AUGMENTED REALITY IN E-COMMERCE – AR

Augmented reality models attract attention, especially in e-commerce. AR technology allows the consumer to examine a product by experiencing it virtually in online shopping, unlike examining it in a store environment. Thus, before purchasing a product online, it offers the opportunity to imagine it in the place, area or on the consumer. Experiencing a coat, a seat or a hairstyle to be purchased through the online channel before the purchase decision with an augmented reality application is the pre-purchase decision support of our age.

Brands using augmented reality technology provide their customers with a high-level and different shopping experience that is not possible to offer in existing online and offline shopping. The consumer has the opportunity to try the product they plan to buy in the area they will use or on themselves. In this way, the shopping experience is brought into homes, rooms and personal lives with just a few clicks. This comfort makes both convenience and a more personalized shopping option possible.

The search engine Google offers the convenience of effortlessly switching from a search term to an AR experience. Being able to examine the result of the search word as a 3D object or experience the object in the real world by placing it on the camera stream is extremely advantageous for both the consumer and the brand offering its product. According to the results of a consumer AR survey conducted by Google, 66 per cent of consumers are interested in using augmented reality technology to help them shop. According to Google representatives, the fact that augmented reality technology is an important technological opportunity in e-commerce is explained as “the next best thing to having the product with them in their own homes for many consumers”.

Global brands are using augmented reality technology to reach their customers through global and localized communication activities worldwide, reaching them through a different channel. In many categories such as furniture, cosmetics, clothing and decoration, brands use augmented reality technology to highlight their products and give users the opportunity to experience the products closely.

In augmented reality applications; video, sound, effects and similar fictionalized experiences are integrated with the physical world with the help of technology-based devices such as phones, tablets or AR glasses. The 3D design prepared in accordance with the fictionalized scenario, with the help of triggers, creates visual integrity and gives the customer the experience of changing the reality on the screens.

The world e-commerce giant Amazon and brands such as Nike, IKEA, Converse, Gap, Sephora, Sephora, Wayfair are among the first brands to use AR application in e-commerce. This technology, which is one of the building blocks of the Metaverse universe, positively affects the customer’s purchasing decisions.

According to various surveys, consumers plan to continue their shopping experiences through e-commerce during the pandemic period throughout and after the process. According to the surveys, the rate of online shoppers via mobile phones has increased to 45% since the first days of the pandemic, while there has been a significant increase in online shoppers via computers and tablets. In other words, while the pandemic has shaped consumption habits to a great extent, it has also brought adaptation to the possibilities of technology. While the world is going through a digital transformation process, it is not surprising that the consumer who has a shopping experience through AR turns it into a purchasing habit.

In the field of e-commerce, augmented reality technologies, which allow the consumer to master all the details for the purchase decision and to experience the product virtually, have a special place. While the number of users shopping from online platforms increases exponentially every year, users prefer augmented reality applications similar to the real shopping experience when deciding to buy. With augmented reality technology, a lipstick, blouse, armchair or shoe that you want to buy can be examined with different faces as if you are really with the customer.

The transformation of augmented reality into a technological visual feast is very entertaining to say the least. This has many different effects on the sales side, that is, on the numbers. We have listed some of the advantages of augmented reality reflected in e-commerce for you.

It is very important for customers to make the right consumption decision the first time by using AR to reduce returns to improve the online user experience and contribute positively to brand reputation in the long term. In this way, product returns will be reduced, resulting in less carbon emissions. The more realistic the visual materials are, the more likely the consumer is to purchase a suitable product, which is reflected in profitability.

Applying augmented reality in e-commerce should also be considered as a great opportunity for live feedback from customers to guide brand communication. The feedback that brings sales communication to life and the viral experience that takes place thanks to AR also allows the brand to review its awareness strategies more realistically.