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The future of augmented reality in ecommerce is here already, and let’s just say it’s about to get even brighter than expected! An ecommerce business’s capability of attracting and retaining customers is the ultimate measure of its success. A great way to ensure it consistently, in the long run, is by providing a wonderful and engaging customer experience. Integrating an AR experience into the online shopping process helps ecommerce businesses achieve exactly that, in a way that hasn’t been quite possible in the past. But with the latest advancements in mobile augmented reality technology, most ecommerce businesses can now easily leverage augmented reality to boost their sales. As for the usage of AR technology, the number of AR users in the world is expected to reach 1.73 billion by 2024, according to Statista. So, now is the time to practically make the most of this exciting technology by enhancing the online shopping experience on your ecommerce website.
What is Augmented Reality Technology?
Augmented reality (AR) technology is the kind of digital technology that superimposes virtual visual elements upon a user’s real-world environment on a digital screen, such as that of a smartphone, computer, laptop, or tablet.
The virtual elements could be static or moving text, symbols, illustrations, images, graphic designs, or even 3D models that look as realistic as real-world objects. All a user has to do in order to view the virtual content on their screen is point their device’s camera at different objects in their surroundings.
Pokémon Go by Nintendo is the gaming app that first popularized the concept of an AR experience, making it accessible and engaging for the masses across the world. The AR filters we see and use on social media platforms like Snapchat and Instagram today are the latest popular examples of the practical application of mobile AR technology.
However, augmented reality is not just for gaming or navigation. There is a lot more that this technology can do for the development of the current corporate world. We are now beginning to actually see it revolutionize the entire ecommerce industry by improving customer experiences by leaps and bounds. The future of augmented reality in ecommerce is only going to get more exciting with every new breakthrough in AR technology, especially with new gadgets like AR headsets and AR smart glasses. The recently launched Apple Vision Pro for instance gives you easy, hands-free, and deeply immersive AR accessibility for hands-free spatial computing.
How Can You Boost Sales With Augmented Reality in Ecommerce?
What online shopping experiences lacked until now is the immersive and satisfying in-store experience of seeing and trying the actual, physical products before making the decision to purchase them. The in-store experience has always given customers a much better idea about products and their features and, in many cases, an opportunity to personalize them before purchasing. This is precisely the gap that augmented reality in ecommerce bridges, making a substantial number of in-store shoppers comfortable enough to take the online route instead.
Click here for some of the latest statistics that shed light on the unparalleled benefits of augmented reality experiences in online shopping.
ARitize3D by Nextech3D.ai is an unbelievably efficient and effective service to create professional, photo-realistic, and AR-friendly 3D models of products at scale, using nothing but the products’ 2D photos sourced right from their ecommerce web pages. ARitize3D seamlessly integrates the 3D models into your website so customers can view them in augmented reality using nothing but their smartphones, without downloading and installing any app.
Furthermore, ARitize3D offers an advanced product configurator that allows online shoppers to personalize products and view them in augmented reality before making a purchase. It also makes the ecommerce platform more immersive and engaging for the visitors. This power of personalization is what online shopping has lacked so far, making a large portion of shoppers prefer in-store shopping over online shopping. But times have changed. With services like ARitize3D, the AR revolution in the ecommerce industry has already begun, making the future of augmented reality in ecommerce quite literally its present.
What Are the Benefits of Augmented Reality Marketing with ARitize3D?
When it comes to leveraging ARitize3D for augmented reality marketing, the benefits are truly remarkable. Here are a few of them:
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Professionals can usually take 50-100 hours to generate and texturize one 3D model. This delay is eliminated by ARitize3D by utilizing cutting-edge AI technology.
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ARitize3D can create 3D models of hundreds or even thousands of products in about 3-6 weeks, depending on their complexities.
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ARitize3D is the only service that can provide both 3D as well as AR Google Display Ads for brilliant and beautiful product marketing campaigns.
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The service provides seamless integration of 3D/AR models into web pages and user interfaces of apps and is compatible across devices.
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You don’t have to hire skilled designers and coders as ARitize3D offers an end-to-end 3D design generation and integration solution.
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ARitize3D can also provide realistic, high-quality, professional photos and videos of the products in 3D.
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Your team gets access to a personalized CMS, making feedback exceptionally easy.
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The provision of customizable 3D/AR buttons enables you to change their color and style to maintain your brand’s visual identity across your website.
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User-friendly AR buttons integrated within your product pages make it easy for your customers to view the products in augmented reality.
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Dedicated project managers and delivery excellence managers ensure the smooth and efficient execution of each project.
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All technical support is complimentary, and you get assistance at every step of the way.
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You also get access to invaluable analytics that reveal your top performing models and categories, the number of views of an AR model in a given time, a heat map of where your customers are getting the AR experience and details of the devices they have used for AR viewing.
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ARitize3D offers product configurators that allow your customers to make complex personalizations with ease, increasing the time they spend on your website as well as the likelihood of them making a purchase.
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ARitize3D is quite cost-effective for working with a large number of products, making it a more affordable option for small as well as large ecommerce businesses.
Click here to know more about the various offerings and pricing models of ARitize3D and ‘ARitize’ your ecommerce website ASAP. Now is the time to be a part of the exciting future of augmented reality in ecommerce!
What Are Some Noteworthy Case Studies of Augmented Reality in Ecommerce?
Here are some inspiring case studies that show how brands are paving the way for a wonderful future of augmented reality in ecommerce:
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The IKEA Place App
IKEA Place is a mobile app that lets its users virtually place an IKEA product in a real location, thereby helping them visualize its orientation before they decide to purchase it. The app was launched in 2017 and had 4.9 million users in August 2022. Its mobile app development proved to be highly profitable as it reduced the return rate of products by over 30%.
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Nike Fit
A product named Nike Fit helps Nike’s customers find their perfect shoe size. It uses AR and machine learning to analyze pictures of users’ feet and identify their correct sizes to suggest products from Nike’s shoe catalog that would fit them well. According to TechCrunch, 60% of consumers wear wrong-sized shoes industry-wide. Nike Fit helps solve this problem, extending the brand’s dominance in the e-commerce industry when it comes to shoes.
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Sephora Virtual Artist
The platform allows users to virtually apply different makeup products and experiment with their looks. Users can learn how to put on makeup with the help of virtual tutorials. They can also use photos of outfits they plan to wear in order to match their makeup with them. After seeing the results in augmented reality, users can order the products that suit them best. This process makes customers feel more confident with what they’ve bought as they’ve virtually tried on a wide range of products. It has helped Sephora increase conversions and reduce refunds.
With every passing year, the future of augmented reality in ecommerce is becoming increasingly promising. Since the technology is compatible with any regular smartphone, there is nothing that can stop AR experiences from being a part of people’s lives, all over the globe.
Nextech3D.ai is proving to be a trailblazer when it comes to leveraging cutting-edge AR and AI technologies with their suite of solutions for marketing like ARitize3D, Toggle3D.ai: a web-based 3D design studio, and ARway.ai - a platform for creating AR content and interactive AR navigation. Start making the most of the latest innovations in AR and AI today, for any further information on ARitize3D or other AI marketing solutions, you can contact Nextech3D.ai here.
