Ways to Improve User Experience with Virtual and Augmented Reality Technologies

The ever changing landscape of retail is nothing new. Retailers continually need to do more to convince customers to follow through with their choice in purchasing items online or getting them into their physical stores to shop. Over the past decade, winners in retail have shown that by promoting positive disruption and innovative ideas they are able to build a stronger business from the inside and out. Driving such change comes in many forms, including implementing technologies like Virtual Reality (VR), Augmented Reality (AR) and the use of 3D graphics. From making the act of online shopping more like physically being inside a store to being able to showcase items directly in the consumers room of choice, technologies like VR offer the consumer what they desire both in-store and online - a more personalized and interactive experience in one and the retailers ability to differentiate themselves for consumers.

It’s true, many shoppers don’t own their own VR headsets yet. However, even without headsets you can still leverage this type of technology to benefit both the merchant and consumer and improve the in-store and e-commerce user experience.

Ways to improve user experience both in-store and online with Virtual Reality, Augmented Reality and 3D:

• Consider implementing 3D models into your e-commerce website. This functionality can be interacted with, even with a headset. 3D renderings of your products can still offer shoppers an immersive interactive experience and the ability to feel like they are in-store checking out the product and can be seamlessly embedded into your e-commerce platform in most cases. 
• Augmented reality is VR’s sister; part of what users see is a video of reality and only a few virtual elements overlaid. Currently, AR is mostly phone-based and is not as immersive as VR. However, it is intuitive and convenient, allowing products and items to be overlaid on top of the users view. In offering the ability for consumers to see how a product would fit into their room and life, AR offers superior visualization compared to simply seeing physical items in physical stores.  
• Utilizing in-store virtual reality is a great way to entice customers to visit your physical locations and offer an interactive experience. By having VR in store, consumers can see how items would look like in home, take virtual car test drives, virtual fitting rooms (no more waiting!).
• Retailers can also benefit by viewing store designs, shelf assortments and layouts and creating a superior buyer experience. By doing contextual store walks and offering real time performance, executives are now allowed to see store data in the context of how the location looks vs just a chart of numbers. 

FINAL THOUGHTS:

In order to create a long-term strategy, VR, AR and 3D should be used to enhance the buying experience. Avoid using the technology simply for flair, or it will quickly fall flat. Lasting benefits will be shown through improving the overall customer experience. So whether it is in a physical store or e-commerce site, using VR, AR and 3D offers a way for shoppers to further immerse themselves in the commerce experience and merchants an improved way to gather in-store information.

Want to know more about transforming your business through the use of virtual reality, augmented reality and 3D? Contact Echidna to start a meaningful conversation and learn more about how to best leverage these technologies in your in-store and e-commerce user experience.

Article originally posted to: https://echidna.co/blog/improve-user-experience/