Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) are two of the most popular technologies being talked about today. Many people believe that VR and AR will take over the world in the next few years.
While this may or may not be true, it is undeniable that these technologies have huge potential when it comes to e-commerce, filling the gap between the real-life experience with a product and its virtual presentation. Giving an opportunity to touch and feel and try before you buy.
In this post, we will discuss how VR, AR and Metaverse can improve the shopping experience of online shoppers. We will also present the Moodboard solution for Magento delivering a better shopping experience when purchasing furniture, clothes, and composite products.
The Moodboard tool allows for increasing online shopping conversion and customer satisfaction compared to the traditional store experience.
Online shopping experience improvement
The shopping experience is not a new concept, and retailers have been trying to find ways to close the gap between online and offline shopping for years. However, most of these attempts rely on gimmicks such as discounts or free delivery.
While these incentives may work in the short term, they are not sustainable in the long run. To truly improve the shopping experience, we need to rethink the way we approach e-commerce.
AR technology
Online retailers attempt to gain customer satisfaction by providing an online shopping experience as close to the physical store advantages as possible. Shopping online for certain products can seem inconvenient and even risky. That’s why advanced technology goes hand in hand with business needs to sell products in a simple way that resembles the sales process in traditional stores.
Ikea shows that it can be even better – with the AR Ikea Place app, you don’t even have to visit the brick and mortar store to see how the furniture will look at your place.
Source:Â https://www.ikea.com/au/en/customer-service/mobile-apps/say-hej-to-ikea-place-pub1f8af050
VR shopping experience vs physical store
One way to enhance the virtual environment is to use VR and AR technologies. These technologies can create an immersive shopping experience that allows shoppers to feel like they are right in the physical store.
This is especially important for luxury brands, which often rely on providing a premium experience that cannot be replicated online. Successful implementation of VR and AR improves client relations and increases customer loyalty. An eCommerce site offering an outstanding virtual environment can give your online store a competitive edge.
Source:Â https://www.rossmann.pl/drogeria-online
Metaverse toward the new virtual world
The Metaverse concept is going to improve the shopping experience by creating a totally virtual environment with specific payment methods and products as individual items (NFT – Non-Fungible Token).
The Metaverse will be a virtual world that can be accessed by anyone with an internet connection, who will be able to have an amazing experience using such VR equipment as a VR headset. In the alternate world, we will be represented by an avatar that may be a better version of ourselves.Â
This world can be used for a variety of purposes, including shopping.
The Moodboard solution for Magento
Moodboard is an existing and easy to implement tool for Magento that allows for creating a unique shopping experience for and with your customers. With Magento Moodboard, you can make the first step towards a new Internet and the customer experience on a new level.
What is VR – Virtual Reality?
VR is an artificial environment that is created by a computer and presented to the user in such a way that it appears to be real. VR can be used for many purposes, including entertainment, education and training. When it comes to e-commerce, VR is useful for creating a more realistic shopping experience for online shoppers.
If you want to experience virtual reality, your brain and body need to be in sync with the technology. You need VR headsets that allow you to receive sound, give voice commands while seeing objects clearly, and special gloves so they can interact manually as well!Â
VR (Virtual Reality) vs AR (Augmented Reality)
AR – Augmented Reality is a type of virtual reality that combines real-world objects with digital information. With AR, users can view and interact with digital content that is superimposed on their view of the real world. The game Pokemon Go is an example of augmented reality allowing chasing virtual Pokemons in the real world.
In the case of e-commerce, it allows for a better understanding of how products look and work in the real life. AR has many potential applications in e-commerce, such as product demonstrations, displaying 360-degree views of products and allowing customers to try on clothes virtually.
VR technology for the shopping experience
When it comes to e-commerce, VR has the potential to create a more immersive shopping experience for online shoppers. For example, with VR, shoppers can enter a virtual store and browse through the products as if they were really there.
This will give them a better idea of what the product looks like and how it might fit into their lives. In addition, VR can also be used for product demonstrations and tutorials. Shoppers can learn how to use a product or see how it works without leaving home.
AR benefits the shopping experience
AR is also a very promising technology for e-commerce. For example, imagine being able to virtually try on clothes before buying them. You can see how they look in different colours and styles without having to leave your home or go to a store.
What is Metaverse?
