogs through saved favorites and recent
searches.
Google: Includes a “favorite” section, in which products, pages or catalogs can be saved;
and includes a feature that allows users to make collages out of favored products.
Winner: Google – The collage feature is more interactive and aesthetically pleasing.
Round 4: Sharing
TheFind: Consumers can share products from a retailer’s catalog through email and on
Facebook or Twitter.
Google: Products from a retailer’s catalog and user-created collages can be shared
through email.
Winner: TheFind – Social-sharing options provide a better opportunity for content and
products to go viral.
Round 5: Ease of Purchase
TheFind: Enables products to be purchased without leaving the app.
Google: Enables products to be purchased or located locally without leaving the app.
Winner: Google – Locating products locally will drive customers into brick-and-mortar
stores.
Overall Winner
TheFind (in an upset!):
Not only does the augmented reality
feature make consumers more likely
to purchase products, but this app
also provides links to news, sales and
special offers for each brand when
users click on the catalog.