The next generation of eCommerce is all about your customer’s experience. For many people, the in-store experience is what sealed the deal. They loved everything they saw and touched, so they purchased it on the spot. Unfortunately, this isn’t always possible with eCommerce. But with experiential eCommerce, you can actually pull off that in-store experience by leveraging virtual reality (VR). In this blog post, I’ll explore how to use VR to create a more immersive and interactive shopping environment for your customers.
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The In-Store Experience in the Digital World
In-store customers are able to touch and feel the product before buying it. It’s a hands-on experience, one that is impossible in eCommerce. But what happens if you’re shopping on your phone or computer? You can’t physically touch the product, but virtual reality (VR) changes that! VR provides an up-close and personal experience to your customer by bringing them into your store or showroom. It’s an immersive experience with a 360° view of every angle. They can also interact with products like they would in real life, which boosts sales conversions.
The best part about using VR for Experiential E-Commerce is that you don’t have to invest in new technology. All you need is a mobile device and headphones for full surround sound – no headset required.
Virtual Reality and Ecommerce
VR is the next big thing in eCommerce. Brands are finally starting to embrace virtual reality and integrate it into their marketing strategies. With VR, brands can offer an interactive experience that brings products to life. Customers can place items in their own homes and see exactly how they’ll look in different settings. They can walk around a product and explore every detail. They can even try on clothes without leaving their home! These new opportunities will change the way customers shop online. In fact, according to one report, by 2020, close to a third of all purchases will be made using VR or AR (augmented reality).
Leveraging VR for Experiential Ecommerce
The most popular VR headsets are the Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, and PlayStation VR. These devices come with head-mounted displays that allow you to see a virtual world. The way these headsets work is by using motion sensors that tell your brain what it’s seeing in the virtual world is actually happening in real life. When you turn your head in VR, you can see the 360-degree environment and everything in it.
VR has many benefits for experiential eCommerce. For starters, it provides an immersive experience for your customer. This enhances their perception of what they’re buying because they get to interact with the product from all angles and perspectives, just like if they were in a store. It also makes it easier for them to visualize where the product will go when they buy it and how it’ll look once they put it in their home or office.
Plus, VR allows customers to explore different product options as well as price points without ever leaving their home or office. This means that customers can make informed decisions about what products to buy online before making a purchase decision at checkout time. And lastly, VR eliminates distractions while giving customers more attention to the items they want to buy – all without having to leave your house.
Some Challenges with VR in eCommerce
VR can be a costly and time-consuming investment. In addition, there are many different types of VR technology, so you’ll have to do your research to make sure that the product(s) you’re considering will work for you–especially if you’re trying to purchase off the shelf.
But with high-quality equipment, an immersive environment, and good design, it’s possible to create a successful eCommerce experience.
Conclusion
Online shopping is expected to grow by 20% this year. This is due to the increased demand for convenience, especially in countries like China where the retail sector is growing rapidly.
But that doesn’t mean that traditional retail is dead. There is still a market for consumers who are looking for an in-store experience. Virtual reality can help with this.
There are some challenges with using VR for experiential eCommerce. For example, many people don’t have the hardware to experience VR and those who do may not be interested in purchasing from a VR store, but it’s a new way of designing and marketing products.
