Technology

As 3D and AR shopping goes mainstream, new technical standards can boost ROI

Rob Weaver, chief revenue officer at Vertebrae, explains the high return on investment and benefits for retailers deploying 3D and AR tools in accordance with new standards.

Photo by istock.com

March 2, 2021 by Rob Weaver

The center of retail has shifted to the digital realm, and 3D and augmented reality experiences are more popular than ever as shoppers seek new ways to evaluate products virtually. Retailers who heed emerging standards for asset creation, use, and sharing can boost their return on investment, thanks to internal efficiencies and quick adoption of new immersive opportunities.

Since the onset of the pandemic, 3D and AR shopping have quickly risen to the fore, and for good reason. Using immersive technologies, shoppers can place photo realistic virtual products at accurate size and scale, in real-life context, addressing key considerations such as fit, size, color and style. A Vertebrae survey found 76% of those who've used AR to shop said the experience increased purchase confidence.

Furthermore, consumer adoption of 3D and AR is on the rise. Technology researcher Forrester predicts nearly half of U.S. online consumers will have used AR or virtual reality by year's end. Already, 39% of consumers have used AR to shop, Vertebrae's study found.

Thanks to this booming interest, 3D and AR shopping tools are available more than ever — and now, standards are emerging that will ensure consistent experiences across the Web. The 3D Commerce Working Group, which includes Vertebrae as well as technology giants such as Microsoft, Facebook, and Amazon, is working to standardize asset creation and configuration to ease usage and deployment at scale across a wide variety of Web outlets.

Just as 2D images use a standard set of file formats and retailers now rely on established best practices for presentation in different selling environments, immersive assets will soon adhere to standards that maximize portability and utility. Retailers who implement 3D and AR tools in accordance with these new standards will be at a significant advantage, because they'll be able to:

Create and manage assets more efficiently
With creation and configuration guidelines in place, vendors can develop automated processes for high-fidelity asset creation, quality assurance vetting, and editing. Retailers can create consistent 3D and AR experiences at scale without needing dedicated IT resources, and manage them as they would any other media asset.

Focus on selling
Fully incorporating 3D and AR at every waypoint on the path to purchase requires seamless transition to and from commerce-specific features such as product search, cross-sell recommendations, cart and checkout, and payment apps. Standardizing asset formats will ease technology integration, enabling 3D and AR to permeate the e-commerce site experience.

Ensure compatibility for wide syndication
With standards established not just for file specifications but also for metadata content, assets will be more easily shared and discovered across online touchpoints. With social media giants Facebook and Snapchat already experimenting with AR for commerce and Google exploring the integration of AR widely into its initiatives, the ability to syndicate assets beyond the e-commerce site will help retailers make the most of their investments and leverage new opportunities for brand visibility.

Measure performance
Accurate tracking of 3D and AR assets requires a two-fold approach: retailers must both integrate data with existing Web analytics and find new metrics to quantify uniquely immersive interactions. Immersive standards help achieve both tasks by setting guidelines for display analysis, setting the stage for retailers to develop consistent reporting for evaluating ROI.

As 3D and AR shopping grows, retailers who adopt emerging standards for asset creation, syndication, and performance will ease internal processes for production and gain agility for experimenting with new immersive opportunities across the Web and other channels. Retailers can boost efficiency and profitability of their 3D and AR initiatives with the right standardization and reporting in place.

Technology