Wave case study

How Wave is Revolutionizing Rewards-Based Shopping

Wave: The Ultimate Shopping Rewards Platform

Wave is a browser extension and mobile app that partners with over 11,000 top online retailers, including Nike, Sephora, Macy’s, Walmart, and more. Unlike traditional coupon finders, Wave provides a dynamic, gamified shopping experience where users not only save money with automatically applied discounts but also earn tokens for every purchase. These tokens can be used to enter exciting prize giveaways, giving users a chance to win big simply by shopping as they normally would. This approach drives higher engagement, repeat usage, and customer loyalty.

Why Shoppers Choose Wave Over Other Extensions

Save Instantly
No need to search for coupons; Wave applies the best deals automatically.

Earn While You Shop
Every purchase earns tokens, which can be redeemed for prize entries.

Win Big Prizes
Users can enter sweepstakes for electronics, travel, gift cards, and more.

Hassle-Free Experience
A seamless extension and mobile app integration ensure users never miss out on rewards.

Trusted by Thousands
Wave partners with major brands and has a growing, engaged community of shoppers.

Overcoming Challenges to Create a Seamless Shopping Experience

Eliminating Technical Debt
Previous development led to a bloated, inefficient microservices architecture, causing delays and performance issues.

Bridging the Mobile Gap
Initial development prioritized desktop users, ignoring mobile-first shoppers, a critical audience for social media-driven traffic.
Initial development prioritized desktop users, ignoring mobile-first shoppers, a critical audience for social media-driven traffic.

Authentication Frustrations
Wave’s original authentication system relied on AWS Cognito, which proved difficult for seamless mobile integration.

Speed & Performance Bottlenecks
As a media-rich platform, Wave faced slow loading times, sluggish responsiveness, and high bounce rates.

User Retention Struggles
Converting one-time users into loyal customers required stronger incentives and engagement mechanisms.

How We Transformed Wave into a High-Performance Platform

We stepped in to refine and enhance Wave’s platform, ensuring it was fast, seamless, and built for long-term success. Our focus was on improving performance, expanding reach, and boosting user engagement while keeping everything intuitive for both users and administrators. Here’s how we made that happen.

1. Making the Extensions More Powerful & Seamless

Enhanced Chrome Extension
We optimized the extension to load quickly and work flawlessly across thousands of shopping sites.

Launched a Safari Extension
To capture mobile-first users, we built a Safari extension that integrates effortlessly with the app.

Streamlined Activation Process
We made it incredibly easy for users to enable the extension and start earning rewards with a single click.

2. Building a Mobile-First Experience

Fast-Tracked Mobile App Development
Seeing the need for mobile accessibility, we designed, built, and launched a fully functional mobile app in just one month.

Simplified Sign-In & Authentication
We transitioned from AWS Cognito to Supabase, making the login process faster and hassle-free.

Smooth App-to-Extension Connection
Users can now seamlessly switch between the mobile app and browser extension without losing progress or re-authenticating.

3. Supercharging Speed & Performance

Reduced Load Times
We optimized images, introduced caching, and fine-tuned backend processes to make Wave significantly faster.

Eliminated Code Bloat
We restructured Wave’s backend to remove unnecessary complexity, improving reliability and stability.

More Efficient Processing
By refining how data is handled, we ensured smoother transactions, quicker responses, and a more seamless shopping experience.

4. Keeping Users Engaged & Active

Daily Prize Streaks
We enhanced Wave’s existing gamified approach by refining the daily reward check-in system, keeping users engaged and incentivized to return frequently.

Optimized Gamified Shopping Experience
While Wave already offered tokens for purchases, we improved engagement strategies and refined the retention mechanisms to make participation more rewarding.

Smarter Onboarding
We crafted a frictionless sign-up and onboarding process that ensures users engage with Wave right from the start, increasing conversion rates and retention.

Key Features Developed

Safari & Chrome Extension Enhancements
Optimized for speed, usability, and engagement.

