The Future is Now: How Augmented Reality is Transforming eCommerce

Online shopping can make our lives easier in a pandemic situation. We can purchase anything from anywhere. In addition, you have a choice to feel the fabric you want to purchase or experience any product by sitting at home. But how is it possible?

All things are possible with augmented reality. The augmented reality that is transforming eCommerce is more engaging and interesting. While e-commerce allows customers to shop from home, AR allows them to interact with your business. What does this mean for the future of e-commerce? Increase revenue! 

As technology progresses, new applications of AR in eCommerce will transform online shopping. The future of eCommerce is here, and it's augmented reality.

Types of AR Applications

There are several distinct forms of augmented reality technologies, each providing slightly different capabilities. Let's view a general overview of the most popular types of augmented reality (AR) applications.

1. Marker-Based Augmented Reality

This type of AR, also called image recognition, provides more information about the object. Marker-based AR has diverse uses according to market purposes; it also detects objects in front of the camera. When an AR app identifies that marker, it replaces it with a 3D replica of the matching object. The user can then examine the thing in greater detail and from other perspectives.

2. Marker-less Augmented Reality

Markerless augmented reality is a widely used industry application. Additionally, it is referred to as location-based augmented reality due to the widespread availability of location-detecting technologies in smartphones.

3. Projection-augmented reality

This is the simplest form of augmented reality; it involves the projection of light onto a surface. Projection-based augmented reality is visually beautiful and participatory, as it involves blowing light onto a surface and interacting with it via hand contact.

4. Superimposition-Based Augmented Reality

This augmented reality application delivers a new perspective on the object in focus. This is accomplished by substituting an augmented view of the object for the whole or partial view. Here, object recognition is critical since it is used to replace a view of an object with an enhanced view.

Statistics of Augmented Reality in E-commerce 

According to Statista, worldwide e-commerce sales are expected to expand by 246.15 percent, from $1.3 trillion in 2014 to $4.5 trillion in 2021. That amounts to an almost threefold growth in online revenue.

• Even though global AR advertising revenue reached $500 million in 2019, it is expected to grow to $1.41 billion in 2020.
• AR advertising revenue is expected to reach $8 billion by the end of 2024, according to one research organisation.
• eMarketer predicted that by 2020, over 43 million Americans would use AR at least monthly. That's nearly 21% of social media users.
• eMarketer predicts that by 2022, over 83 million Americans will use AR on a device at least once per month.
• 35% of Americans indicated they used AR to picture furniture or automobile customisations in June 2020.
• This is up from just 8% six months prior in a study of US retailers in June 2020.

Use of AR in E-commerce

Augmented reality allows e-commerce buyers to preview products or experience services in their environment and at their own pace before making a purchasing decision. With the use of AR in e-commerce, your customers will be able to try out things before making a purchase, increasing their chances of making the right choice the first time.

1. Try-on solutions in a virtual environment

Limited conversion rates show the overall outcomes. Shoppers want to be completely certain of what customers purchasing and take every step to ensure it's exactly what they want. And if they do decide to purchase and it does not work out, your return rates will increase. AR enables web customers to comprehend what they're purchasing and how the products will function for them. 

2. Observe the Placement

Preview placement allows clients to see what a product will look like in their own space in real time. Customers can imagine the goods and how they look in a physical environment via AR, which is very useful when buying furniture on the Internet.

3. Interactive, User-friendly manuals

User-friendly manuals interact with user activities by giving on-page contextual assistance. Various augmented reality user manual applications scan the product and indicate the buttons in the actual world using graphical arrows and text-based animations.

You can communicate with your buyers and target audience more effectively and quickly with augmented reality eCommerce apps, leading to improved lead conversions and increased sales.

How AR Can Help Grow Your E-commerce Store

Augmented reality provides detailed information on e-commerce products, allowing customers to make safe purchases. AR can help bridge the gap between in-store and online shopping by making product representation easier and providing consumers with a better grasp of what they're buying.

1. Modification and personalisation

Buyers research websites, apps, products, and possibilities before making a purchase. Customisation is now possible with Augmented Reality in eCommerce.

2. Attract New Customers

Through engaging augmented reality advertising, you may generate excitement for your newly announced products. This publicity and interesting content will attract new customers and build trust in their willingness to shop.

3. Increase Revenue

With the integration of augmented reality into e-commerce, the mobile conversion rate is increasing from 3.5% to 11%, which also provides additional information about the goods and helps to increase sales.

4. Savings on Expenses

AR is capable of reducing customer costs as well as saving time and convenience for users. With AR, clients may now know if their items are a good match for their needs before they buy them.

Final Thought

Certain product categories can be challenging to sell on eCommerce sites due to the difficulty of interpreting how the products would appear in person versus on a computer or smartphone screen. That is why augmented reality applications are gaining popularity, particularly with the advent of social separation.

An increasing number of businesses are considering using augmented reality (AR) as a way to enhance their products or services. It will assist you in grasping numerous things if you are an eCommerce platform user trying to grow your business.