How Augmented Reality in E-Commerce is the Future of Online Shopping
It’s the 21st century. We’re living in the most technologically advanced era.
Then, why do people still prefer to shop offline?
The answer is simple!
Online shopping lacks a sensory product experience. You can’t touch the clothes; you cannot see how they will look on you. Does that peach color even suit your color tone? You will have a stream of endless questions like these, with no answers in sight.
That’s what makes online shopping somewhat impersonal.
But not anymore! All thanks to Augmented Reality (AR).
AR offers customers much more detailed information about a product right from the comfort of their homes. This enhances your customers’ user experience and makes them aware of your brand.
Reduce return rates, take over your competitors, satisfy your customers, all of it through AR.
What is Augmented Reality?
Are you curious to know what augmented reality is? AR technology is the perfect blend of computer-generated input with actual surroundings. The applications of AR may vary and include sounds, graphics, videos, GPS overlays, and more to engage users with the content and enhance their experience.
These AR applications interact with the physical world in real-time and instantly respond to changes in the surroundings. Even though AR has been used for decades, online shopping has opened gates for more new ventures.
The power and potential of AR extend far beyond what it was doing before. Today, companies are using AR to improve the productivity of their products and expand their product’s life.
AR has opened new doors for the world, and yesterday is just history in the making for this technology.
So what makes AR so powerful as a technology that everybody wants it?
- AR augments the real world. For example, Pokemon GO is one of the most well-known augmented reality applications. Users can play the game while walking down the street to their homes. They catch a digital character in specific places around a place that actually exists.
- AR is portable. You can access AR applications from your smartphones, tablets, laptops, and more. That means, wherever you go, you can carry an AR with you. Like AR Glasses, you don’t need to clean the room to have a good experience.
- AR requires less equipment, which means more people can enjoy this tech and have a gala time. This makes AR applications much more accessible and much less work.
- Also, AR gives power to the hands of the user. So now your user is in charge of their presence and how they interact with a blend of both – the physical and digital worlds.
Top Statistics Of AR In Ecommerce?
Here’s a list of a few statistics that you must know before choosing AR for your online store:
- With a market value of $50 billion by 2024, the AR market will grow rapidly.
- 3D technologies like AR help you enhance your customers’ experience by 66%.
- With AR as your 3D technology, you can increase your conversion rate by 40%.
- You were getting too many returns from your customers. Adopt AR for your online business and reduce them by 35%.
- 40% of your customers are ready to pay more if they experience your products through AR.
- According to Gartner, 30% of millennials and Gen Z customers want augmented reality and virtual reality to be more integrated into online shopping experiences.
- Thanks to the increase in bandwidth, 5G availability is expected to increase retailer interest in AR and VR.
- In 2022, AR usage is expected to be 5% in retail.
How Does AR Benefit Ecommerce Sellers?
AR simply means more sales in the eCommerce industry. With its wide range of applications, it has enhanced brand experience. It helps industries to understand what customers want. Here are some other benefits of using AR in the eCommerce space:
Engages Customers:
With digitalization touching the sky is no more a dream, people are increasingly becoming dependent on technology to satiate them. This includes shopping too. That’s where AR can help you engage customers and convert them. As per research, customers are 11 times more likely to buy through AR. For example, having a digital try-on facility at a store would excite customers to visit the shop even if they don’t want to. Therefore, in this way, AR helps in engaging customers.
Improves Customer Satisfaction And Reduces Returns:
Research shows that introducing AR increases customer satisfaction by 73%. Making products tangible increases users’ confidence and reduces returns. With online shopping, it is difficult for users to try on clothes. But adding AR to the mix can help users try on clothes virtually, thus making them more likely to shop for the products they would otherwise ignore.
Customizes The Shopping Experience:
AR in eCommerce improves the shopping experience by making it interactive. When users can try on products virtually, they can easily customize the product according to their needs. It would make them opt for customization & place orders for demand-ready products. Fulfilling this demand for personalized products, you can increase the average cart value of the orders.
Reducing Hygiene Issues:
Several people stopped visiting stores altogether to avoid the possible risk of infections. This means your customers are moving towards shopping online. But, still, the need to physically try on the clothes is still dominant. That’s where AR fills the void. You can help customers try on clothes virtually with AR from the comfort of their homes. The experience is similar to trying on clothes in the store, minus the physical touch and hygiene issues.
Top Ways Ecommerce Sellers Are Using Augmented Reality
1. Virtual Try-On
Everyone has encountered a situation where they try on clothes, and it doesn’t suit them. Whenever someone tries a cloth for the first time, it is more likely to be rejected.
This fear of rejecting clothes results in reducing conversion rates. Due to this reason, shoppers are very careful while showing clothes to customers.
