In the world of today, the notion of Augmented Reality becomes more urgent than ever before. Digital technologies keep developing, granting access to endless opportunities and innovations. If you manage to learn how to make use of them, your chances to succeed with your business development notably increase.
Actually, augmented reality has already become an indispensable part of our everyday life. It is now widely used in social networks, gaming, architecture, manufacturing, education, entertainment, science, construction, logistics, medicine and other spheres of human activity. eCommerce is not an exception and there are several ways to boost your sales activity via the integration of augmented reality solutions. Prior to discussing these options, it makes sense, though, to clarify the very notion of Augmented Reality and the way it works.
What Is Augmented Reality?
Augmented Reality (AR) – is a contemporary technology, which makes it possible to add extra non-existing elements and features to the objects and environment that exist in real life (Wiki info). This allows seeing these objects from another point of view and gives insight into their functioning and possible application. To some extent, Augmented Reality is the conjunction of imaginary and real-world that gives users the understanding of how they can apply these things to the advantage and what benefit they can avail in the long run. The technology lets you see a product or a process from quite an extraordinary point of view to help you decide on its further use or the potential outcome of the endeavor you are going to get involved in.
How It Works
The essence of the AR is quite understandable at first sight: objects presented in 3D technology are displayed and viewed from different angles. In other words, a user doesn’t see a standard flat image. Instead, this image is visualized as a 3D model and can even be tried on or applied in real-life surroundings.
One of the best examples is the application of 3D models of furnishings, clothes, tech appliances, decor items, accessories and other things on real objects (interior, customer etc.) via the application of your mobile device camera. This lets you see the way the object will fit the interior/appearance without actually using or trying it on. That’s very convenient, quick and hassle-free. Considering the fact that the prevailing number of people are using their smartphones and tablets in everyday life, it becomes clear why Augmented Reality is now widely integrated in all spheres of human activity.
What About Sales Growth?
Widespread integration of AR into the majority of popular industries has made it possible to use the technology for sales growth purposes. This is especially important when it comes to eCommerce, which is no wonder: the prevailing amount of contemporary users now give preference to online shopping. Consequently, it has become a must for business owners to establish a web-based presence for their companies or give their local businesses online recognition.
According to statistics, customers, who use the Augmented Reality tool while shopping on the web, are around 11 times more likely to place an order and make a purchase as compared to those users, who don’t have such an opportunity. One of the first world-known companies to prove this statement was the furniture manufacturing giant Ikea. In 2017, they introduced their innovative Ikea Place app to make it possible for their potential customers to use the AR tool via their smartphones. The app could help them see how the Ikea products they are interested in may look like in their home/office interiors prior to making the purchase. It also allowed placing the required objects to virtual shopping carts provided by the application by tapping the screen to further apply and visualize them in the required surroundings.
As a result, this helped boost sales growth, grow the customer base and make the company even more popular than before. This is one of the most vivid examples of how AR can impact eCommerce development and sales growth in the long run.
All in all, Augmented Reality has a positive impact upon boosting customers’ experience throughout the shopping process. 3D visualization allows users to envision all the detailed and parameters of products they are going to buy and even preview the way they will look in real-life surroundings. This eventually increases the confidence in the purchase and eliminates all kinds of doubts that frequently prevent users from placing orders online. Additionally, there is no need to organize and hold product presentations or showrooms to display the items offered for sale. This helps save time, money and effort of both customers and sellers without affecting the result.
Proven Ways to Boost Your Sales/Marketing Campaign with AR Technology
Successful marketing and sales campaigns are frequently the result of effective AR integration. This is one of the best ways for businesses to boost their awareness, avail higher conversion rates and find competitive benefits without the necessity to invest much money into standard marketing or eCommerce campaigns. Let’s have a look at several proven ways to boost your sales campaigns via the use of Augmented Reality tools.
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- Discount Offers. One of the surefire ways to boost sales activity is to impress your potential customers with engaging discount offers that are displayed in visual mode when visiting a web store from your mobile device. Users can be offered to look for discount/coupon hints around your store by scanning the place via the use of augmented reality apps. Having found the discount, they may be offered to use it or get another offer instead. This is one of the best ways to encourage users to buy from you, getting a truly unforgettable shopping experience instead.
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- Website Development. There are niche-specific web building tools – website builders – that make use of the Augmented Reality feature to build professional eCommerce websites that drive more clients and ensure unusual and engaging web design experience. When launching a business with such website builders, users are able to boost their sales volume and conversion rates, while their buyers will be sure that they will get that very product they are looking for. Actually, the more detailed product parameters are, the less the number of returned products will be. Customer satisfaction rate, in its turn, will increase, which is a benefit in itself.
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- 3D Assistant. Another effective way to boost your customer engagement rate and increase sales activity is to surprise your clients with a virtual assistant, who can be viewed through the mobile phone camera. The virtual assistant may complete different steps, including product presentation and description, providing information about the services/products/special offers the store has and other related data. Voice dialogues with customers are also possible when there is a need to answer their shopping-related questions. This can notably increase campaign efficacy as well as sales activity.
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- Snapchat Integration. While social networks are unthinkable without snapchats, they can also be used as a means of boosting your sales/marketing campaigns. By creating your own individual brand Snapchat that will come with stunning filters, you will be able to deliver information about your brand or company in the interactive and unusual way. While taking selfies and using filters, your customers will think about your brand more often, which increases the chances that they will visit your web store again.
Bottom Line
Augmented Reality has definitely changed the modern world and all the spheres it is used in. Business and eCommerce are not an exception. The use of the AR technologies for marketing and sales activity growth can have positive impact upon business development.
There are different ways to boost sales activity via AR integration. Whatever solution you will go for, there is one thing you should remember. It’s impossible to tell right from the start whether the Augmented Reality will have positive or negative impact upon your marketing campaign. This depends upon multiple factors like your business size, area of specialization, target audience as well as the AR technology you have chosen. Anyway, it makes sense to try different ideas to pick the solution that will ideally work for you.
Bio:
Howard is the founder and editor-in-chief of SuperbWebsiteBuilders.com Hi is an online marketing expert with 12 years of experience.
