Using Augmented Reality (AR) to Enhance Online Shopping Experiences
Published on August 20, 2024
Augmented Reality (AR) is considered as a modern technology. However, this is not true, AR was invented in the 1960s by Ivan Sutherland. He created a device called “Sword of Damocles” at the University of Utah. It was a head-mounted 3D display consisting of a pair of glasses that were too heavy to hold and therefore suspended from the ceiling. Users were strapped into this device and can view images in three dimensions. Although it doesn’t seem like a practical invention, it laid out the foundation of AR technology that we see today.
Today Augmented Reality (AR) technology is easily accessible through our smartphones and transformed into a powerful tech tool that is reshaping various industries, including e-commerce.
AR combines virtual elements, such as images, videos, and text with our physical surroundings, creating an interactive and immersive experience. This retail technology significantly enhances our sense of sight, allowing us to perceive and interact with virtual objects as if they are part of our real environment. As smartphones, tablets, and other computer devices become common AR has changed the online shopping scenario.
In the e-commerce industry, it brings a virtual try-on and product visualization. Shoppers can now see how furniture looks in their homes or try on clothes virtually, all from the comfort of their own space. This seamless blend of virtual and physical experiences gives an immersive shopping experience to online buyers. AR has made online shopping more engaging and practical while enhancing the way we see and interact with products.
Impact of AR on e-commerce
Using AR in retail has become essential to boost customer experience, drive sales, and ensure brand growth. With AR, shopping becomes 200% more engaging than traditional methods. This means customers spend more time interacting with your brand. Customers who use AR in shopping apps spend 20.7% more time exploring products and view 1.28 times more items on average. It’s also a great tool for boosting sales. Around 57% of shoppers are more likely to buy from brands that offer AR experiences. Additionally, AR tools are found to be more appealing to youngsters. According to reports 92% of Gen Z customers are eager to use AR tools for shopping.
The popularity of AR will keep growing because more and more people are using AR when shopping online. Right now, about 32% of online shoppers use AR, which keeps growing, showing AR’s increasing role in the shopping process. Looking ahead, there’s a lot of interest in AR, with 66% of people saying they’d like to use it for shopping help. Moreover, the market for AR in e-commerce is growing at a rate of 47.1% each year, which is rapid growth and is expected to continue.
How AR Enhances Online Shopping Experience
Virtual Try-On
Augmented Reality (AR) enables customers to have a virtual try-on of products like clothing, accessories, or makeup through their smartphones or computers. Using a device’s camera, AR apps can superimpose these items onto the shopper’s live image. This feature is especially useful in the fashion and beauty sectors, allowing users to see how a dress fits or how a shade of lipstick looks without physical trials. This not only makes the shopping process more convenient but also reduces the uncertainty associated with online purchases. Also, it increases the rate of user engagement with the brand.
The prime example to quote here is “Nike’s Nike Fit”. They provided an app to its customers which uses AR technology to scan the feet using the camera of the phone. The app then creates a detailed 3D model of the feet and recommends a perfect shoe size that matches the shape of the customer’s feet. This tool ensures that customers get the right fit without trying on multiple pairs in-store. By offering this retail technology, Nike not only enhances the convenience of online shopping for shoes but also helps customers to make accurate size selections quickly. Thus much reduction is seen in order returns.
Another example of AR enhancing the virtual try-on experience is Sephora’s Virtual Artist app. The app uses AR to detect facial features and superimpose makeup products onto users’ live images, allowing them to see how different cosmetics look in real time. Such as customers can put on various shades of lipstick, eyeshadow, or foundation onto their live image. This feature helps customers make better-informed decisions by allowing them to experiment with different looks without physically applying makeup. It also eliminates the hassle of trying and removing products multiple times. As a result, Sephora’s app provides a personalized and immersive shopping experience, elevating user engagement, improving customer satisfaction, and reducing returns.
Product visualization
For categories like furniture and home decor, AR enhances online shopping by providing online product visualization. This lets them see how products will look in their homes. Using the camera of their device, shoppers can view 3D models of items overlaid onto their actual living spaces. For instance, IKEA’s IKEA Place app. This app allows customers to see how furniture and home decor items will look in their own living spaces before making a purchase. By using their smartphone or tablet’s camera, users can overlay digital images of IKEA products onto their actual rooms. This helps them visualize how items will fit and match with their existing decor, ensuring that their choices will complement their home. This feature reduces the risk of mismatches and helps customers make more confident buying decisions.
