AR and VR in E-Commerce Apps: Enhancing the Online Shopping Experience

Did you know that almost 78.65% of shoppers are known to abandon their shopping carts? While the shopping cart abandonment reasons are multiple, there is one sure-shot way to persuade customers to complete a purchase before they leave the website. You can add technologies like AR and VR in e-commerce apps.

Today, a large number of companies have adopted AR/VR technologies to offer a better experience to their customers. In this article, we will discuss how AR and VR in e-commerce apps can be beneficial for both businesses and shoppers.

AR/VR in E-commerce: Market Analysis

By 2028, AR and VR technologies are expected to reach $17.86 billion, at a CAGR of 24.8%. This figure shows that the number of AR/VR-based mobile apps is significantly increasing.

A report by Technavio revealed that the AR/VR market is likely to grow by 162.71 billion from 2020 to 2025.

How Can AR/VR Technology be Used in E-commerce?

Launching products successfully in the market is essential for every business. However, it is equally important to sell products and engage customers via trending forms of advertising and marketing.

Regardless of your company size, here are 4 ways you can use AR/VR technology in e-commerce to offer a better user experience:

1. Try Things Before Buying

By incorporating AR/VR in e-commerce apps, you can make shopping more fun and personal. These technologies allow users to check how the product will look in their house or on them. Basically, you can make it possible for customers to try things before they make a purchase.

2. In-Store Experience

By integrating VR technology into your e-commerce app, you can make shopping more impressive. That’s because VR can make it possible for customers to explore and interact with products like they are physically present in the store. In simple terms, VR technology in e-commerce apps can make online shopping more fun.

3. Engage Your Customers

One of the biggest challenges in e-commerce is attracting customers and keeping them on your site. But you can solve this problem by leveraging the power of AR and VR during your e-commerce mobile app development.

As a result, customers interact with your products in a much better way, which is more engaging than simple scrolling. This way, you can also attract new customers, keep them engaged, and make them come back.

4. Manuals With Interactive Features

By using AR, you can design interactive user manuals, which are not always related to sales. You can also offer your users a virtual tour of the product, help them understand how a particular product works, and let them easily explore the features.

So, along with improving engagement and helping customers know about your product, you can also decrease post-sales stress.

Benefits of AR and VR in E-commerce

Traditionally, shopping online means going through a series of clunky product pictures and analyzing whether the product is worth it or not. However, after the emergence of AR and VR in e-commerce, online shopping has become much more fun.

Below are the benefits of using augmented reality and virtual reality e-commerce apps:

1. Customize Experience as per Preference

With AR/VR in e-commerce apps, customers can get a personalized shopping experience. That’s because they can easily visualize how a particular product looks on them.

A simple example is the IKEA AR app that allows customers to visualize how a particular piece of furniture will look in their space.

2. Engage Customers

Traditional commerce does not offer customers the kind of immersion that AR/VR provides. These advanced technologies have made it possible for users to interact with products similar to an in-person experience. It results in higher conversion rates and better customer engagement.

For instance, Nike’s VR feature allows users to customize their virtual sneakers in the most amazing way.

3. Decrease Return Rates

Increased number of return rates have become a common challenge. However, with the emergence of AR and VR in e-commerce apps, customers are now able to view products before making a purchase. It has significantly reduced the return rate and increased customer satisfaction.

A simple example is Warby Parker’s AR app, which lets customers try and see how a particular glass will look on them.

4. Saving Cost

Maintaining a physical store is an expensive and time-consuming process. That’s why businesses are encouraged to use virtual reality and augmented reality e-commerce app as it makes it possible to offer more products without necessarily owing an inventory.

A popular example is Wayfair's AR app, which allows customers to see furniture without necessarily owning a physical showroom.

5. Brand Awareness

You can use AR and VR to create a buzz and build brand awareness. This way, you can make your company stand out from the competition.

For instance, L’Oreal’s AR app allows people to try virtual make-up and hairstyles. This feature of L’Oreal’s had generated buzz and social shares.

Tips to Implement AR/VR Strategies Successfully

Successfully implementing AR and VR in e-commerce apps requires carefully planning and executing the overall process. Here are a few key strategies you can consider:

1. Analyze Use Cases

Before actually implementing AR and VR, you should analyze the areas in your e-commerce app where these technologies can be added. Your focus should be on the use cases that rightly align with your customer preferences and product offerings.

2. Seamless Integration

Try ensuring smooth AR/VR integration features in your e-commerce app infrastructure. To offer a better user experience, you can collaborate with experienced technology partners and developers.

3. User-Friendly Interface

Make sure your e-commerce app has a user-friendly and intuitive design that allows customers to interact with AR and VR. By optimizing your app for different platforms and devices, you can quickly reach a broader audience.

4. High-Quality Content

You can provide your customers with a more realistic and accurate representation by investing in 3D models and high-quality product visuals. You must also pay attention to textures, scale, and lighting to offer an even better experience.

5. Performance Optimization

Use AR and VR for performance optimization and to offer an even better experience. If needed, you can use cloud-based rendering on external servers.

6. Analytics and Feedback

By implementing analytics tools, you can gather feedback and measure AR/VR features. Depending on the customer experience, you can further take appropriate steps to improve user experience.

Cost of Implementing AR/VR in E-commerce App

Similar to developing an e-commerce store, integrating AR/VR in an e-commerce app requires some investment. On average, you should be ready to pay around $2500 to $4000.

However, predicting the exact cost of AR/VR implementation in an e-commerce app is not possible. That’s because the cost varies depending on various factors like the type and complexity of AR/VR, targeted devices, scale of solution, 3D model development, cost of cloud service, and integration with the e-commerce ecosystem.

Conclusion

In the past few years, AR and VR have emerged as powerful tools that play an important role in improving customer experience. These technologies offer better product visualization, reduced returns, and enable personalization.

If you want to leverage the power of AR/VR in your e-commerce app, get in touch with a trusted e-commerce app development company like Protonshub Technologies.

We work with a team of dedicated developers who have a thorough understanding of e-commerce app development. Our team uses the most advanced technologies to meet and exceed customer expectations.

Hurry and reach out to us to know more!

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Ekta Singh

"Senior Content Writer"

Ekta Singh is a rookie food experimentalist and k-drama fan with 4+ years of experience in writing. Bridging gaps between companies and customers through conversion-driven content is her forte. She believes in writing stories for a living and living life for exploring places.