Augmented Reality In Business

Augmented reality in business is increasingly being used. Researchers predict that by 2020, 100 million consumers will be shopping in augmented reality both online and in stores. 

By using augmented reality in business, it offers the consumer a new and exciting experience with the ability to visualise products in different settings and access to individual offers. Businesses surveyed indicated that by 2020, around 50% of retailers plan to implement augmented reality solutions into their business to meet consumers growing needs. As the need for augmented reality in business increases, so does the augmented reality technologies.

Augmented Reality and 5G

Due to the growing demand of augmented reality in business, 5G will be heavily relied on to complete a seamless customer experience both in and out of stores. As augmented reality in business is becoming more prevalent,  5G mobile network technology can work hand in hand with augmented reality to accelerate and further the adoption of the technology. Research shows that 5G and augmented reality is expected to be the highest drivers on new revenue, supporting real time rendering for immersive videos as well as shorter download and set up times. Transforming not only consumer engagement but also the entire product management of businesses. 5G and augmented reality will become a pathway to clear communications with consumers. 

Augmented Reality's Benefit to Businesses

By implementing augmented reality in business, it is a way to personalise the way the consumer can interact with your business, bringing a real world browsing experience that would usually be in a brick and mortar shop to the comfort of the consumer’s own home. Enabling the consumer to test the product before they buy it. Augmented reality in business can also act as a virtual assistant, creating an easy to understand experience that explains complexities or shares processes.

Augmented reality is becoming transformative in business, having the ability to exhibit and showcase your brand and give an immersive brand experience will drive revenue. By bringing augmented reality into your business it turns brand storytelling into brand experience. 

Augmented Reality In Business Sectors

Augmented reality in business is changing the shape of commerce. Augmented reality can be applied in various industries. Here are some of the most interesting applications of augmented reality in different industry sectors. 

Retail

For the retail industry, augmented reality has endless possibilities, with the ability to create both an in store or an out of store experience for the consumer. This means that the consumer will have the ability to interact with augmented reality in and out of the brick and mortar store, with the possibility of a virtual fitting room to help potential customers decide on a style, size or colour of a product in a store or from the comfort of their own home. 

Tourism Industry

For the tourism industry, augmented reality has a significant potential. Augmented reality has been used in museums that enable the consumer to have more in-depth knowledge and information about the exhibits, it could even be used by hovering your smartphone camera over a skeleton to be able to see how a creature looked. Businesses are grasping augmented reality opportunities to create engaging interactions with tourists. It could also be used to assist tourists to navigate their way and explore cities, the opportunities of augmented reality are endless - the sky really is the limit! 

Estate Agents 

As the web is the first place that buyers and renters go to look for new homes, augmented reality has a significant amount to offer to estate agents. It can help potential buyers to experience the home differently, quickly filter out the ones that are not for them, saving time for both estate agents and clients. It is also a great tool for construction workers, as they are able to bring blueprints and images to life for clients to see how their prospective new home will look. 

Interior Design

Augmented reality in business is empowering interior design applications to make correct choices with regards to a size and style of a new piece of furniture. A successful example of this is IKEA’s interactive app, which enables the consumer to scale and place furniture in their home. This resulted in sales rocketing for IKEA, increasing consumer loyalty and satisfaction. Augmented reality in interior design makes buying decisions easy, by enabling you to try out the piece of furniture in the room and take photos and videos of the result. The augmented reality is so precise, you can even see the texture of the furniture. 

Healthcare

Augmented reality has the potential to benefit the healthcare industry. It has the ability to help nurses to find veins easier to assisting surgeons during operations. It can also help the patient to identify and describe their symptoms more effectively. Augmented reality has a lot of potential to evolve the healthcare sector.

Education and Training

Augmented reality is beginning to evolve in the education sector, bringing augmented reality technology into classrooms can make even the most boring subjects interactive and engaging. Learners could access augmented reality through their smartphones to get detailed information or step by step instructions to better understand their subject. 

These are only some of the business industries that are revolutionising with the help of augmented reality. Augmented reality for business offers an endless amount of possibilities. As the technology matures, the user experience will enhance with it.

The real question is do you want to be a leader in augmented reality technology in business, or eventually the follower of the trend.