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How to improve your online presence with AR!

Augmented Reality (AR) .. What are we talking about?

The term  Augmented Reality (AR), generally refers to the expansion of the perception of reality thanks to the support of computers. The difference with the Virtual Reality consists in the fact that the user does not immerse himself in a digital world, but what surrounds him is integrated or expanded with virtual content. This is done for example by:

• the visual representation of additional information in the real world;
• the integration of images or videos with additional information;
• the insertion of virtual objects.

The augmented reality in marketing

In marketing it has been known for some years that the use of augmented reality provides added value to customers, if used in the right way. In this sector there is a constant need for new impulses as it becomes increasingly difficult to establish contacts with potential customers and manage relationships with existing ones.

Competition between different suppliers increases day by day and for this reason it becomes increasingly important to find innovative and unusual ways of advertising. This is where augmented reality comes into play: new ideas and formats attract the attention of customers while offering real added value, regardless of the sector you are in.

In the e-commerce field, the concept of augmented reality can be exploited to optimize the user experience. In this context, mobile devices play a privileged role. Mobile commerce is increasingly trending and is expected to account for 53.9% of US retail sales by 2021.

Thanks to smartphones and the union of mobile commerce with augmented reality, it will be possible to reach an increasingly large slice of the public!

Some examples of AR applications for e-commerce

As clearly emerges from the Casaleggio report, due to the pandemic, lockdowns and the lack of movement, in 2020 online sales have got a significant increase. The consumer has gained more confidence in both large and small e-shops.

Hand in hand with the increase in online sales, the desire on the part of the consumer to buy with more awareness of the product, more information and more confidence in evaluating its characteristics also grows.

Precisely for this reason, the integration of AR systems assumes a strong value, which can enrich the shopping experience making it more similar to the live one. According to some research, around 40% of consumers would be willing to spend more on a product if the e-commerce they buy from offered an augmented reality experience.

Here are some tips that involve the use of 3D and augmented reality:

360° photos of the product

The more information is given to the customer, the more reluctance to complete the online purchase is overcome. And certainly giving him the chance to look at the product from multiple points of view can help convince him that this is the right product for him.

For this purpose, it may be useful to complete the product sheets on your e-commerce with a 360 ° presentation of the items sold: users will thus be able to observe the chosen product from all angles.

Mobile app for augmented reality positioning of 3D elements within real spaces

Very famous are those used by the giant IKEA (Ikea PLACE) and by Amazon (Amazon AR view). Thanks to this type of app, through their mobile device, the user can select the object of interest and virtually position it within a real space, so as to have an AR preview of how the object will look once purchased.

With a little training in the use of the application, the user is able to have a much clearer idea of ​​the size and final appearance of their purchase, and can thus proceed with more serenity to complete the transaction. This results in a sharp decrease in the cart abandonment rate.

App for virtual testing of products

Applications that allow you to virtually try a product before buying it are appearing on several sites. Garnier, for example, launched the application to test the effect of the new dye color in AR.

Grandvision has also made an app available to its customers to virtually try on its sunglasses.

Let’s not forget, then, the advent of virtual fitting rooms: virtual mirrors that allow customers to try on clothes thanks to webcams and AR, reproducing the clothing on the subject’s body. We know something about it!

We are working on it with the “TRY IT ON” research project: a new realistic and reliable shopping experience that will bring virtual fitting to e-commerce too.

But why limit yourself to supporting the user only until the time of purchase?

Thanks to QR codes and augmented reality, it is possible to continue the engagement even after the order has been completed, allowing the user to have access to a series of multimedia contents that allow him to deepen his knowledge of the product, of the seller or other items for sale.

For example, by framing the barcode of the purchased object, you will have access to photos and videos that show assembly instructions, usage tips, combinations, etc.

A gamification experience that, by increasing customer satisfaction, strengthens their bond with the seller and increases the likelihood of repeating the purchase.

Nutella knows it well that, with the “tiamoitalia” initiative, has associated the purchase of the famous jar with the possibility of living a virtual immersive experience and sharing it on social media, giving rise to word of mouth that has meant that in just 4 weeks to reach 10% of annual sales.

The benefits of AR are unlimited on both the customer and the seller side: building new satisfying, comfortable and engaging shopping experiences has a significant impact on consumers, who today want to be protagonists. So why not take full advantage of the new digital opportunities?

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Are you interested in the possibilities that augmented reality offers to your business? Would you like to create one of the services in this article too? Contact us and we will tell you how we can help you!

You may also be interested in: TRY IT ON: a new concept of virtual dressing room TRY IT ON: the virtual dressing room for a new shopping experience!