Digital fitting rooms
Using AR technology, digital fitting rooms let users try on clothes virtually through their smartphones or computers. Shoppers can see how different garments fit and look on their bodies without having to physically try them on. For example, brands like Zara have implemented digital fitting rooms that use 3D avatars and AR to simulate how clothes will fit and look on individual users. By uploading their measurements or taking a photo, customers can create a personalized avatar that reflects their body shape and size. This avatar then tries on various clothing items, giving users a realistic preview of how the clothes will fit and flatter their physique.
Another notable example is Rihanna’s fashion brand, Savage x Fenty. This innovative solution combines augmented reality (AR), computer vision, and artificial intelligence (AI) to provide a highly personalized shopping experience. When customers enter the virtual fitting room, they undergo a precise AR body scan to capture body measurements. Based on these measurements, the system offers tailored product recommendations, allowing shoppers to find the best-fitting items without physically trying them on. This seamless blend of physical and digital experiences enhances customer satisfaction and reduces order return rates.
Digital fitting rooms not only enhance the online shopping experience by allowing customers to make more informed decisions but also reduce the likelihood of returns due to size or fit issues. This convenience and accuracy help increase customer satisfaction and confidence in their purchases.
Interactive Product Demos
Augmented Reality (AR) enhances the online shopping experience by offering interactive product demonstrations. Instead of relying solely on static images or text descriptions, AR allows customers to engage with 3D models of products, seeing them in action and understanding their features and benefits more vividly.
A standout example of an interactive product demo using AR is Samsung’s 3D Visualization for the Galaxy Flip5. Samsung’s marketing strategy for this device includes a detailed 3D demo on its website, designed to provide an immersive experience for users.
This AR demo allows potential customers to interact with a 3D model of the Galaxy Flip5, showcasing its unique folding screen technology. Users can explore features such as toggling the screen on and off, measuring the device with an integrated ruler, choosing from various color options, including exclusive online colors, zooming in and out, and viewing the phone from multiple camera angles. This interactive approach helps users understand and experience the device’s features more comprehensively, enhancing their decision-making process and engagement with the product.
Benefits it brings to e-commerce
Augmented Reality (AR) offers numerous benefits to e-commerce businesses, significantly enhancing the online shopping experience. Here’s how:
Improved Product Visualization
AR allows customers to see 3D models of products in their environment, such as how a piece of furniture looks in their home or how a pair of sunglasses looks on their face. This helps users better visualize products, leading to more informed purchase decisions and reducing the likelihood of returns.
Enhanced Engagement
The interactive and engaging shopping experience developed with AR gives customers an immersive shopping experience. It lets them have a virtual try-on and see a detailed product demo. This makes customers spend more time on your site thus increasing user engagement.
Reduced Purchase Uncertainty
AR lets customers try on products virtually or see them in their own space, which makes online shopping less uncertain. This boost in confidence helps customers feel more comfortable and likely to make a purchase.
Higher Conversion Rates
AR has been shown to drive higher sales conversion rates because customers can get to know the product well and it helps them to make a decision faster.
Personalized Shopping Experience
AR can personalize shopping by using your preferences and past behavior. For instance, virtual fitting rooms can recommend sizes and styles just for you, making your shopping experience better.
Increased Customer Retention
Using AR technology to engage customers leads to higher satisfaction and loyalty. A great, interactive shopping experience makes them more likely to return and shop with you again.
Differentiation from Competitors
When you implement AR in your e-commerce site it will make your brand prominent among your competitors because you are using innovation and showing commitment to providing an extraordinary customer experience. This will be specifically an attraction for customers who admire technology.
Enhanced Product Demos
AR allows businesses to provide dynamic and interactive product visualization. For example, customers can see how a new gadget functions or how a kitchen appliance integrates with their home setup, providing a clearer understanding of the product’s benefits and features.
Valuable Data Collection
AR interactions generate valuable data on customer behavior, preferences, and user engagement patterns. This data can be used by brands to develop effective marketing strategies, optimize product offerings, and work on enhancing the customers’ overall shopping experience using real-time data updates.
Ending words
Think of augmented reality (AR) as giving your customers a superpower that brings in their loyalty. It makes online shopping fun, helps customers feel sure about their choices, and makes your brand stand out. Bring AR into your store and turn every shopping trip into an exciting experience because it’s the demand of today.
Obaid Arshad
CEO & Co-Founder