Amazon just made it a lot easier to repurchase items online, adding virtual Dash buttons to its homepage and mobile app.
Amazon Dash buttons aim to help Amazon Prime customers order their most frequently used items more easily. Whether it's detergent, bottled water, coffee or some other item, Amazon Dash buttons allow for quick reorders without much hassle.
The original Dash buttons are physical, Wi-Fi connected gadgets that users can stick to various places around the home and tap to reorder a product. For instance, users can place a Dash button on the washing machine to quickly reorder detergent when they notice they're running out.
Virtual Amazon Dash Buttons
With the launch of virtual Amazon Dash buttons, the company is taking things to the next level and further facilitates the process, allowing for one-click purchases straight off its homepage.
The digital Dash buttons represent various products such as diapers, pet supplies, groceries and others, which Amazon Prime users can click to buy. With virtual Dash buttons, users no longer have to clutter their home with the physical ones - all reorders are just one click away.
How It Works
Recode was the first to spot the new Amazon Dash virtual buttons, detailing that Amazon is automatically creating new buttons even for recently ordered items, not just the frequently-ordered ones.
This offers another advantage over the physical Amazon Dash buttons, as users can now have virtual Dash buttons for any product available on Amazon Prime. To create a virtual Amazon Dash button, simply head to the product page for the item in question and select the option to "Add to your Dash buttons."
After adding the desired Amazon Dash buttons, users can then organize them, delete the ones they don't need anymore, or add others at any time. As an added bonus, virtual Amazon Dash buttons are completely free to use.
Talking to an Amazon spokesperson, Recode further learned that the idea to make virtual Amazon Dash buttons stemmed from the success of the physical ones, and is not due to the fact that Amazon's patent for one-click purchases expires this year.
Impulse Shopping, Anyone?
While having virtual Amazon Dash buttons definitely makes it more convenient to reorder items, it might also lead to more impulse shopping on Amazon. The company already knows a lot about its customers shopping history and preferences so it should have a pretty good idea as to which items to display and when, but seeing a favorite item on the homepage might prompt users to buy it even if they don't really need it at that point.
With Dash buttons front and center, Amazon can now immediately draw shoppers' attention straight to the items they like, and it sounds like great business for Amazon. Customers, meanwhile, benefit from having their favorite items at hand for easy ordering, without having to search through the site or their order history.
All in all, it might just be a win-win for both Amazon and Prime customers. Will you be using the new Amazon Dash virtual buttons? Let us know in the comments section below.
