At a glance:
- Introduction
- What is 3D product rendering?
- 3D product rendering vs. product photography
- How to create 3D product images?
- Benefits of 3D product rendering
- Best practices for 3D product rendering
- Conclusion
- About ARitize3D Configurator by Nextech3D.ai
In today's highly competitive e-commerce landscape, capturing the attention of online shoppers can be quite challenging. While numerous factors influence a customer’s buying journey, one popular trend that has revolutionized this process is undoubtedly 3D product images.
On the June 2022 episode of Wall Street Reporter’s NEXT SUPER STOCK LIVE! podcast, Nextech AR Solutions CEO Evan Gappelberg spoke with Jack Marks, CEO of Wall Street Reporter, about the spinout of the company’s augmented reality spatial mapping platform, ARitize Maps. Evan also used the opportunity to talk about the importance of focus, as well as the need for flexibility in a changing market.
As a successful founder and seasoned tech CEO, Evan wanted to talk about new developments in the industry, as well as the company’s technology. As he explained in the interview:
“When I founded Nextech back in 2018, it was on the premise that we were going to take on the augmented reality market, create 3D models for eCommerce and really become the 3D model supplier for all the eCommerce sites globally.”
That goal led to many opportunities - and much growth - in the ensuing years. One of the opportunities that came up was the purchase of an innovative young technology company, AR Way, now known as ARway and soon to be a stand-alone company.
“ARway is real world spatial mapping. So we could map an arena, a stadium, the insides of a house or a building, museums, college campuses. We have the technology to create the spatial map, which is essentially a 3D point cloud. And then we have a studio which allows you to drag and drop it in and populate the map with 3D assets. That is an unheard of end-to-end solution.”
Exciting developments in the CAD-to-poly market were also top of mind:
“I want to talk about the CAD-to-poly for a minute. It is transformational technology. Today, we essentially use that tech in house, but the goal - and what we're building today - is a SaaS platform where we can turn the tech over to the manufacturer, allowing them to create 3D models themselves. For us, it becomes a monthly licensing fee revenue stream.”
The potential of ARway as a stand-alone company - and CAD-to-poly as a technology - are enormous. The ability to recognize and unlock their potential are examples of Nextech AR Solutions’ ability to understand the needs of the market.
“E-com is a five trillion-dollar megatrend that's going to ten trillion. It's growing rapidly. It's unstoppable. I'm talking about e-commerce in general, even with the current supply chain issues. Brick and mortar stores are closing and what they're doing is investing more in their e-com business. And I'm hearing this in stereo every week when I’m talking with a major brand, a major e-com retailer. These companies are looking for a partner to take them into this world of 3D.”
Despite the tremendous growth in e-commerce during the pandemic, that market has started to soften, which led to new acquisitions designed to move Nextech AR Solutions forward.
“The massive growth from the pandemic was waning. As we rolled into the second half of 2021, really the summer of 2021, we acquired two companies [ARway and Threedy.ai] that were transformative.”
Evan is an example of a CEO who knows where his focus needs to be and is doing everything in his power to identify opportunities to deliver value - to shareholders, to customers, and to partners.
“Every day I spend time in back to back meetings with my leadership team about building the business, closing deals, bringing products to market, our investments, our burn rate, our budget, and our revenue.”
“Increasing shareholder value is always on my mind. My default thinking is how does all this benefit my shareholders, customers, and partners. I don't really have hobbies. I'm a workaholic. I work, work, work to try and increase shareholder value.”
This tremendous commitment by senior leadership is what has placed Nextech AR Solutions at the vanguard of 3D and augmented reality. To learn how this commitment to innovation and customer value can benefit your business, visit us here and read about AR/3D technology solutions.
To listen to previous Wall Street Reporter’s NEXT SUPER STOCK LIVE! podcasts featuring Evan and other members of our leadership team, visit WallStreetReporter.com.
