Augmented Reality (AR) is revolutionizing the way the eCommerce landscape looks today. With the ability to offer customers a deeper personalized insight into products from the comfort of their own home, it’s no wonder this is taking online shopping by storm. One of the biggest opportunities given by brick and mortar shopping is the ability to really feel or see products in their complexity. AR is allowing this same chance online.
What Is Augmented Reality
AR is tech that alters the appearance of the real world by layering digital information on top of it. In eCommerce, this allows customers to virtually try on products such as clothing, jewelry or even makeup. If you’ve ever used a filter on Instagram stories before; this is an example of augmented reality.
Adding this digital element to real world images is a form of visual technology that fuses two realities. Adding augmented reality into commerce improves the customer experience and boosts sales. It’s clear then, why tools that offer augmented reality in eCommerce are in demand.
Virtual Reality vs Augmented Reality
Virtual Reality (VR) is a fully immersive experience. It has no basis in actual reality, so would transport the user into a completely digital plane. When people put on VR headsets, they could be transported into space, the bottom of the ocean, or inside a fictional palace in a fairytale land.
Augmented Reality augments the real world, but still has its basis in reality. For example, the Pokemon GO game which allowed gamers to search for Pokemon characters within the actual streets they were walking. It mixed genuine reality with digital characters, creating an AR experience.
Use Cases For Augmented Reality In Ecommerce
Virtual Trying On Solutions
AR allows shoppers to interact with products in a very real way before purchasing. Customers can get a sense of the real size, color, texture and fit of items before purchasing them. Clothes may come up slightly small or big in person, AR will inform shoppers about the actual product.
This can apply for clothing, jewelry, makeup, accessories or even glasses or sunglasses. It offers a much more sophisticated way of seeing how the product actually looks on you. Simply having a product image, no matter how high quality, could never offer this.
Placement Capacities
When ordering something such as a painting, furniture, or utensil online; we never know the exact proportions or size. Being able to place a new couch in the space you’re planning on it going allows you to see how it will actually look. Whether the size actually fits, whether the colors match, or if it’s simply to your taste or not.
Maybe the appliance doesn’t fit in the space on the kitchen counter, or the lighting doesn’t match. Or maybe it fits perfectly. Having the chance to try virtually before you buy is a great way of ensuring that the purchase is right for you.
Social Media Hype
Most of us with social media have tried on filters before, these are in fact AR. Using these as part of a social commerce strategy combines AR with social buzz. Adding new products to AR filters allows customers to try them on, and also boost engagement.
If one person uses a filter for your new product, and others see and like it, they will share it too. This creates a buzz and is a great marketing tool to get your brand name out there.
Benefits Of Using Augmented Reality
Using Augmented Reality provides many benefits to any eCommerce business. Firstly, it reduces the number of returns. So many returns take place because products aren’t how the shopper expected they would be. Since AR offers a deeper insight into what products are actually like, less returns take place.
This in turn improves customer satisfaction and keeps them coming back. It increases brand trust because you are being fully transparent, showing you care about the customers needs rather than simply just making sales.
The more satisfied customers are, the more sales will be boosted. Since customers are also more aware of the products, sales will be boosted as a result of this. If you use the social media strategy, this also increases customer outreach. More customers will be aware of your brand, and enter onto your site.
Conclusion
Overall Augmented Reality offers an interactive customer experience that improves customer satisfaction. The eCommerce world makes the most of using new digital technologies to give more to their shoppers. AR is no exception, and as we move forwards we can expect to see more of this giving customers a better overall online experience.