Authentication Overhaul
Migrated from AWS Cognito to Supabase for seamless login.

Backend Rebuild
Eliminated inefficiencies, improving load speeds and scalability.

Performance Boosts
Faster load times with optimized images and caching strategies.

User Engagement Features
Daily prize streaks, smart notifications, and gamified incentives.

The Team Behind the Success

Wave’s evolution was driven by a joint effort between internal engineers and our expert team at Islands. Each role contributed significantly to the platform’s transformation:

Technical Project Manager
Led strategy and coordination

Backend Engineer
Resolved technical debt and optimized performance

Frontend Engineer
Enhanced Chrome and Safari extensions

QA Engineer
Ensured bug-free feature deployments

Tech Stack Powering Wave’s Success

Wave was built with a cutting-edge tech stack to ensure top-notch performance, scalability, and security:

Frontend
React, Swift

Backend
Node.js, Supabase (Replaced AWS Cognito)

Database & Storage
AWS S3, PostgreSQL

Analytics & Tracking
Amplitude

Quantifiable Results That Prove Success

200+

Daily Active Users, with a 20% month-over-month growth rate as marketing campaigns scale.

600%

Higher Conversion Rates from social media-driven traffic due to an optimized mobile-first onboarding process.

50%

Faster Load Times by optimizing assets, caching strategies, and eliminating backend inefficiencies.

200%

Increase in mobile user engagement with Seamless Mobile Shopping– Safari extension adoption grew 6x

20%

Increase in User Retention, fueled by retention strategies like daily prize streaks and gamified engagement.

70%

Reduction in Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC) on Mobile – Acquisition costs dropped from $12 to $2.80 per user after creating a mobile-first experience and launching the Safari extension.

What’s Next for Wave?

Wave is just getting started. We’re continuing to build on its success with new features:

Expanding Marketing Efforts

Wave is ramping up marketing initiatives to reach new audiences and increase brand awareness. With targeted campaigns, influencer partnerships, and referral programs, the goal is to attract more users and amplify engagement.

Enhancing Mobile UX

As more shoppers prefer mobile browsing, Wave is refining its mobile experience to ensure faster load times, smoother navigation, and an optimized in-app rewards system.

Advanced Data Analytics

By leveraging real-time analytics, Wave is fine-tuning user behavior insights to enhance personalization, improve conversion rates, and optimize retention strategies.

Why Wave is the Best Shopping Extension for Smart Shoppers

Wave is not just another coupon extension—it's a smarter, more rewarding way to shop online. By seamlessly integrating automatic savings, gamified rewards, and exclusive prize opportunities, Wave makes every purchase more exciting and valuable. Unlike other extensions, Wave gives you more than just discounts—it gives you chances to win real prizes simply by shopping.

Why settle for basic coupons when you can shop, save, and win? Join thousands of savvy shoppers who are maximizing their rewards with Wave.

📲 Download Wave today at JoinWave.com and start turning your everyday purchases into exciting rewards! 🚀

Try Wave today

Download the app now:

Or scan the QR code for instant access:

Learn more about Wave’s mission: JoinWave.com

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How Wave is Revolutionizing Rewards-Based Shopping

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Wave: The Ultimate Shopping Rewards Platform

Why Shoppers Choose Wave Over Other Extensions

Overcoming Challenges to Create a Seamless Shopping Experience

How We Transformed Wave into a High-Performance Platform

1. Making the Extensions More Powerful & Seamless

2. Building a Mobile-First Experience

3. Supercharging Speed & Performance

4. Keeping Users Engaged & Active

Key Features Developed

The Team Behind the Success

Tech Stack Powering Wave’s Success

Quantifiable Results That Prove Success

200+

600%

50%

200%

20%

70%

What’s Next for Wave?

Expanding Marketing Efforts

Enhancing Mobile UX

Advanced Data Analytics

Why Wave is the Best Shopping Extension for Smart Shoppers

Try Wave today

Interested in learning more?

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How Wave is Revolutionizing Rewards-Based Shopping

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