Technology is always creating new opportunities for businesses to increase the value of their service. One technology that has proven itself an exciting way to improve customer experiences is augmented reality (AR).
What is Augmented Reality?
AR is a computer-generated interactive enhanced reality that overlays the real world depicted on a mobile device’s screen. Virtual objects rendered in AI appear on the display as if they are physically present. Visitors can view AR generated items from any angle and any distance by physically moving their bodies around the AR construct.
The most common method for viewing an augmented reality is through a smartphone, Android tablet, or iPad. You can see AR in action in the popular smartphone game Pokémon GO. The phone or tablet provides a viewscreen into a hidden world, where users can interact, capture, and train their little pocket monsters for battle. Gaming is one thing, but how can AR provide advantages to your e-commerce business? Let’s find out.
Virtual Showrooms
A virtual showroom is a perfect example of how AR can benefit consumers, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic forcing people to stay at home. A virtual showroom is an online location where retailers can display their products as a 3D representation. Customers can look over the object from all angles as if they were holding it in their hands.
Online retailers like Ikea and Shopify have been using AR showrooms to reveal how objects will look without visiting a physical showroom. An AR app draws the item on screen as if it is physically present in the customer’s home.
When displayed on the screen, the object’s relative dimensions are maintained. The customer can quickly see how a new vase will look on the mantelpiece or check that a sofa’s color and shape will match their existing decor perfectly.
Virtual Dressing Room
Trying on different outfits is another excellent use for AR that makes online shopping more convenient. Shopping for fashion over the internet means there is a greater risk that the product may not be to the customer’s liking once it shows up at their door.
Customers use their mobile device’s screen as a virtual mirror to see how the apparel looks on them as if they were physically wearing it. Visitors can easily mix and match items and accessories to create the perfect outfit in the comfort of their own home at any time of day. They can then make their purchase with confidence that what they see is what they will receive.
Virtual Beauty Treatments
Above all, the pandemic has heavily impacted the beauty industry. However, enterprising industry leaders have bounced back by incorporating AR into their business model. An AR application simulates the appearance of the beauty product after it’s applied. As a result, clients can see how a shade of lipstick, for example, will look like before they order.
The application of virtual makeup takes up much less time. It does not require any actual products or clean up afterward, and many more customers can be served simultaneously.
Above all, there’s still a sizable demographic that prefers to visit a physical location to try out potential new purchases. But the pandemic is creating a dramatic shift in those numbers. AR technology can help bridge the gap by allowing customers to check out items in augmented virtual reality. Consequently, the potential is high for newcomers trying online shopping with AR to become lifelong converts. Click the following link to learn more about how AI is changing the marketing landscape.
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