The Metaverse is a term that was first used by Neal Stephenson in his 1992 science fiction novel, “Snow Crash”. In the book, the Metaverse is a virtual world that can be accessed by anyone with an internet connection.
Marc Zuckerberg, the founder of Facebook, has said that the Metaverse is “the future of social networking”. This suggests that Metaverse could potentially be even bigger than Facebook.
The Metaverse is a virtual world that can be used for a variety of purposes, including shopping. In the Metaverse, shoppers as virtual avatars would be able to walk around virtual stores, try on clothes, and even talk to other shoppers and store employees.
This would allow for a much more interactive and personal shopping experience. The Metaverse has the potential to revolutionise the way we shop online.
Metaverse a revolution for the entire life
The Metaverse is supposed to be a totally virtual world enabling avatars to experience virtual reality for work, shopping, travelling, entertaining and anything else. Will this be possible to realise with one technology platform? Will people be ready and willing to use it? We will find out sooner or later.
This reality requires great infrastructure, and servers with enormous digital potential, which is still a matter of the near future. Users are also expected to create and explore a virtual environment. They must have some aptitude to create their own words, games or other digital experience.
Gamers in virtual reality
This kind of virtual world already exists in games like Fortnite and Roblox, as one of the metaverse goals is to engage users in digital creation.
The Virtual technology will be simple enough to do make the users creators and contributors to the virtual environment. And gamers are the first to experience something like the metaverse with the competencies to do so.
3D models in the fashion industry
Virtual reality uses 3D models, for example out of your body photo to allow you to try on clothes or shoes. There are many solutions available in the market, but very few of them allow for realistic trying on. This is because they only use limited pictures or videos as source material.
Clothing retailers and brands can greatly benefit from VR technology by providing their customers with an amazing shopping experience that is convenient and fun.
With VR, customers can try on clothes from all over the world without having to leave their homes. This will save them time and money, and allow them to shop in a more relaxed environment.
360 furniture pictures placed in your space
With 360 pictures of the product, the client can check every detail and place the piece of furniture in their home space to check if it fits before buying VR technology shortens the distance between an online store and offline reality. Real pictures allow arranging room before purchasing.
Virtual reality allows engaging the customer before purchasing and becoming more involved in buying process. The process of engaging and evoking positive emotions makes the client stay and make more purchases.
Moodboard feature for Magento
This is a tool for composing sets of products, such as furniture or fabrics, to visualise and check how they fit together.
It allows to add a background from the real room and check if the furniture fits the individual home space well.
Unique shopping experiences
This is also a great solution to create a unique shopping experience on your website. Moodboards are collections of images that represent what you want an arrangement or product to look like. A mood board can be used to give customers a better idea of what the finished product will look like.
This solution is a great option for the fashion industry, furniture e-commerce and all composite products retailers.
Source: https://acupofkims.com/fall-mood-board-for-clothing-decor-activities/
By using Moodboard for Magento, retailers can provide their customers with a more immersive and personal shopping experience.
Moodboard benefits the online store owner:
- easy and self-made composition of product sets by the seller and client,
- sharing individual images on social media,
- supporting communication between the client and the seller helping to explain the buying preferences and possibilities,
- increasing client’s involvement in the purchase process supporting decision-making,
- increasing basket value through upselling and cross-selling products.
Moodboard implementation on Magento e-commerce platform
As requested by one of our clients, we created a mood board creator for their website. This tool allows you to create and design graphics of multiple products together or browse the already existing mood boards that are available on the website!
We implemented a Moodboard feature in the online children’s furniture store https://www.petiteamelie.nl/moodboard-maken
This tool is appreciated by the parents composing furniture and decorations for their children’s rooms. For more about the implementation please read the blog article Moodboard implementation in Magento e-commerce store
The Moodboard can be easily added to any Magento store. If you are interested in this tool please let us know. Let’s talk about your vision.
Conclusion
VR technology can bring many benefits to retailers, including a more involving and personal shopping experience for their customers.
Moodboards are a great way to give customers a better idea of what the finished product will look like. Retailers who implement mood boards on their websites will see an increase in customer involvement and cart value.
VR is the future of online shopping, and retailers who do not implement it will be left behind.
What do you think about shopping in VR? Have you tried them out yet? Let us know in the comments below!
If you enjoyed this article, please share it on social media! Thank for reading! 🙂
(No Ratings Yet)
Loading...