Bumble is a leader in connection-building. According to Business of Apps, Bumble is the second-largest dating app in the US with over 42 million monthly active users in 2020. And it’s no secret why. Swiping “left” or “right” takes just a second to do, and in today’s busy world, it’s the simplest way to meet new friends or potential matches.
Yet, the wrong swipe could mean the loss of a potential match, adding pressure to the process. Could eliminating that pressure improve the user experience? We could test that.
The Opportunity: A Wrong Swipe Could Send a Potential Match Away for Good
Building lasting connections is more important now than ever. Yet, as busy adults, establishing new connections takes time that we often feel we don’t have. By swiping, we’re able to jumpstart conversations quickly, expediting the process.
The better news is that more than half of Americans say relationships that begin on a dating site or app are just as successful as those that begin in person.
While swiping saves us some time, does it deliver the connections users are looking for? According to eHarmony statistics, the two most important factors when deciding on a match are common interests and physical appearance. In fact, 64% of people are looking for someone they share a common interest with.
It’s the need for commonality that a quick swipe on a photo might fail to deliver. Add in the stress of an accidental swipe, and many users might consider finding new ways to meet new people.
The Control
Our Hypothesis: Giving Users the Option to “Save” Profiles Could Increase In-App Revenue and Satisfaction
For many users, it’s essential to be able to check out a profile before making a decision. In fact, women are more likely than men to categorize certain information as essential to see in a profile, so a simple swipe carries a lot of weight. This is especially true when you know there are thousands of potential matches in the queue.
The Potential Fix: Add a Paid “Bookmark” Option That Saves Profiles for 24 Hours
We would begin our test by adding a paid “bookmark” option to the app, allowing Bumble users to double-tap to save profiles they’d like to revisit before swiping. This gives users a chance to learn more about a potential match, including their interests. The profiles would only be saved for 24 hours and would then disappear.
We hypothesize this change would reduce the stress resulting from the fear of an accidental swipe. As a result, Bumble could increase in-app revenue via the paid bookmark feature and overall user satisfaction.
The Variation
What Can Cro Metrics Test for You?
Could your app or website benefit from some updates to improve the user experience? Always. The key is to experiment fast and often. “Swipe right” on us—we can help! To learn more about our experimentation and optimization programs, send us a message.