Introduction Suppose that you’re ordering a sofa online. You select one that looks good and add it to your cart. Right before checking out, you stop because you’re not sure if the material and the model you’ve ordered will turn out to be the same style or texture, or you just want to have a better look at the cuffs as they’ve mentioned in the description.
How often has something like this happened to you? Pretty often, right? There’s a very high possibility that this happens to your customers, too.
So, what can you do to avoid this? Use a 3D Product Configurator!
Whether you run an online store or manage a manufacturing line, a 3D Product Configurator can benefit your business manifold. So what is a 3D Configurator, and what can it do for you? Let’s find out.
What is a 3D Product Configurator? 3D Configurators are software tools that allow end-users to customize and design your products according to their needs and preferences. They are usually web-based and have a user-friendly interface that enables customers to interact with the product in real time.
While more traditional platforms use static 2D images to display products, a 3D product configurator shows a realistic display of your products that can be zoomed into or rotated and customized. This enhances customer experience, as customers can let their creativity run wild to explore different variations of the product.
For example, if you’re in the business of selling armchairs, you can add a product configurator to your website. Using this, customers can customize the armchair according to their preferences. They can choose a plushy seat or no cushioning at all. They can change the colors and pattern of the upholstery according to their aesthetics. They can even choose the kind of armrest design they want. Pretty cool, right?
Now imagine adding the configurator to your website as an apparel business. You can let customers take over and choose the fabric, pattern, and cut for themselves, and they can become their own designers.
3D Configurators are transforming product visualization by offering hyper-personalization options to customers. Customers can start from scratch or simply make minor tweaks according to their preferences.
What are the Key Features of a 3D Product Configurator? People love to experiment with their products. They want to try everything before they buy one. And a product customizer lets them have all the fun they want. Here are some key features that make product configurators one of the most sought-after 3D tech:
Customization Options A product configurator offers product customization options such as real-time color updates and changes in shape, material, texture, and size, among others. You can pick and choose what you like.
For example, New Era’s Cap Creator is a 3D product customizer that lets customers design their own caps. From fabric to color to embroidery- it’s all chosen by the customers. However, for now, the configurator is limited to teams as they have a minimum order limit of 18 for customized caps.
Dynamic Pricing An important feature of product configurators is that they have a dynamic pricing display, CPQ (Configure, Price, Quote). This is so that customers get a fair view of the final price after the customizations.
This is because the total cost of production changes according to the customizations made by the customers. For example, if they choose oak over maple for a wooden desk, the price range would vary substantially. Thus, CPQ is used to ensure complete transparency.
Ikarus Delta’s Product Configurator uses CPQ to let your customers know the final price of their custom creations.
Enhanced Interactivity 3D Product Configurators feature tools enhance interactivity. Apart from the customization options, many configurators also allow users to zoom in and out, rotate, and examine the product from all angles.
Nike’s 3D Product Customizer offers a 360-degree view of the shoe and even features a ‘Builder’s Tray’ that lets customers explore all the customization options.
Benefits of a 3D Product Configurator 3D Product Configurators are the newest hype in the e-commerce market, and for due reason. They offer a wide range of benefits to the customers and sellers, some of which are mentioned below.
Increased Customer Satisfaction Customer satisfaction is a priority for any business. You want your customers to be satisfied with your products and the overall buying experience. A 3D product customizer helps you achieve just that.
It lets customers get a comprehensive view of what they’re buying and even lets them add inputs and make changes before the final purchase. Customers get what they want, increasing their trust in your business.
Reduced Returns Product returns cost e-commerce retailers billions of dollars every year. This is because static images and product descriptions don’t provide a comprehensive view of the product. In addition, if customers want a customized item, they don’t really have any way to visualize it before getting it delivered.
Product Configurators reduce returns significantly by helping customers visualize what products look like. They offer a comprehensive view of the product being personalized while displaying the price changes, which leads to informed decision-making by the customers.
Boost to Sales According to a McKinsey report , 71% of consumers expect companies to offer personalized interactions, and 76% are disappointed when this doesn’t happen.
