Close your eyes and picture this: you’re online furniture shopping, but instead of trying to visualize how a given sofa could look in your living room, you’re effortlessly placing a 3-dimensional hologram of it right next to your coffee table. Sounds like science fiction? Well, welcome to the age of Augmented Reality (AR)!
How Augmented Reality is Taking Customer Experience to the Next Level
Augmented Reality overlays digital information on the real-world environment, providing users with an immersive and interactive experience. In the realm of sales, leveraging AR not only satisfies the modern customer’s yearning for tech-infused shopping experiences but also solves practical pain points in the purchase journey.
- Eliminating Guesswork: AR allows customers to visualize products in their environment, ensuring they make informed decisions. Say goodbye to the “Will this fit?” or “Does this match?” dilemmas.
- Enhancing Interactivity: Interactive AR experiences can make the mundane act of browsing online catalogs an exciting adventure, turning ordinary buyers into devoted brand enthusiasts.
- Providing Personalized Experiences: Ever thought about the joy of customizing a product to your exact taste, right from the color, size, to the design, without even stepping out of your home? AR can make this happen!
How Are Businesses Riding the AR Wave?
Leading businesses are embracing AR strategy to enrich customer experience and stand out among the competition. From IKEA’s AR catalog allowing people to place virtual furniture in their homes to Sephora’s ‘Virtual Artist’ app for trying on makeup, the possibilities are nearly endless.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is augmented reality only beneficial for eCommerce businesses?
No, AR is a promising tool for physical stores as well. Interactive shopping experiences, like AR-infused mirrors or virtual fitting rooms, can attract more customers to outlets, boosting both foot traffic and sales revenues.
Are customers ready to adopt augmented reality shopping experiences?
Absolutely! According to a survey by BRP Consulting, 48% of consumers said they’d be more likely to buy from a retailer that provided AR experiences.
The Virtual Question: The Future of Customer Experience?
AR is taking customer experience in the sales domain to a whole new plane. While it’s already solving major customer pain points and adding a ‘wow’ element to shopping, the question that lies ahead is – What’s next? Will AR become an absolute necessity or just a nice add-on to have? Time will tell, but one thing is evident – AR has changed the commerce landscape, and there’s no turning back.