Would 3D-AR Technology End the Struggles of e-commerce Industry

The crucial holiday season is near. Perhaps this is the best time to conduct some research about consumer behaviors in the e-commerce industry. For the spiral growth of the business, the doubts that linger in the people’s minds must come to light.  

The world is about to enter into the third decade of the 21st century. The e-commerce industry is on the verge of many challenges. 

Will Augmented 3D Reality be able to provide smart and comprehensive solutions? 

This article intends to explore the answer to this question. We will discuss if AR can help e-commerce in the light of statistics, and if so, what are the benefits of this hybrid technology.  

Will the blend of e-commerce and 3D-Augmented Reality Maximize the ROI? 

Vertebrae recently conducted a consumer survey to get some valuable insights. More than 1000 US citizens were part of this survey. It concluded that websites are going to be the leading touch point for brands in the coming year.

Key Statistical Findings of the Vertebrae Survey

1. 47.5% of people do not feel safe shopping at the stores. That constitutes nearly one in every two respondents. 
2. 74% of the people (close to two-third) say they shop online at least once a week.
3. 34% of the people (close to one-third) do that once every day. 
4. Nearly four in every ten respondents said they practice no touch browsing. 
5. 38% do not prefer to try on apparel, accessories, or test makeup. 
6. 37% avoid touching the merchandise unless they are ready to buy. 

The Reasons for Hesitation

Plausibly, covid-19 is one of the primitive reasons behind. Fear of catching the virus prevents people from visiting brick and mortar stores. Were it not for coronavirus, such dramatic alteration in consumer behavior would never have been possible. To minimize the contact at the point of sale is the foremost priority of everyone. 

What Does That Mean for Future

The future is not hard to predict. Causal strolling around the stores will be no more. The store visits will be less frequent and purposeful. That would result in increased pressure on the websites to deliver more engaging content that helps encourage experimentation with the new brands. 

Incompetency of Web Experience

The in-person shopping experience is the area where the e-commerce industry still has a lot of room for improvement. It seems like the hardships are not going to end very soon. The efforts made in the earliest days of the industry are still compulsory and with much more dedication. 

The vertebrae survey further proves this narrative. It shows that factors that thwarted online sale & purchase in the past still are there. The inability to try and touch items outranked the shipping costs.

Vertebrae Survey’s Key Findings of Web Incompetence

1. 59% of the respondents (nearly 6 in every 10) said they hesitate to buy online because of the doubts that the item will not fit.
2. 58% wished they could somehow touch or feel the product. 
3. 56% refused to trust that the delivered product will be the same as the one shown in an online advertisement. 

Immersive Commerce is a Critical Requirement 

Consumers longing for spatial cues and touch & feel made them ask for the features that offer real-life context of size. The respondents going for something that materializes the dream of closer inspection is obvious. 

The merchants who could offer this would have a competitive edge over those who do not. It is the most sought feature. In any situation, consumers desperately want to estimate the real-life size of the product.

Vertebrae Survey’s Key Findings of Likability of Immersive e-commerce

1. 63% of the participants said if they can spin, flip, and zoom in on the product details, it would make them want to buy online.  
2. 57% wished to place furniture or appliances in their physical spaces virtually.  
3. 39% (4 in 10 respondents) said that virtual try-on features would increase the probability of purchase. 

High-Level Awareness of 3D-AR

The mobile tech advances have made 3D & AR easily accessible. Merchants can now incorporate them in a variety of online formats. If you have not done it yet, you can now prioritize the development of 3D & AR product assets. That leads to the ultimate rich and immersive shopping experience that exponentially expands your revenue.

Vertebrae Survey’s Key Findings Of 3D & AR

1. More than 7 in 10 consumers know about AR. That is 14% more than in 2018.
2. 78% of younger shoppers (ages 18-29) say they are familiar with AR. It is nearly equal to 8 out of every 10.
3. The ratio of people who have experienced AR while shopping has also doubled almost. Back in 2018, it was 20%, and now it is 38%. Accurately speaking, it is a spike of nearly 92%. 
4. 68% of the shoppers, almost two-thirds of the total, are likely to buy from vendors that provide Augmented Reality features. 
5. More than 75% of consumers who have tried AR see it as the best improvement. 
6. Four in ten respondents said they want to experience AR directly on the web, without needing to download an app. 
7. The same number wants to see AR on social media platforms, such as Instagram. 
8. 1 in 5 wants to have AR in Google search results. 

The figures prove that consumers are more than eager for the worldwide deployment of Augmented Reality. 

Advantages of AR solutions in E-commerce

AR opens a whole new bunch of opportunities for the e-commerce industry. Let us summarize the prime benefits of technology in listicle form. 

1. The consumer can try before purchase. That also is the prime reason they prefer to visit the brick and mortar store. Bringing this to their smartphone can change their choices. The statement is true for furniture, culinary, jewelry, and anything.  
2. AR is still new and not deployed internationally. Providing this will help you stand out as a brand. AR would give you the ultimate authority that nothing else can. Build a reputation that makes all customers feel like a community. 
3. Augmented Reality makes your consumer feel like you care about them. It serves as a hand-written thank you note. Even if the consumers do not use your AR future, they will still think you are more empathic than other businesses in the market. 
4. When viewed through AR, products seem much worth your hard-earned money. They become more valuable and worth a higher price tag. 
5. Products become memorable. Studies show that AR activates more of visual memory. Hence, visitors do not forget the item they did not buy due to a lack of funds. They come back the moment they can afford it. Chances of this return are short without AR. 

The Final Verdict

Yes, 3D-AR Technology has the potential to reduce the hardships that the e-commerce industry has been facing ever since its advent. The growth of e-commerce due to the global pandemic has helped retailers not only survive but grow during the challenging year. But to keep up with the pace in the post covid world, new online experiences that address the oldest issues of industry are imperative. 

Hence, 3D-AR has a promising future. You can expect the explosion of AR uses infiltrating our daily lives in years to come. So it is time to beautify the products of your online store with the help of Augmented Reality and multiply your conversion rates.