In a world where personalization is an expectation rather than a luxury, 3D Product Configurators boost sales significantly. By offering visualization of personalized items, they build customer trust.
Bedd , a Norwegian company selling planters and raised plant beds for gardens, terraces, and outdoor spaces, has reported increased sales and order values after integrating a product configurator that allows customers to visualize and customize their plant boxes.
Increased Efficiency 3D product Configurations can also increase the efficiency of your business by saving you on supply, production, and inventory costs. Using a product configurator, you can even opt for the drop shipping model, where you partner with third-party suppliers who manage storage, packaging, and delivery of your products while you focus on marketing your business.
With real-time customizations, you can build as you sell without any wastage. This also helps you shorten the entire production, sales, and marketing process.
Brand Differentiation How do you make your product stand out in a saturated market? By offering customers an experience they can’t find anywhere else!
3D Product Configurators help you stand out in the market by offering customization options to customers. Unlike traditional marketplaces, customers can explore variations and create combinations according to their needs. The service leads to brand differentiation, establishing your brand as trustworthy and reliable.
British furniture brand ActiveDesk, differentiated itself in the crowded market of height-adjustable desks using a 3D product configurator. The custom product configurator helped ActiveDesk UK to showcase its entire product line in a cohesive platform, increasing customer engagement and satisfaction.
How Does a 3D Product Configurator Work? A 3D Product Configurator has two main components: a 3D product model and a customizable user interface. Let’s find out how the two work together to ensure a seamless user experience.
Generating 3D Models A product customizer provides an edge over static imagery because of interactivity and realistic visualization, which are made possible by 3D models. Thus, generating true-to-life 3D models is the first step.
At Ikarus Delta, we start by taking high-quality images of your products to create highly detailed models. These models are used in place of traditional photography to enable photorealistic representations that can be customized using product customizer software.
Loading into Configurator Once the models are ready, they are loaded into the 3D product configurator. The operator, then, sets predefined parameters for product customization.
For example, an apparel brand may allow users to change the color of the selected item. On the other hand, a furniture brand may allow product customization by enabling changes in the chair by modifying its legs, armrests, and headrests. It can also showcase material or fabric changes like velvet, leather, and even the colors and patterns of the product.
Configure Price & Quote (CPQ) Functionalities Once the models are loaded into the configurator, CPQ (Configure, Price Quote) functionalities are initiated. This ensures that customers are aware of the real cost of the customization. For example, if customers choose leather over fabric as the sofa material, it will cost them significantly more. Adding CPQ to the product configurator ensures transparency and makes customers feel more confident about their purchases.
Integrating into Website Finally, the configurator loaded with the models is integrated into your website and the various e-commerce platforms where you operate. Our product configurator is compatible with platforms such as Shopify, WordPress, Adobe E-commerce, and Webflow.
How 3D Product Configuration Enables You to Sell More According to Cappasity’s Market Research Report , 95% of respondents prefer interactive 3D view to video playback. A 3D product configurator enhances the experience multifold, transforming how customers shop online.
Easy Customization Using a product configurator doesn’t just help demonstrate the functionality of your product to the customer; it also enables them to customize the product to their liking. Changes in the look and, subsequently, the product price are reflected in the model in real-time, increasing customer trust.
This also saves the salesperson time and effort to come up with a quote for every different iteration of the product. Moreover, this data can be used to develop new products and market strategies.
Wayfair, an online furniture retailer, uses a 3D product configurator tool called Wayfair Room Planner . The Planner allows users to build their own virtual rooms using the configurator. Customers can select furniture from their library and move it around to place it according to their preferences. According to company statistics, they witnessed a growth of 58.9% thanks to the 3D imagery and product configurator.
Increased Customer Satisfaction Customer satisfaction at all levels is the ultimate aim of any business. If customers are not satisfied with what you’re presenting them online, they won’t consider buying it. Thus, presenting your product in the best way is important.
