Augmented Reality (AR) is hovered to be the next new thing for ecommerce businesses, turning now to be the ideal time to catch the wave. Technology shall introduce many changes in a decade more than what was seen in the last 10 decades.
Everything from education to the marketing industry will be experiencing tremendous changes. Today, we are a part of a mobile-first generation. The way we shop today has been a result of continuous and multiple changes in shopping patterns.
There shall be aggressive changes in the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI), Augmented Reality (AR), the Internet of Things (IoT), and many more aspects in the constantly evolving retail industry.
Nowadays, shopping is done in either of the ways, visit the physical store directly, or order the same, online. Both these methods are developing rapidly, and AR plays a significant role in honing its future.
Marketing has leveled up and many ecommerce brands are willing to take up the challenge of employing this drastic change in their business. However, for the vast majority of retailers, AR seems to be above their class and is considered to be something only the established brands can afford.
Well, let us break the bubble; yes AR will not be free, but, it is way more affordable than you think, and if done right, it even pays off with increased sales. In this blog, we will be covering the right way to use augmented reality in ecommerce. Sit tight, we have some valuable information herein!
Why is AR more or less essential for ecommerce businesses?
Before we learn how to use AR in ecommerce, we must know why AR is important. According to a Harvard Business Review of 2017, every ecommerce business needs to employ the AR strategy in their business. This itself is a great reason to take AR seriously, especially when your competitors are already doing it!
AR is a technology widely used in mobile devices, and it needs no explanation to state that mobile commerce is massively growing; probably faster than the growth of ecommerce. Moreover, according to Statista, mobile commerce sales in India alone were projected to grow up to $38 billion by 2020. And as we see today, this value has already been surpassed. Studies have shown that about 63% of consumers state that AR would enhance their entire shopping experience, 35% of online shoppers stated that AR would compel them to shop more often, and about 22% stated that if AR was available in many ecommerce stores, the physical retail stores would be snubbed.
One of the biggest drawbacks of online shopping is its physical limitations to let consumers see and feel the products; and with the implementation of AR, this major problem shall be solved. Isn’t that what every online shopper would ever want, including you? Online consumers are eagerly waiting to experience the effectuation of AR, probably more than that of the online retailers as well as the brick and mortar retailers. Imagine the scenario when consumers shall be able to see and feel how the product shall look on them or their preferred location right from their home, before even purchasing it, sounds cool, right?
How to use Augmented Reality in Ecommerce?
AR has already entered the ecommerce industry and is shaping the future of sales, marketing, as well as advertisements. AR can boost consumer engagement rates with reduced attention spans. Without any clutters, let us get into the topic, below are the three ways by which you can use Augmented Reality in your ecommerce business effectively:
Placement of Products in the Preferred Location
Have you used the Amazon or IKEA apps? If not, let us give you an idea of how AR is used therein. When consumers employ these apps to purchase goods, they can preview the products in their preferred location, be it their home, their office, or anywhere else, before even purchasing that product. This feature is much more than any other features offered by both, the physical stores and the ecommerce stores combined. With this feature, consumers do not have to move their products (especially in case of heavy items) from one location to another to check which suits them best. With AR, consumers only need to move their smartphones from one location to another to find the perfect one.
Virtual In-Store Experience
The implementation of AR can provide determined features of offering virtual in-store experiences to your consumers. For instance, one of the primary AR marketing campaigns executed by Airwalk, wherein, the target audience were the skaters and surfers market who could visit their exclusive AR store in all the popular spots of skating and surfing. When using AR, any given location can be transformed into a virtual store, opening doors to new and creative marketers in the ecommerce industry.
Virtual Trials
In the increasing popularity of selfies and groufies, online consumers probably would not hesitate in turning their front cameras on! This feature shall let consumers try on apparel and accessories on them virtually to get a better idea of how it will look on them instead of seeing it on a random model. For instance, when you purchase a lipstick from Nykaa, you get to try on the shade on your lips by simply turning the front camera on! A great way to gap the bridge between the shades seen on screen and the disappointments faced when getting delivered a shade that doesn’t suit you, isn’t it?
Our Thoughts on AR
Augmented Reality plays a crucial role in the technological revolution. It is indeed transforming the way we communicate with the world, especially in the online retailing industry. The future of online shopping shall swing around AR. Augmented Reality is already adding value to online shoppers, keeping them engaged, and driving more web traffic. Fancying your product descriptions and simply providing a 360-degree view of your product images may no longer suffice. Mobile shoppers shall eventually expect ecommerce stores to offer the feature of testing the products before purchasing through AR. It is time to start planning how to thrive in this newly emerging trend!
