Augmented Reality (AR) in E-commerce: Try Before You Buy

One of the biggest challenges in e-commerce has always been the customer's inability to see and to interact with a product in person before they buy it. This uncertainty is a major cause of purchase hesitation and product returns.

A powerful and emerging technology is set to solve this problem: Augmented Reality (AR).

AR is a technology that overlays computer-generated images and information onto the real world, as viewed through a device like a smartphone camera. In e-commerce, AR is being used to create immersive "try before you buy" experiences that are revolutionizing the way we shop online.

How Does AR Work in E-commerce?

AR technology allows a customer to use their smartphone to virtually place a 3D model of a product into their own home, or to see what a product (like glasses or makeup) would look like on their own face.

This bridges the gap between the digital and the physical worlds, giving the customer a much more realistic and confident sense of the product.

The Benefits of AR for E-commerce

• It Dramatically Increases Conversion Rates: When a customer can see exactly how a piece of furniture will look in their living room, or how a pair of sunglasses will look on their face, it removes a huge amount of uncertainty from the purchase decision. This increased confidence leads to significantly higher conversion rates.
• It Reduces Product Returns: A major reason for returns is that the product "didn't look like I expected." AR helps to set a much more accurate expectation of the product's size, its color, and its style, which can lead to a major reduction in the rate of returns.
• It Creates a Highly Engaging and Shareable Experience: An AR try-on experience is fun, novel, and interactive. It's the kind of "wow" moment that customers will want to share with their friends and on social media, which can be a powerful source of organic marketing.
• It's a Strong Competitive Differentiator: For now, AR is still a relatively new technology in e-commerce. Offering an AR experience can be a powerful way to make your brand feel more innovative and more customer-centric than your competitors.

Examples of AR in E-commerce

• Furniture and Home Decor: This is one of the most popular use cases. Many furniture retailers have apps that allow you to virtually place a 3D model of a sofa or a table in your room to see how it fits with your existing decor.
• Fashion and Eyewear: Many brands have a virtual try-on feature that uses your phone's camera to show you what their different glasses frames will look like on your face.
• Beauty and Cosmetics: Makeup brands allow you to virtually try on different shades of lipstick or eyeshadow.
• Sneakers: Sneaker brands are using AR to allow enthusiasts to get a detailed, 3D look at a new shoe design from every possible angle.

How to Get Started with AR

Implementing AR used to be a complex and expensive process. However, it is becoming much more accessible for businesses of all sizes.

• E-commerce Platform Integrations: Major e-commerce platforms now have built-in support for 3D models and AR experiences. They have a marketplace of third-party apps and services that can help you to create 3D models of your products and to implement an AR viewer on your product pages.

Conclusion

Augmented Reality is set to fundamentally change the way we shop online. It solves one of the oldest and biggest challenges of e-commerce by giving customers the ability to virtually try a product before they buy it. For brands, AR is a powerful new tool for creating a more confident, more engaging, and more personalized shopping experience. The businesses that embrace this new immersive technology will have a major advantage in the future of online retail.