ShopSavvy’s focus on design and discovery leads to huge engagement growth

ShopSavvy’s new look is paying off in a big way.

The company officially launched a redesigned version of its mobile shopping app for iOS today, which also incorporates new product discovery features for the first time (previously, you’d have to know exactly what you’re looking for in its apps). The new app not only looks better — it’s also led to a significant increase in user engagement among early testers, ShopSavvy revealed to us.

The amount of lists people created within ShopSavvy increased by 291 percent, while the products added to those lists grew by 555 percent. Additionally, the company said that daily sessions increased by 26 percent, and acccount creation has jumped by 44 percent.

“We have a lot of users who really wanted a discovery experience as well,” said ShopSavvy cofounder and CEO John Boyd. “The challenge was coming up with an experience that works for discovery as well as direct search.”

Previously, ShopSavvy looked like a typical price comparison application. Now it’s an intriguing blend of comparison and product browsing. There’s a new menu on the left that suggests products that you may like, and you can easily drag products into your lists and bookmarks. Doing just about anything in the new app feels effortless — so those new engagement figures make sense.

ShopSavvy first dabbled in product discovery when it launched an iPad app last December. Clearly, the company’s experience building that app has informed the redesigned iPhone experience.

Another big addition to the new ShopSavvy app is the ability to list products that don’t have UPC tags. This will allow the company to offer price comparison for a wider variety of products, and it could also be useful for local merchants, Boyd tells me.

ShopSavvy has offices in San Francisco and Dallas and has thus far raised a total of $11.5 million.