Tech Perspective #11: How to Keep Users Interested?

For a few years, e-commerce has had the time of its life. Especially now, as some stores remain closed and sanitary measures deprive customers of the pleasure of free shopping, businesses may seek new ways to improve e-commerce.

However, that’s easier said than done. Going from cart to checkout is a bumpy ride. According to Synoptek, a shocking 78,65% of shoppers abandon their carts before completing their purchase. It shows that businesses need to up their game and strive for their customers’ attention. They must somehow persuade buyers to make the decisive click, and proceed to payment.

Immersive experiences may be the answer to the needs of e-commerce businesses and the final argument for the customers to make this final click. Immersive technology can revolutionise the industry by pulling a customer into a new or augmented reality. VR and AR allow customers to make conscious decisions and to enjoy the process of purchasing, entirely.

Ikea’s Virtual Reality Showroom

The virtual reality showroom developed for IKEA is a perfect example illustrating the merits of immersive solutions. It uses the immersive power of virtual reality to offer an innovative 3D experience.

IKEA believes in an idea of democratic design. Democratic design as a philosophy means that everyone should be provided with access to compelling and qualitative design services.

IKEA’s Virtual Reality Showroom takes it a step further. It combines the power of a design app and VR to allow the customer to lead the design process and sample various furniture arrangements.

As Demodern, creators of IKEA’s Showroom, emphasise, it gives an amazing opportunity for visitors to “explore and configure furniture items and their environmental context in real-time”. As they add, customers “can try different fabrics, swap the wall colour, and even change the time of day to see their combinations in a different light.”

IKEA’s Virtual Reality Showroom encapsulates the idea of democratic design and gives its customers a fantastic opportunity to actively and consciously take part in the designing process.

Possible applications of Immersive Technology in business

1. 360° product view

Immersive technology creates a new reality by leveraging the 360-degree space.

Have you ever been frustrated by the product photo showing only one side of your desired purchase? With a 360° product view, your customers won’t have this problem. A complete perspective allows them to engage with the prospective product from all possible angles.

360° view offers full transparency and allows for a detailed evaluation of the product. As Linnworks rightly points out, “trying something in VR is the next best thing to physically holding a product”. It gives a customer a much better perspective of what they are about to buy and allows for more conscious decisions.

360° view is already available for the leading e-commerce companies, such as Shopify or Magento, and it’s only a matter of time until it becomes the new norm for the e-commerce industry.

2. Virtual tours

Already widely used in the real estate industry, virtual tours can also be utilised in the tourism sector.

Virtual tours allow potential customers to stroll around a hotel or a room to give them the possibility to check the conditions in a chosen facility. The times of being deceived by photoshopped pictures on hotels’ websites are over.

Moreover, virtual tours can be improved by incorporating a live guide. As 3D Vista notices, standard virtual tours can be enhanced by live-commentary from an industry expert who can guide the audience throughout the tour. It also allows them to ask questions and express possible concerns.

3. Virtual Showrooms

Immersive technology not only serves as a complementary addition to the real-life shopping experience but also completely replaces it. As K.Studios reckon, “a VR showroom experience provides the perfect sandbox for your customers to start thinking creatively about what your products can do for them”.

Moreover, a virtual showroom experience can be accessed by anyone with a VR headset or a web browser, so distance should no-longer be a problem.

The Future of E-commerce

The immersive technology will revolutionise the way people buy online.

It offers an entirely unique customer experience. AR and VR solutions not only allow buyers to see all the details of the product (360 views) but also allows for the opportunity to visit showrooms and other places from the comfort of their homes.

Introduce immersive technology solutions to your business and take customer experience to the next level.