Using 3d product configurators for e-commerce can significantly enhance customer satisfaction as they empower customers to choose what they like and visualize how the final product would look after all the customizations.
Footwear brand Vans has been offering customized shoes since 1966, championing creativity and self-exploration. The trend expanded in the 70s and 80s when they started offering the ability to print unique designs on the rubber walls of their shoes. Today, Vans Customs uses a 3D product configurator that lets customers customize everything from the sole width to the pattern and material.
Streamlines Sales Process CPQ Software and a customizable user interface make the configurator agile enough to support the needs of any business. CPQ software streamlines the sales process by eliminating any opportunities for human error.
3D Product Configurators: Applications for Industries Irrespective of the industry, you need a product configurator for your business. Why? Because humans are visual creatures, and the better they can visualize your personalized product, the higher their chances of buying it.
Fashion The fashion industry has always been a pioneer in adopting new technologies. Naturally, it was also one of the first industries to experiment with product configurators.
From footwear to apparel, everything in the fashion industry is customizable. And with a 3D product customizer, visualization of these customized items becomes much easier.
Project F.L.X ., a unit of Levi Strauss and Co., offered a unique experience to its customers in 2018, leveraging the power of 3D configuration. Levi’s customers could build their own jeans from start to finish using a product configurator. From the finishing of the denim to the patchwork– customers could pick and choose what they wanted.
Furniture The furniture industry largely relies on custom designs. However, it is sometimes difficult to show customers what the final product will look like, which could lead to a loss in sales.
Using 3d product configurators for e-commerce can significantly enhance customer satisfaction as they empower customers to choose what they like and visualize how the final product would look after all the customizations.
Belgian furniture brand Mobitec allows its customers to customize their furniture using a 3D custom product configurator. They can choose from different finishes, stain colors, leg styles, and upholstery to create furniture that suits their tastes.
Automotive Over the last few years, the automotive industry has moved from a product-focused industry to a customer-focused industry. Automotives, especially cars, have become more reflective of their owners' personalities, and so personalization has become an important feature in the industry. However, for such expensive investments, customers definitely want to know how the final product will look.
Volkswagen’s Car Builde r lets customers customize their vehicles by offering trims, exterior and interior colors, and accessories variations.
Electronics Consumer electronics have taken over a significant portion of our lives. Naturally, customers appreciate personalization in products of daily use. Thus, the electronics industry has embraced product configurators that allow customers to add features and accessories that enhance the user experience according to needs.
Beosound Shape by Bang and Olufsen lets customers design the shape and structure of the modular speaker system. Using their product configurator, customers can build their own design and even adjust the sound quality of the speakers to suit their preferences.
Accessories Customization in accessories has been around for a long time. From watches to rings, customers want their accessories to be highly personalized.
Shopify Apple enables its online shoppers to customize their smartwatches by changing the display and straps to find the perfect fit. Jewellery brand Pandora allows users to create personalized jewelry by selecting the style of rings and pendants, metals (such as gold, silver, and platinum), and gemstones.
Interior Design Product configurators help visualize and personalize their home furnishing choices in real time. They let customers choose what they need and visualize their homes' interiors before deciding.
Italian home furnishings brand Scavolini uses a Virtual Kitchen Configurator. The configurator is integrated with their VR-viewer. Customers can use a headset to view the virtual layout of the kitchen and make real-time changes according to their preferences using the configurator.
Industry-wise Pricing The price of getting a custom configurator varies according to industry needs and product complexity. Here’s a breakdown of pricing across different industries for you:
Integrations When choosing a product configurator, compatibility with major e-commerce platforms is very important. Here are the compatibility and integration abilities of different platforms:
With a user-friendly interface and an extensive app ecosystem, Shopify is one of the most popular e-commerce platforms. The platform supports product configurators from various third-party apps that can be used to build customizable products in real-time.
WooCommerce The WooCommerce 3D Product Configurator is a WordPress plugin that uses layers to produce instant visuals for users. It offers significant flexibility to export your layers from Photoshop, a 3D render, or any other source. The user then views the configured product using these. The plug-in can be used to add a product configurator to WordPress.
