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August 29, 2024
For over a decade, e-commerce has changed the shopping process entirely. According to statistics, worldwide e-commerce sales were $1.3 billion in 2014 and are forecasted to reach $8 billion in 2027. It has emerged in both the B2B and B2C sectors immensely, and it has gained attention.
People have started putting their faith in this, with the product being easily visible and accessible and the services offered. This has also encouraged businesses to enter the global market.
With technological advancements came the introduction of 3D into the marketplace. Businesses have started integrating 3D views of their products in their online catalog, and 3D Product Configurators play a significant role in this.
3D Product Configurators are tools that help you create your products using their unique real-life 3D models. This then allows the end customers to be sure of what to place an order for. They help users get an idea of how a product looks.
In this blog, we will dig deeper into how 3D Product Configurations have helped E-commerce and what its impacts are.
Let's examine how a 3D Product Configurator is built to understand what makes it a perfect ally for E-commerce. The foundation of a 3D Product Configurator is built on 3D modeling and 3D rendering. 3D modeling involves creating a digital representation of a product that can be viewed from all angles, zoomed in and out, and much more. Once the 3D model is made, rendering comes next. Rendering brings the 3D model to life by adding realistic visuals, such as light and shadow.
That’s the equation,
3D Model + 3D Rendering of the Model= 3D Product Configurator.
These configurators solve a cluster of problems for E-commerce. They allow the end customers to see the product before placing an order. When integrated with a simple user interface, these highly detailed models provide customers with a fantastic shopping experience.
In the race to not be average but the best, being unique is what everyone craves. More than 70% of people have started preferring personalized products, which in turn has shot up the personal tailoring shopping experience.
To provide this personalized shopping, businesses are turning towards technological solutions like 3D Product Configurators.
When integrated into the websites, these configurators provide the users with an enhanced user experience. This also leads them to have an immersive and interactive shopping experience.
Gone are the days when, while shopping online, you’d only see a 2D image and have to make a decision between a yes or no. With 3D Product Configurators in the market, you can see a product in all its glory on your screens.
These configurators have revolutionized the user experience with their interactive models, visualizations, and customizations, which have received an incredible response from users.
3D models are widely known for how they can be viewed from all angles. These models are created so that the users can zoom in and out, rotate, and see every little detail in the product.
When users have the freedom to view the product in any way they want, it keeps them engaged.
Since users can view a product and then select one of their liking, this increases engagement on the product’s website and gives the user a fun and creative experimentation experience.
When users select a product and customize its features, they feel satisfied with how something will look. They feel more confident and have a sense of control over the product, which promotes a positive shopping experience for both the user and the business.
One of the most appealing features of a 3D Product Configurator is that it gives impeccable realistic previews. Customers can see a product's appearance in every way possible, including colors, shapes, sizes, materials, and designs. This helps them visualize what a product will look like.
According to MyTotalRetail, 95% of buyers prefer interactive 3D views of the product rather than a 2D image or even a video playback. This is directly related to increased sales and conversion.
Since the 3D Product Configurators offer such an interactive experience, the users have the freedom to choose the products and the features. Customers feel more confident when they have seen a product before ordering, which in turn increases the sales.
When sales are increased it is bound that the conversion rates would increase. They are the general public who just became interested in the product and now are your customers.
Cart abandonment is one of the common issues in the e-commerce industry. Most of the time, it happens, because the product wasn’t able to capture the user's attention as well as the unsure of the customers.
3D Product Configurators solve this problem since they allow the user to interact with the product before making a purchase, which results in fewer cart abandonments.
When users are sure about the product and the placed order, chances are that they won’t be returning the product. This happens because the user is familiar with how the product would look and is sure about the product.
NIKE is one of the prime examples. After introducing "Nike By You" (formerly NikeiD), where you can customize your shoes, they have faced a reduction in return rates.
In a market where businesses are booming in the e-commerce sector, it is crucial to stand out and have a unique brand identity. 3D Configurators pave the way to originality and being different from your competitors.
When your brand allows customers to customize the product, you have already set yourself one step ahead. For example, Active Desk, a UK-based company specializing in standing desks, partnered with Ikarus Delta for a 3D Furniture Configurator. This has allowed Active Desk’s customers to see different desks. This shows interactivity and that the brand is ready to go above and beyond to provide its customers with the best.
Customizing a product brings a sense of satisfaction. This becomes a plus when a configurator allows customers to customize their choices in real time, saving time and cost. With advanced and user-friendly technology that has helped them, they are bound to return and make more purchases.
Change is inevitable. The future of 3D Product Configurators is bright, with more innovative things cominy. With the configurators, e-commerce is bound to experience much higher sales in the future.
With technological advancements on the way, AR and VR would be incorporated with 3D Product Configurators sooner rather than later.
AR helps overlay a 3D model of a product on the present environment through a screen, letting users see how a product would look in their spaces. VR would offer those 3D models in a virtual space, such as a virtual showroom.
AI is in a race of its own when it comes to advancements. AI can provide users with a personalized experience within a few seconds or maybe even a questionnaire based on their preferences. It has specially designed algorithms that can also analyze customer’s choices to suggest products and customization choices.