Today’s e-commerce is exciting with all the technologies surrounding it, ranging from conversational commerce to mobile wallets. Augmented Reality (AR) is among the latest technologies to enter the e-commerce space. Aren’t we already feelingits impact?
From education to healthcare, and manufacturing to retail, AR is making waves in many online businesses. Businesses can now use product lines such as Zolak to transform the shopping experience for the consumer. It’s time we looked at the suitability of this technology and considered adopting it. Read on to find the features and benefits of AR solutions for e-commerce.
A Brief Look at the Technology
Put simply, AR is a blend of the real and virtual worlds. Unlike virtual reality (VR) where the interaction is in a computer-generated environment, AR brings virtual details to the real world. The experience created is so amazing because the resulting 3-d objects are rendered right in the real world. For an experience that is even closer to reality, AR adds graphics and sound to the objects.
In a nutshell, this is why AR is attractive for many industries includingsports, advertisement, manufacturing, and retail. Businesses that use the technology for e-commercegain and give better value to theironline customers, as the following features show.
Top Features of AR solutions in an E-commerce
AR may be a superior technology, but it is astounding that it doesn’t even require specialized or complementing devices. With only a tablet or smartphone, the shopper is ready to experience the real and virtual world.
The technology has suited e-commerce remarkably, especially given that online-based trading is still a growing area. If anyone did not find e-commerce compelling before, they will most probably like it now that AR solutions are available.
Now that shoppers are ready to buy intricate and larger items online, the capability of AR to contextualize a productis a popular feature. Blending the real and virtual world perfectly has to be the most significant feature of these solutions. Other features make AR solutions even more exciting for e-commerce.
When you consider the prompt interaction that comes with this method, you realize the amount of competitive advantage businesses are missing if they are yet to implement AR solutions in e-commerce.
Of course identification of items in 3-d is a remarkable feature of AR solutions. Remember that your AR solution for e-commercecan be based on markers or be without markers to recognize an image. The one devoid of markers is available asoverlay AR, contour-based AR, project-based AR, orlocation-based AR.
AR Solutions have their fair share of benefits to e-commerce, such as the following.
If you are still wondering why AR solutions have gained relevance in e-commerce, we present more specific reasons. AR has been in the industry for some time now, and the following benefits have manifested.
Increased Customer Confidence
Make no mistake; there’s still a lot of skepticism when buying things online. AR lets customers see the actual item before buying. This is a huge boost to shoppers’ confidence that they won’t have to return the item or complain. The Information Systems (IIS) Journal unpacked this benefit during the coronavirus period.
Longer Shopping Time
Did you know that the more time visitors spend on your website, the higher the chances that they will pay for your products? When you have AR for e-commerce, you encourage people to stay on the site, trying out products and sharing with family/friends. The decision to buy can be immediate, thus this technology can boost sales.
Highly Engaging Customer Experiences
Every brand yearns to have a high level of personal connection with its customers. AR is promoting this element perfectly. When customers have control over their buying experience, a sense of ownership emerges. Some will even feel the need to share with friends and family what they are about to buy. All this freedom adds to engagement, which is essential for the growth and profitability of a business.
Faster Product Development
The impact of AR on the product development process is also significant. For instance, you can present pictures of products to customers and get their feedback. Developers then swing into action, using the feedback to design future items. Again, the modified version of the item is available for the customers to try or check before buying.
Use Cases of AR Solutions in E-commerce
You cannot talk about AR solutions for e-commerce without mentioning Nike and its Nike Fit project. The giant company uses AR to match customers’ feet with what’s available in their store.
A Swedish company called IKEA is using AR in its online business in things like kitchenware and furniture. Placing items at home has never been more accurate for customers.
Many other firms continue to adopt the best AR solutions for e-commerce across the globe and as we have seen, they are realizing benefits that range from boosted conversions to personalized client communication.
In Conclusion
The features and benefits of AR for e-commerceare too good for businesses to ignore. If you ask me, the biggest impact is in the enhanced engagement rates that help increase sales. Based on this and the other transformations, it is just a matter of time before we see an avalanche of businesses seeking thesee-commercesolutions.
So, why are you still on the fence?Find a reputable company for the possibility of joining the growing e-commerce family that is relishing the benefits of AR.