In such a situation, wouldn’t it be great if customers didn’t have to put on clothes to select the best one out of them? At this moment, AR comes into play.
With the help of growing AR applications in real life, people are becoming more conscious about their needs. Talking about AR specifically in clothes shopping, people can try on clothes virtually. They no longer need to go to the changing room and try on every piece of clothing.
For example, the popular brand Armani provides uses a ‘virtual try on’ option. One of the tools helps users try on beauty products in real-time with a camera or by uploading a photo. Customers can test out everything from eyeshadow, mascara, lipstick, etc.
2. Interactive User Manuals
The user manual has always been a boring task, isn’t it? Not only boring, but sometimes it becomes difficult to understand too. So, why not replace these written manuals with interactive user manuals?
Interactive user manuals can easily be made with a variety of applications of AR in this field. With the help of interactive user manuals, customers can easily understand the language and purpose. They can now understand the product better and use it effectively.
In simpler terms, an AR user manual can take the online user guide to a next level by overlaying the text and images with augmented reality technology to provide instructions interactively.
If you are wondering, what would an interactive user manual do? Here is your answer.
Apart from these, many AR users’ manual apps scan the product and indicate the buttons in the real-life environment with the help of graphical arrows and animations with text. It helps users to know the exact working of products.
Mercedes Benz was the first promoter of AR manuals. They allowed users to navigate each and every part of the vehicles with the use of smartphones and tablets. Some manuals also include information like oil changing, basic repairs and maintenance, etc.
3. Preview Placements
While setting up your stuff in a new house is exciting, it is too exhausting. You have to buy a sofa, bed, and TV according to the room size. You have to think what kind of sofa would go with a center table, or what kind of TV would look cooler in the room, wouldn’t it?
Therefore, to make this process easier and simpler, AR plays an extremely important role. What if you could decide all these things without placing them? Wouldn’t it be great?
Preview placement is an application of Augmented reality that gives customers a real-time glimpse of what a product will look like when placed in their own real-time environment.
A real-life example of this is Ikea’s Place app. The apps let users test different furnishings – from sofa to dining table, bookshelves, bed, etc. The items are 3D and true to scale. Users can also rotate the camera to see the furniture from different angles.
4. Interactive Marketing Campaigns
With the help of Augmented reality, campaigns can be made digitally interactive. You won’t need big banners and posters for marketing campaigns. All you need is the effective use of AR to make it interactive.
Now, if you are wondering how users see those campaigns, don’t worry.
AR provides marketers with the ability to convert a static object, such as a printed advertisement banner or magazine cover, into an immersive 3D experience. AR simply enhances the interaction using digital overlays.
Retailers and many companies can easily use this application of AR to promote their products. Research shows that 39% of retailers use AR for the initial phase of consideration. Making it digital would also enhance user experience and would make users buy those products. Here are some ways in which AR is used in marketing campaigns:
- Lively posters
- Scannable products
- Lively and interactive product catalogs
For example, Uber created an interactive marketing campaign for users in Zurich. which garnered more than 1 million views on Youtube.
Another perfect example of AR in marketing is Pepsi’s campaign on bus stations. Pepsi allowed users to access the AR window on the bus station’s wall. Users were treated to the sight of tigers, UFOs, and robots running loose within AR vista. By using interactive AR campaigns, Pepsi livened the experience of those waiting on bus stands.
Take Customer Experience To A New Level With Augmented Reality
As seen, AR is transforming eCommerce by taking customer experience to a whole new level. Some product categories can be tough to sell online because it’s often difficult to interpret how they would look in real life.
Before AR, customers would return the products because the product failed to meet their expectations. But, with AR, customers can virtually try on the products while shopping online and get a feel of how they would look in real life. Lenskart is a prime example.
Now that you know AR works in eCommerce and benefits sellers, it’s time to evaluate whether it’s the right choice for you.
If yes, then be a part of Augmented Reality in e-commerce with Builderfly.
Get started today!FAQs
What is Augmented Reality in Ecommerce?
Have you ever wished how wonderful it would be if you could try on the dress before buying? Well, augmented reality is making this wish come true. Augmented reality allows customers to experience the products and services before buying. This not only reduces the return rates but also improves customers’ satisfaction.
Are shoppers really adapting to AR?
Yes. Shoppers are increasingly adopting AR. Research says including AR in eCommerce can boost conversions by 90%.
What are some top examples of AR in eCommerce?
Popular examples of AR in e-commerce include Lenskart’s 3D technology, whichever users try on virtual glasses before buying. Other examples include the Ikea apps which help buyers try on their furniture before purchasing.
How does Augmented Reality enhance the reality of online shopping?
Augmented reality allows customers to get the feel of their products. Customers can actually experience how their products would look in real life. In other words, the 3D model helps customers make better purchasing decisions.
