How To Take Advantage Of (Augmented Reality) AR For eCommerce

(Source)

Augmented Reality is a technology that blends digital objects into the physical world. For example, when you point your camera in your living room, you can see how the sofa looks when placed in your space.

This is different from virtual reality or VR. Because VR actually makes you feel as if you're part of another world.

So, how can you incorporate AR with your eCommerce brand? There are different types of AR tools to help you achieve that.

And it's important to remember that AR comes in different ways. It can be through AR filters on social media platforms, AR apps or games, like Pokémon GO, and more.

Wondering why you should dabble in AR?

1. Enhance shopping experience

Through AR, the shopping experience will be more fun and interactive. Customers can view and interact with your product in an immersive way.

This way, they will know the looks and feels of your products through their screens. Because of that, you can also...

2. Reduce product returns

Online shopping is a bit tricky. Customers will order products, and when they arrive, they don't meet their expectations. As a result, they will return the products.

But Augmented Reality can help avoid that. If the product doesn't suit their space or taste based on AR, they won't have to buy the product, to begin with.

Lastly...

3. Increase customer engagement

Customers can engage with your content or products through AR. They can stay interested in your eCommerce brand, which can lead to an increase in sales and engagement!

Want to learn more? Here are...

1. Choose the right AR platform

To create the best online shopping experiences through AR, it's essential to choose an AR platform that will help you achieve your goals.

So, you need to choose an AR platform that's compatible with your eCommerce platform. Not only that, but it should also give you the feature your product and brand needs.

Using augmented reality tools can help you create, publish, and manage your AR collections and strategies. Some examples are:

• ARKit
• Spark AR Studio
• Artivive

Remember, there is no one-size-fits-all AR platform. Choose the one that suits your needs and make sure that online shoppers can use them smoothly.

2. Try different things

It's okay if you can't succeed on your first try. You need to gauge what your audience likes before deciding which direction to go for.

Some things you can try using AR are:

• AR games
• Interactive user manuals
• Social media filters

The best thing about augmented reality technology is there are a variety of things to try that will increase customer engagement and online sales.

3. Take advantage of product demonstration

The difference between online and physical shopping is customers can't see how your products work in real life.

But there are different ways to conduct a product demonstration. It can be through videos or images. But if you want to stand out...

AR is the answer! Augmented reality can help you demonstrate your product. Take IKEA Place as an example.

IKEA is one of the biggest retail shops globally. They created an app that allows users to "put" the products or furniture they want to buy.

By just using their phones, they can point the camera somewhere, and the product will be placed.

See? This is a great opportunity for you to demonstrate your product while making your potential customers' lives easier.

If they see that your product fits their space perfectly, you can gain another customer!

4. Offer virtual try-on solutions

So, your potential customers like the clothes you're selling... But they don't know if they fit them! They want to know how your product looks on them.

Since your customers can't try your products physically, this is where AR comes in. With this, even if customers can't see your products physically, they'd know if the ones they like suit them.

Some brands use social media filters to achieve this. Users can try makeup, accessories, or clothes using their cameras.

5. Optimize for mobile

Customers are into using mobile devices nowadays. This means you should optimize for mobile AR to give them the best AR brand experience.

Ensure that the quality of your 3D models is spot on, so customers can see high-quality versions of your products.

Make sure it's fast, responsive, and can work on different mobile devices.