Adobe Commerce (formerly Magento) Adobe Commerce (formerly Magento) provides robust features for implementation of complex product configurators. Its extensive customization abilities and powerful API helps businesses create highly personalized shopping experiences.
Wix While it is a comparatively simplistic tool, Wix provides easy-to-use tools for integrating basic product configurators. Its drag-and-drop interface enables users to customize products without technical expertise, making it accessible for small retailers.
Webflow Webflow uses the Embed Component to add custom HTML and JavaScript for configurator integrations. Its responsive web design and interactive designer tools ensure a seamless user experience.
Odoo Odoo effectively integrates with third-party configurators using APIs, plug-ins, and embedded solutions, enhancing its capabilities for product customization. Seamlessly integrating with the manufacturing process offers businesses a comprehensive solution for managing operations and generating a custom quote based on the customizations.
Italian home furnishings brand Scavolini uses a Virtual Kitchen Configurator. The configurator is integrated with their VR-viewer. Customers can use a headset to view the virtual layout of the kitchen and make real-time changes according to their preferences using the configurator.
Custom Coded Websites Integrating a 3D configurator into a custom-coded website requires careful planning. Consider API integration, custom development for complex needs, seamless UI alignment, and performance optimization. Prioritize user experience with intuitive navigation and clear call-to-action.
How to Choose a Product Configurator Software Product configurator software can be geared towards interactive customer use or optimize manufacturing processes depending on your business needs. Here are some factors to keep in mind when choosing a product configuration software:
Business Needs Your business needs will be the primary deciding factor when choosing a product configurator. If you’re looking for a configurator from a marketing perspective, you might want to consider a custom configurator designed to suit your specific needs. However, if you’re looking for a configurator to optimize your production, you can choose any configurator with CRM and ERP systems.
Thus, to determine whether the configurator works for you, you need to align its features with your business needs.
Product Complexity and Customization Product complexity also affects your choice of configurator. If your product is complex, it would require an advanced product configurator.
For example, companies using Configure-to-Order (CTO) processes use a simple configurator with a limited number of components for the customers to choose from.
In contrast, Made-to-Order processes require advanced configuration abilities to include all the demands of the customers comprehensively.
Integration Abilities with Other Systems Your product configurator should be able to integrate with your existing systems, such as ERP and CRM. This ensures consistency in business processes and seamless data flow.
Scalability Aspects A key factor to consider when choosing a product configurator is its scalability. Scalability refers to the configurator's ability to integrate and display multiple different models.
As your product range expands and your user base grows, the configurator should be able to adapt seamlessly. The goal is to find a configurator that allows easy updates and modifications.
Why Choose Ikarus Delta’s Product Configurator Ikarus Delta’s 3D Product Configurator is the ultimate solution to your visualization needs because:
Our configurator is custom-made to suit your business needs. It can be integrated across different platforms, such as Shopify, WooCommerce, Adobe Commerce, and Webflow. With interactive measurements and AR view, your customers can get an accurate idea of the product's appearance. What’s more, our CPQ integration displays the real-time price of the product with customizations, ensuring transparency. We prioritize data security and IP protection. Our systems employ robust encryption and security measures to safeguard your data. The 3D models for our configurator are crafted to perfection to create true-to-life representations of your products. From Furniture to Fashion, we’re ready to take on any industry that demands a 3D Customizer for their products.
Conclusion Product configurators shift visualization entirely by allowing customers to connect with their creative side with custom configurations. They boost sales and lead to brand differentiation, reaping benefits for the business in the short and long term. As we look to the future of online sales, the impact of configurable visual content will continue to revolutionize e-commerce. With the growing demand for hyper-personalization, businesses must apply innovative strategies to cater to their customers. 3D Configurators enable businesses to do just that by offering variations and customization options. Thus, it can be said with certainty that Product Configurators are not a fleeting trend but the essence of future developments in the 3D visualization industry.