7 Benefits of Augmented Reality in E-Commerce

AR in e-commerce is on the rise, and for good reason. While e-commerce enables consumers to shop from the comfort of their home, AR enables them to experience the products and engage with your brand. What does that mean for e-commerce? More sales! But that’s not the only benefit AR in e-commerce has to offer. 

As if increased sales aren’t enough, we will highlight 7 other benefits of Augmented Reality in e-commerce.

Give the Customer What They Want!

Customers want Augmented Reality as part of their shopping experience. A survey of over 1,000 consumers showed that 61% of shoppers prefer to shop at stores that offer AR. And, 71% of shoppers would shop at a retailer more often if they offered AR. That’s an average of 2/3 of shoppers telling brands that they want AR! So much so that 40% of those surveyed said they would be willing to pay more for a product they could experience it through Augmented Reality. 

The customer demand is there, so more and more online retail stores and other ecommerce sites turn to Augmented Reality. 

7 Benefits of Augmented Reality in E-Commerce

AR e-commerce benefits both the brand and the customer. It creates a synergy that improves the experience, sales, and brand visibility. Here are several of those benefits explained:

1. ‍Engages customers

Experiential marketing is the most valuable type of marketing but has always been the most difficult and cost-restrictive. Now, Augmented Reality is turning every type of marketing into experiential marketing. Brands that engage and interact with their customers have a much higher chance of success, and Augmented Reality is an automated way to do just that.

2. Makes Online Products “Tangible”

“Try Before You Buy” and “See It In Your Space” Augmented Reality is extremely popular with online shoppers. The beauty and fashion industry is offering customers “Try Before You Buy” AR features so they can see how the product looks on them, including in different sizes and colors. Furniture and home décor businesses use AR to show customers what different products will look like in their homes. It’s extremely convenient, informative, and fun!

3. Improves customer satisfaction and reduces returns

By making online products “tangible,” brands improve buyer confidence and, in turn, reduces returns. Customers are more likely to hit “add to cart,” which improves sales. They are less likely to return items, which saves companies on shipping, restocking, and repackaging costs. It’s a financial win-win for companies, as well as a win for their customer satisfaction.

4. Personalizes the shopping experience

Augmented Reality in e-commerce improves the shopping experience by making it interactive. By giving customers control over digital elements in their real space, they feel more connected to the product and your brand. They can adjust features, colors, sizes and scroll through products that appeal to them the most. It’s as if they have a floor salesperson at their fingertips. 

5. Provides self-service store navigation

Speaking of a floor salesperson at their fingertips… Augmented Reality can support brick-and-mortar sales, too. For example, have you ever wandered around a big hardware store trying to find an associate to help you? Well, what if that store’s website had an AR feature that would paint a yellow-brick road for you to follow through the store to the product you need? That’s just one simple thing AR can do.

6. Reduces hygiene issues

In today's social climate, germs and social distancing are a big concern. Online sales are higher than they’ve ever been before to avoid cross-contamination. At-home AR shopping experiences are as close to real-life shopping experiences as possible, making stay-at-home orders more bearable.  Even in-store, Augmented Reality reduces the need for products to be handled and touched with “Try On” and “Try Out” features we discussed earlier. Overall, AR is a great solution for the hygiene issues that are at the forefront of customers’ minds.

7. Creates content for social media

Augmented Reality in e-commerce practically provides a ready-made digital marketing campaign. For instance, instead of trying to lure customers with pictures of your products in online ads, you can offer for them to try them on. Again, it takes boring marketing and makes it experiential. Furthermore, the “fun factor” makes it more likely to be shared on social media, which turns your customers into advocates for your brand.

How to Add Augmented Reality to Your E-Commerce Site

Good news! You do NOT have to redo your entire website in order to have Augmented Reality features. Augmented Reality solutions providers can retrofit Augmented Reality to your existing e-commerce site. Remember, with Web AR, no app is required! That means customers can access any Augmented Reality experience or feature directly through your website.

Whether you want to add Try-On features, product launch intros, or more, you can have it up and running within a matter of weeks. Even a simple AR holiday experience can engage your customers and benefit your brand. With Web AR, both businesses, big and small, can take advantage of the many benefits of AR in e-commerce. 

Where to Start

The process of adding AR to your e-commerce site begins with a consultation. Augmented Reality solution providers, like Aircards, discuss what you’re hoping to achieve and provide different options to attain that goal. The experience can be scaled according to the size of the brand and the budget. Just be sure to select an AR solution provider that is well-established with a wide range of AR services. That way, you can easily expand your digital marketing strategy to include more AR in the future.

At Aircards, we have created AR experiences for a wide range of Fortune 500 companies, including The Motley Fool, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, Dell, and more. We’ve also served small businesses and individual entrepreneurs. To learn more about what we can do for your brand, contact us today. 

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