Over the past few years, augmented reality (AR) has become a part of the marketing strategy of many leading companies, from automobiles to retail, and more. The trend has now moved to the eCommerce industry as well, where it works excellently well in attractive potential customers, and it is no exaggeration to say that the AR technology is being preferred and used by more than 50% consumers all over the world.
As a technology that has such a huge impact on eCommerce businesses, augmented reality definitely adds value for the same, in the following ways:
Engaging Shopping Experience
One of the downsides of online or eCommerce shopping is that customers don’t have the ability to touch and feel a product, which makes them hesitate when it comes to making a purchase decision. For instance, when a person is looking for a piece of furniture for their home, they wouldn’t be able to visualize how the piece will look in their space.
With augmented reality, however, you can make this possible for your customers by building virtual stores. The technology allows you to provide them with a mocked-up version of how their living space would look like when the furniture of their choice is placed, or any other product, say a watch, will look like around their wrist. This physical presence gives them the immersive shopping experience they always prefer.
Eliminates Product-related Doubts
In general, when people buy a product, they often tend to weigh the pros and cons of the same before arrive at a final decision. Now, what plays a huge role in encouraging them to make a purchase, by ensuring that a particular product will satisfy their needs, is marketing. By using augmented reality in your eCommerce store, you give your customers the ability to visualize the different product-related aspects, giving them a better understanding of how a product could be useful to them, thereby eliminating any doubt they have.
Customization Options
One of the top requirements of shoppers, both retail and online, is the ability to see product differences, say products in different colors, styles, etc. This is made easy with augmented reality, as it enables your customers to explore more the various options available to them and make customizations according to their preference. They can easily change the color or other aspects of a product, say a dress or shoes, and see how it looks on them before making their purchase.
Fast and Easy Product Finding
Navigating through never-ending number of shelves in a retail store to find the one item they need is one of the common problems faced by consumers. This makes them lose a lot of time and patience. Not just that, this navigation also makes them make more impulse purchases and lose track of what they actually came in for.
Augmented reality can completely change this scenario. By implementing this technology in your online store, you can enable them to quickly navigate through the virtual aisles of your store, easily find what they want, make payment, and have the items delivered to their doorstep.
Know Product Features
Knowing how a product functions and gaining knowledge of its different features is something that all kinds of shoppers prefer before checking out and making payment. This is especially the case with much pricier and complex products, like household or kitchen appliances, electronic, etc. Augmented reality is one best solution that can help you with this; buyers can use the technology on your website to look at animations of how such products work and what features they come packed with. As a result, they can make their purchase decision easily and quickly.
Online shopping has a myriad of benefits to offer customers, which is why it grows in popularity with time. And the implementation of technologies like augmented reality will only help you give your customers a more personal, immersive, and interactive shopping experience, thereby helping you retain existing customers and attract new ones.