The Before And After of Online Shopping With AR

The Golden Age of Online Shopping With AR & 3D

With the help of augmented reality, we have eliminated the limitations of our everyday shopping. Today, visual content is positioned as the guiding element in many sectors, especially retail. Although our adaptation speed to the benefits of technology is quite high, all these developments have been included in our lives in a very short period of time when you think about it. 

Thanks to 3D, AR, and virtual try-on technologies, we can try products whenever we want, wherever we are. But what was it like to buy something online before all of these technological advancements? Let us take you on a short time journey and see how AR technology has changed our shopping experience in a short time.

1- From long product descriptions to virtual try-on

Before AR, the most crucial point that made online shopping a nightmare for both the business and the customer was the inability to move the real-time experience to virtual environments. Being able to see, touch, try and observe a product from every angle in the stores made it easier to make the right decisions. However, in the early days of online shopping, businesses had to explain the product in full detail to convince customers. Confusing size charts, and long descriptions all together in the same place.

Boring texts almost looking like drug prospectus confused customers and added extra workload to businesses. In addition to the explanatory texts, photographing each product maybe a hundred times from different angles and uploading them created both a temporal and financial burden on businesses. Today, there are better solutions than having to deal with tons of different elements on a single product page just to give the customers a simple idea of the product.

After AR, all these painful processes were replaced by the safe arms of virtual try-on. Today, customers can enjoy a real-time product experience thanks to WebAR technology, without the need to download any additional applications. All they need is a mobile phone to try the experience. The limitations of online shopping are disappearing day by day thanks to 3D & AR.

2- From static 2D images to hyper-realistic experiences

We all know that a red shirt image uploaded by a business in online shopping will never be what it seems. Even that red color is not the same red we see most of the time.

Before AR, factors such as the background of the image, lighting, and machine quality could cause the product color to be deceptive in the image. At the same time, the use of only one type of mannequin led to the inability to appeal to all body types in visual marketing. Although brands that adopted the body-positivity movement worked with models with different body types, it was still not enough. 

After AR, all branches of visual content were gathered in one hand. Photos or video content taken from different angles have been replaced by the finger movements of the customers on the phone. In this way, customers can rotate, enlarge, and easily access how the product looks from any angle while viewing it. Plus they can also benefit from the "true-color" technology AR has to offer in order not to be mistaken by photos.

Bridging the gap between physical and digital experiences, 3D & AR technologies are quite the best of both worlds. 

3- From depending on SEO to influencer marketing

Before AR, anyone who wanted to find the perfect red lipstick was at the forefront of a huge competition that started in search engines. When you typed in “red lipstick” and hit enter, you used to witness a race of countless business websites crushing each other to show their products to you. This competitive environment, which made SEO the number one element of marketing strategies, caused customers to only interact with the top 1-2 brands that came up in the search.

After AR, we discovered a different way of marketing: Influencer marketing. Although influencer marketing did not directly enter our lives with AR, the combination of the two created the perfect duo. Influencers, who share their experiences on social media platforms by trying the products of the brands, this time resort to ways such as AR filters or even digital clothes! For example, in our first example above, you can get the red lipstick you are looking for from an Instagram influencer by trying the filter she has on and being directed to the product page via a link.

4- From high product return rates to happy customers

Before AR, getting returns was arguably the worst thing a business could face in their online selling adventure. Customers who purchased the products without having the chance to try them were left alone with the shipping companies if they were not satisfied. Product returns, which created a huge financial burden on businesses, unfortunately, became almost like a cold war in which both sides were right on their own terms. Customers could not get the full idea of a product through limited visualization and long descriptions, and businesses were left with the returns of dissatisfied customers despite their best efforts. Who can feel brand loyalty to a brand that has negative reviews online?

After AR, creating happy customers has become a natural result of the process, not the goal of businesses. Augmented Reality has a significant impact on product return rates. In fact, according to Snap Consumer AR Global Report, companies that use augmented reality are able to observe a decrease in product return rates by up to 25%. Customers do not need to go to the store to try a product and view it from any angle to get a better idea of it before they actually make the purchase. Of course, this eventually lowers the number of visits to the shipping companies. Businesses that offer the best experience to their customers both alleviate the burden of the product return nightmare and strengthen their bond with their customers. It’s a win-win situation for all parties involved.

Write an “after AR” story for your business

We left the fifth part of our article blank for your business. Today, online shopping is in its golden age, thanks to the possibility of 3D visualization with AR. 

With AR technology, which turns online shopping into a completely different experience, you can also start observing your own before/after AR results. If you want to offer hyper-realistic shopping experiences to your visitors with 3D & virtual try-on and become a brand that cares for exceptional customer experiences, you can contact our professional team today.