Augmented Reality and Why it’s the Future of e-commerce

Remember the Pokemon Go fever that gripped the world a few years back? It was, in reality, one of the first interactions that we had with Augmented Reality –  a game-changing (pun intended) technology that promises to transform the IT sector  sooner than one could finish this sentence. 

Due to recent advancements, and heavy investments in R&D, Augmented Reality is expected to generate $120 billion in revenue by 2020. This is thanks to 40% of the present-day customers who are willing to spend more on a product if it comes with  AR experience. Let’s dive a bit deeper.

What is Augmented Reality?

When sounds/ images/ text  are superimposed onto the real world in real-time, an Augmented Reality is created for the user.  Thus, real and computer-simulated information, in however form, are combined.

Augmented Reality differs from virtual reality in the sense that the latter creates a computer-generated environment for humans to interact with, thereby replacing reality altogether. The environment built is artificial. Augmented Reality, on the other hand, simply adds to the reality that one sees.

Are any businesses using AR?

The answer is yes! Many leading e-commerce players are leveraging AR to help improve their customer’s experience. 

Lenskart is leading the pack  here through its ‘3D Try On’ feature. Based in India, the eyewear giant provides customers with the opportunity to try on a pair of glasses that they like ‘virtually’. Using AR, they superimpose the shape of the spectacles on an image of the customer’s face, which they are asked to click prior to this process. 

Another company pushing the limits of AR for stellar customer experience is Sephora, a cosmetics and beauty products giant. In their Virtual Artist app, buyers can try on dresses and full-face makeup to decide how well their intended look is working. They can make their purchases confidently, knowing they are investing in the best products for themselves. Not to mention, there is no hassle of removing makeup and applying it again and again.

Eikowa, an online art gallery, has an interesting feature where you can upload the picture of the  walls of your house, and see how the art piece will look before you hit “purchase”. No more trial and error – just accuracy!

And finally, another pioneer in the domain of AR, for interior decoration, is Tap Painter. Users can check how different paints would look on the walls of their homes and even type in swatches ID to see which brand would best suit them.

Is AR a must-have for your business? 

Online shopping is the present and the future. As of February 2019, online shopping in the US overtook general merchandise, including department store sales. Amazon and its Prime service have been a significant driving force for this milestone.

With the future also suspect to similar trends, how convenient and delightful would it be for customers to receive an in-store experience while shopping online? It would be like getting the best of both worlds! What more could they ask for ? And AR makes this possible, by letting them ‘try on’ the products that they are thinking of purchasing.

Not only will this technology help elevate the quality of customer experience by making it more thorough and immersive, but also give businesses a competitive edge in the marketplace. 

If you have an e-commerce business,  you and your customers would benefit greatly from an AR-powered platform. When will you take the leap?