Indian food delivery and quick commerce startup Swiggy is expanding its customer base by getting into the link-building game. Swiggy Minis, a Shopify alternative for small businesses to build their own online stores, is pivoting to become a link-in-bio service similar to Linktree.
From Online Store to Landing Page
Contacted for comment, Swiggy said it revamped Minis’ homepage to focus on repeat purchases. "As a SaaS platform, Minis’ primary goal is enabling sellers to create operational websites swiftly," a Swiggy spokesperson told TechCrunch. However, it may have also suffered from low usage.
In an email newsletter sent to sellers that was seen by TechCrunch, the company wrote that only 5%-10% of customers were arriving on merchants’ store pages directly through Swiggy Minis. Swiggy Minis will now act as a landing page that sellers can point their target customers to from their social media pages.
The Pivot Explained
Swiggy started Minis as an experiment in 2022 to provide a no-code Shopify alternative to small sellers. It allowed merchants to create sites, upload their catalogs and manage orders, shipping and transactions without paying any commissions. Swiggy also offered a discoverable marketplace of sorts on its app, where end users could look for these stores.
With this revamp, the startup is taking away the discovery layer on Minis. Customers will still be able to see their saved stores or the stores that they have ordered from in the past. Sellers using Minis will be able to set up pages with support for multiple social links and themes.
New Features and Integrations
The company is keeping its no-commission policy, but expanding its service beyond physical products to accommodate digital offerings from different service providers. As well as the Google Calendar integration, it is adding Google Reviews as a rating system for these service providers.
Swiggy said it has notified sellers about the discovery layer for shops going away. Merchants who relied on Swiggy’s Minis discovery mechanism to reach customers will need to promote their shop elsewhere.
Benefits for Sellers
The company claims that even without the discovery layer, Swiggy Minis offers better conversion rates than other platforms. Plus, because customers can see their past orders and favorite shops in the Minis section, shops can expect more repeat customers, according to Swiggy.
Other link-in-bio services, like Linktree, offer both appointment booking and storefronts. Patreon has also been adding tools that let fans support their favorite creators in different ways.
Swiggy’s Plans
Swiggy, which plans to raise $1.25 billion through an initial public offering in India, has concentrated on scaling up its quick commerce platform, Instamart, in the last few years. The company competes with food delivery rival Zomato (which owns BlinkIt) and Lightspeed-backed unicorn Zepto in this space.
While BlinkIt and Zepto both partner with brands to sell on their platforms and promote their products, they don’t have a SaaS product for small sellers and creators. With Swiggy Minis pivoting to become a link-in-bio service, the company is taking a step into new territory.
Impact of the Pivot
The pivot will allow Swiggy to tap into a new market and expand its customer base. However, it remains to be seen how successful this move will be for the company. With a strong focus on repeat customers, Swiggy may be able to increase revenue through increased sales.
However, there are also potential risks associated with this pivot. For example, if the discovery layer is removed, some sellers may struggle to reach new customers. Additionally, the competition in the link-in-bio space is already high, and Swiggy will need to differentiate itself from other services.
Conclusion
Swiggy’s decision to pivot Minis into a link-in-bio service is a significant move for the company. While there are potential risks associated with this pivot, it also offers opportunities for growth and expansion. With its strong focus on repeat customers, Swiggy may be able to increase revenue through increased sales.
As the Indian food delivery and quick commerce market continues to evolve, Swiggy’s decision to expand into new territory will likely have a significant impact on the industry as a whole.