For several years, Nextech AR Solutions has worked with Google’s 3D/AR Search team to give customers access to one of the most effective search trends out there: 3D and augmented reality (AR). What makes these approaches so powerful? For starters, Google ranks 3D models higher in organic search than 2D ones. Google also reports that conversion rates for 3D-enhanced commerce are 250 percent higher than for non-3D content, and click-through rates are 94 percent higher. Shopify, for its part, has declared that the “future of eCommerce is 3D,” and who could argue with them? Consumers prefer it, and retailers report a 40 percent drop in returns when shoppers are able to see a product in 3D or “placed” in their space via augmented reality.
Our ARitize 3D BigCommerce App stakes new ground as the AR industry’s first true self-service AR SaaS platform. BigCommerce’s mission is to help merchants sell more at every stage of growth, from small startups to mid-market businesses, to large enterprises. ARitize 3D gives BigCommerce merchants access to scalable, affordable, easy to use, and - ultimately - high-quality 3D/AR models. With just a few simple steps, merchants can use our AI-powered technology, fully integrated into BigCommerce, to create models that can help drive customer engagement and sales.
Nextech AR Solutions’s 3D model-creation app for Shopify has given merchants around the world a smooth and simple way to create stunning 3D/AR models for their ecommerce sites. The use and impact of the app has soared since it was updated in January. Shoppers love the experience of rotating or zooming into a product to see it in all its glory. This “try before you buy” capability is transforming ecommerce!
Augmented reality transforms the customer purchasing journey from start to finish. It’s more likely to grab the attention of prospective customers and drive larger amounts of traffic, as the ability to place and play with a product in any environment is bound to grab attention. In 2021, it was used by over 100 million shoppers. Brands and businesses can now use their usual digital display advertising channels with game-changing banners that can display fully interactive, 3D versions of the products advertised. This has proved to increase click-through rates by 32% and conversionrates by 300% in our test remarketing campaign.
Consumers have now downloaded nearly 5 billion augmented reality (AR) applications, a substantial jump from just 340 million in 2016. What's more, the booming market is expected to be valued at $198 billion by 2025, an exponential increase from roughly 6 billion in 2018.
Shopify product customizers are becoming more and more popular. But why? Here’s an example to illustrate why a 3D product configurator is so necessary and beneficial for both business and customers alike.
Imagine you’re a furniture business on Shopify and are ready to display a new couch that came in. Customers can choose from a variety of color swatches as well as different design patterns for this single product, so it’s important to provide visuals to help them decide which is best to match their existing décor. The last thing you want is for a high return rate on this product if you’re unable to properly visually show off the variations you’re offering.
Studies show that consumers demand high-quality visualizations, as they expect an average of 6 images per product so, we’re most likely looking at 50+ photos just in this imaginary scenario alone. More products will understandably have even more customization and personalization options, and we’re quickly seeing how it’s not practical to photograph all these options. Costs quickly rack up as you set up studio space, a photographer, and rent equipment to meet the demand for engaging visuals.
A Shopify product configurator and customizer is your best friend while running your Shopify store. As a busy vendor, you’ve got plenty on your plate and this type of app is low effort with high rewards! Instead of high photography costs, you can start with a single 3D model to display all your possible variations.
Higher ecommerce sales — but high returns. Will this shirt in a medium size fit me? Or should I go with the large? Better get both and take advantage of a free return. How do I know that this blue couch will work with the color scheme of my living room? The increase in online shopping reflects what Gartner research finds are consumers with lowered confidence. Not towards the businesses they’re considering, but rather towards themselves and “their ability to make good buying decisions.”
How can a business instill confidence in their customers? Those who provide the right information will reduce buyer’s remorse, the culprit behind reduced customer loyalty and advocacy.
The global pandemic has proven traditional shopping experiences won’t fly anymore. Consumers are in control and they’re expecting innovative and intuitive digital experiences that make life easier to justify purchases they’re considering.
We have just what you need to digitally transform your Shopify website and finish the sale: A Shopify 3D and AR model creation app with a robust set of comprehensive ecommerce add-ons to provide customers with the information they need, as 66% of shoppers say augmented reality increases their confidence that they’re choosing the right product for their needs.
Let’s look at 5 ways 3D and Augmented Reality (AR) content can not only boost customer confidence to convert visits into sales, but also how it’ll get you in good grace with the right crowd.
