Is it better for Zalando to invest in mobile app features or enhance the desktop shopping experience?

Introduction

The trade-off between investing in mobile app features or enhancing the desktop shopping experience is a critical decision for Zalando's product strategy. This scenario involves balancing user preferences, technological trends, and business objectives. I'll analyze this trade-off by examining key metrics, designing experiments, and providing a data-driven recommendation.

Step 1

Clarifying Questions (3 minutes)

• Context: Based on the current e-commerce landscape, I'm thinking mobile usage might be outpacing desktop. Could you share Zalando's current split between mobile and desktop traffic?

Why it matters: Helps understand where our users are and prioritize efforts Expected answer: 60-70% mobile, 30-40% desktop Impact: Higher mobile usage would lean towards app investment

• Business Context: Considering Zalando's position as a fashion e-commerce leader, I'm assuming conversion rates are a key priority. How do our conversion rates compare between mobile app and desktop?

Why it matters: Identifies potential areas for improvement and revenue impact Expected answer: Desktop likely has higher conversion rates Impact: Lower mobile conversion would suggest focusing on app improvements

• User Impact: Given the nature of fashion shopping, I'm thinking about the user journey. Do we see differences in browsing behavior between mobile and desktop users?

Why it matters: Helps tailor features to user behavior on each platform Expected answer: Mobile users might browse more, desktop users might purchase more Impact: Would influence which features to prioritize on each platform

• Technical: Considering the complexity of e-commerce platforms, I'm curious about our current tech stack. How aligned are our mobile app and desktop architectures?

Why it matters: Affects the feasibility and efficiency of feature development Expected answer: Some shared components, but significant differences Impact: High alignment would favor simultaneous development; low alignment might require platform-specific focus

• Resource: Thinking about our development capacity, how are our engineering resources currently allocated between mobile and desktop teams?

Why it matters: Helps understand our ability to execute on either option Expected answer: Roughly equal split or slight mobile bias Impact: Significant imbalance might influence short-term focus areas