Virtual stores are old news now, the new kid on the block is the 3D virtual store. 3D technology is leaving its imprint on every industry. For eCommerce 3D is the new thrill and savior. Who would not want to look at the products from every angle turning them to 360 degrees? But this is not the limit of what 3D can do for you. You can now get your avatars in 3D and try the products before buying.
Not just that, you can even decorate your room with new furniture items before purchasing. But the downside of this is that only a few stores are opting for it. Currently, it is a fad that consumers and businesses are just super excited about it. Only big enterprises are offering 3D virtual stores, for now. But it would be more fun if small businesses could have 3D stores too. But it is an expensive technology and getting your store developed in it involves hiring a high-tech company.
Don’t be too down about it, with the pace at which things are changing with technology, soon most of the eCommerce will be offering 3D virtual stores. There are many 3D store builder platforms where novices like us can get their 3D store developed. Till then, let us see in detail what this excitement is all about and why businesses should opt for the technology.
What is a 3D virtual store?
Also known as 3D commerce; it is a popular way of shopping online. In this method, 3D models are used along with virtual reality and augmented reality to give reality-based experiences to shoppers. They can get the complete feel and idea about the product through an interactive and detailed graphic representation of the product.
Whether it is for personal products like clothes and shoes or household items like furniture, 3D stores enhance the user experience. This helps the buyers to decide on their purchase easily. The buyers can turn the product around, can see its texture better, and in some cases, they can try on the clothes on their avatars to see how they will look in them. This puts a huge impact on the organic traffic and recurrent sales of the eCommerce store.
These are the reasons why 3D virtual stores are the next big thing:
Exceptional product experience:
As discussed before, the product experience that the buyer gets is as close to reality as it gets. It lets you see the product in different colors and sizes. You can lift it and turn it around, you can even put it in a similar environment to get the idea better. IKEA made a 3D app for Apple phones where they used AR technology. It allows you to place the furniture pieces in your room while sitting in your room, to understand the dimensions better, and see how they will look when placed there.
In brick and mortar, you have to visit the store and try the products out. But with the 3D virtual store, you don’t have to commute and wait in line to pay. You just visit the virtual store and try the product the same way as the brick and mortar. Rebecca Minkoff is another designer who has been using this technology for a couple of years now. Her store uses AR technology to give the customers the feel of how her bag looks, how big or small it is, and if the color matches their style or not.
Fewer returns and better sales:
The sales increased because of the 3D store. In the above example of Rebecca’s virtual store; 44% of visitors were likely to add products to their cart, 27% were likely to place an order, and 65% more likely to purchase the product. The reason is simple, they can see and experience the product better than a normal eCommerce store. It is like bringing the brick-and-mortar experience to your homes.
The biggest reason for the return that the buyer gives is that the description on the website was different from the actual product. This can be in the case of color, size, and quality of the product. With the 3D virtual store, they get to experience the products as close to reality as possible. There are fewer chances of getting the wrong product or misunderstanding the color or size of the product. This decreases the returns and promotes sales.
Easy to manage inventory:
With changing seasons and marketing campaigns; keeping updated inventory and decor of the virtual store is very important. Products that are out of stock, new pieces that are added to the inventory and restocked products can all be updated with just a few clicks. Doing the same in your brick-and-mortar can cost you time and labor.
A regularly updated inventory promotes buyers’ interest. Nobody wants to visit the store and look at products to find they are out of stock later. A well-updated inventory engages the customer more.
Better analytics:
You need analytics to enhance the user experience and find shortcomings in your store. Since the 3D virtual store offers a detailed user experience, you get better analytics to analyze their area of interest. Through the movement and clicks of the visitors, you can understand which products are most looked at but not bought and which ones were bought the most.
It also helps you understand the demographics of your target audience better. You can find out the; gender, age, locations, and devices your buyers have. This can help you make marketing strategies and design campaigns to target your specific buyers. It saves you a lot of effort and money from any ill-targeted marketing campaigns.
