Augmented Reality and eCommerce
As the term suggests, ‘augmented reality’ is the augmentation of reality, by which the technology super-imposes computer-generated perceptual information, in the form of visual, audio, haptic, olfaction, and somatosensory, in more than 1 dimension.
The implementation of AR in eCommerce represents an upgrade of eCommerce to the next generation. Consumers’ keenness to try out things online in the best way possible before actually making the purchase has paved way for AR to spread its roots in eCommerce.
Enhanced Customer Experience (CX) via Visualization
Augmented Reality (AR) enables consumers to visualize an object multi-dimensionally, thereby, offering the consumers today’s most interactive preview model. AR renders consumers an immersive experience by getting them to explore distinctive dimensions. For instance, a consumer can get into a car and witness the car’s look, feel, ergonomics, and features, rather than merely reading about those, looking at photographs or watching videos.
The psychology of AR Marketing
Consumers who at least know the gist of AR generally seem to be excited before actually experiencing it. From the very initial moment into AR, consumers are thoroughly intrigued. When consumers engage in an interaction with the digital model of a product, they start developing a psychological bond between the product and themselves. They want to know more, explore more and discover more about the product. Consumers, therefore, develop a liking towards the product. By embedding and embodying marketing content in customers’ environments, Augmented Reality thus increases the chances of purchase.
Augmented Commerce (A-Commerce) reduces return rates
Reducing return rates is a big challenge in eCommerce. Majority of the sellers do replace defective products with proper ones for their consumers. But, there is nothing much a seller can do when a product has fallen short of its specifications, features, and guarantees from the consumers’ perspective, post-purchase.
The authenticity of offering CX (Customer Experience) by means of AR is top-notch when compared to that of traditional eCommerce techniques. By means of AR-driven CX, consumers are brought much closer to the products, on digital premises. So, the probability of the consumers’ requirements and the products going hand in hand is high. Subsequently, the return rates also drop down drastically in the case of AR-driven CX than that of traditional eCommerce techniques.
AR tends to increase the average visiting time
Recent research in the UK has revealed that the average time new visitors spend on an eCommerce website is 2 minutes 31 seconds. For a website based on a-commerce (augmented commerce), the average time is 5 minutes 31 seconds. AR-driven CX can hold a consumer’s interest in a product for a longer period than traditional marketing methods.
AR significantly reduces post-sales hassles
Be it commerce or eCommerce, the job of a seller or a manufacturer doesn’t end right after selling their products to consumers. Customer Service plays a vital role in the post-sales stage, from the perspectives of both the manufacturer/seller and the consumers. Customer Service will directly reflect the quality and reputation of the manufacturer/seller.
AR is not only one of the best solutions to boost marketing and sales, but also to improvise on customer service. Powered by AR, manufacturers can visualize the products sold to consumers and identify the defect much easily than by physical means.
AR can rocket sales online
Recent research has revealed that 61% of the consumers prefer purchasing products from the websites that have implemented AR over the ones that haven’t. From this fact, it is clear that consumers prefer to try out their products, even on a digital premise. Consumers value the authenticity in marketing by sellers and AR thus has the upper hand over traditional eCommerce marketing techniques.
From eCommerce to A-Commerce
Online shoppers gain knowledge about products by means of word-of-mouth and product descriptions, photographs, video demos, and reviews on various websites and the mass media. Different consumers have different needs and opinions and no single product can cater to the requirements of all the consumers. This is where AR turns out to be an optimal solution. With AR, sellers can market their products to consumers in the most user-friendly way. Consumers themselves get to evaluate the products in terms of what suits them and what doesn’t. They need not completely depend on what the seller or other consumers say. A-commerce is an extension of or the digital era of eCommerce, thanks to AR.
AR is a highly potent solution to aggrandize eCommerce
eCommerce innovators, for years now, have been scrutinizing eCommerce marketing techniques to bridge the gap between consumer requirements and product specifications. Today, AR is transforming itself as a solution to bridge that gap, digitally.
With consumers being provided a digital way to visualize and experience their choice of products, the potentiality of those products getting sold online significantly soars up. AR-powered eCommerce companies will attract more customers than those using traditional marketing techniques. It’s high time that all eCommerce companies implement AR marketing techniques and compete with the AR-powered ones on the digital market.
Discover more eCommerce trends in this article: eCommerce, what you need to know.