Virtual Try-On to Break Down Digital and Physical Limitations
As most aspects of shopping move online and each aspect turns digital, there is one thing that all business owners and website managers want to improve: conversion rates. They become a key KPI of the ecommerce strategy and an indicator of the success of your digital storefront. But you still have your physical stores. And the only way forward is to have a presence – both online and offline – that is memorable, powerful, and immersive all around.
Adapt to trends and achieve success
This shift from brick-and-mortar to digital has transformed the customer experience irreversibly and as a result, the bar for customer satisfaction and brand loyalty is now higher. Brands are expected to change faster, adapt to trends genuinely, and offer personalized services from the initial visit to the end of a transaction and even further. “Immersive” is the word that defines success in ecommerce right now. You need to be as immersive as possible.
The Virtual Try-On (VTO) technology will not only help you welcome the buyers with a robust digital experience but will also offer them a faster and more fun way of trying products in-store. This combination will help you successfully differentiate yourself from the competition by offering something unique. But there is a hard truth – this ‘unique’ offering will become a ‘must’ very soon, so adopting AI/AR technology now means taking the lead before your competitors do so.
The rise of curating a virtual experience and focusing on digital will only keep growing, not only in 2022 but throughout the decade. Using software tools such as VTO to turn the digital beauty shopping experience as close to the in-person shopping experience as possible can help you take advantage of the market growth within e-commerce. According to consumer behaviour research, 44% of buyers purchased more beauty products online than in-store, compared to their pre-Covid-19 habits. So, we know there’s no point in explaining the importance of focusing on your digital strategy (and we won’t). Still, there is one aspect of your omnichannel strategy that deserves a highlight: the future of your physical stores.
Stores are becoming experience hubs
Physical locations provide “both an experiential gateway into the brand and a powerful tool for storytelling and customer acquisition,” says Doug Stephens, the author of “Resurrecting Retail: The Future of Business in a Post-Pandemic World”. It is (and will be) all about strategically re-positioning the physical stores. As defined in a 2021 McKinsey podcast about retail, the role of the store will be “be more about curation, personalization, and experience, rather than just the transaction.” And with VTO, it is possible. You can offer your in-store customers a chance to try multiple products all at the same time, experiment and see a wider variety of your selection. Then, you can use the data you gather to present them with personalized suggestions based on their personal beauty traits. The sooner you can start turning your locations into experience hubs, the more future-proof your business will be.
Turning store visits into touchless brand experiences in a fun, hygienic and effective way meets the irreplaceable comfort of shopping from your couch with confidence. It is the ultimate omnichannel strategy. As a result, brands like Flormar and Sephora get increased conversion rates, along with the millions of virtual try-ons, increased sessions per buyer, and a direct impact on online and offline sales. As you are competing with other brands for a potential customer’s attention, can we also point out that augmented reality makes the (buyer’s) journey 70% more memorable? And if a powerful response from the shoppers is what you are after, AR and VTO technologies are currently paving the way towards a successful and long-term commercial strategy.
