Technology

Retailers need agile 3D, AR to succeed on the visual web

Rob Weaver, chief revenue officer at Vertebrae, offers insight on how, in 2020, pandemic-related store closures brought record numbers of shoppers to the web and so visual elements became even more important — especially immersive commerce.

Photo by istock.com

June 17, 2021 by Rob Weaver

The internet is undergoing a fundamental change from a text-based medium to a world of visuals. To be prepared for new shopping modes centered on images and unmediated by keyboards, retailers need a robust immersive asset library and the end-to-end platform to serve 3D and augmented reality (AR) in diverse formats.

Images and video account for most of the internet's growth of the past decade. Video was set to account for 82% of all internet traffic last year, according to Cisco. As smartphone adoption has soared, so has creation and sharing of photos and videos; as a result, social media is now visual-first, whether on Pinterest or Snapchat. The social site that's seen the steepest growth since 2019 is YouTube, according to Pew: more than 80% of Americans now use the video-sharing site, up 11% in the past two years.

These innovations are leading retailers to ramp up visual offerings well beyond traditional 2D product photos. From how-to videos to magazine-style lookbooks to visual search tools that match items with camera pictures, retailers are exploring new ways for shoppers to discover and consider products.

In 2020, as pandemic-related store closures brought record numbers of shoppers to the web, visual elements became even more important — especially immersive commerce. These 3D and AR experiences provide a 'try-before-you-buy' digital experience, helping boost purchase confidence wherever consumers shop. Usage of AR for shopping has doubled in the past three years, according to a Vertebrae survey, and the majority of consumers now want to use AR to see items in their real-life environments, while the percentage who would like to use AR to virtually try on makeup or new looks has risen by half, to 37%.

3D and AR implementations have positioned merchants at the forefront of visual commerce. In a first for its industry, David's Bridal provides the opportunity for brides to inspect dresses from all angles at home prior to visiting salons for custom fittings and final purchase; outdoor sunglasses outfitter goodr debuted the first virtual try-on experiences accessible directly via the web, with no app required, enabling shoppers to access realistic product selfies with a few simple taps. And eyewear maker Moscot features scannable QR codes in its brick-and-mortar shop windows that link to immersive experiences, bringing the showroom outdoors to the sidewalk.

Such innovations require 3D and AR that's agile enough to adapt to individual merchants' selling environments. What's more, in order to take advantage of the growing number of visual commerce opportunities across the web, it's crucial that retailers vet potential vendors carefully to ensure that their immersive platforms position them for the future. Among the emerging platforms for 3D and AR:

● Display advertising. Brands' investments in mobile AR ads are set to double from 2020 to 2022 to a total of more than $3 billion, according to eMarketer.

● Social media. Four in 10 consumers seek AR through Facebook, Instagram, or Snapchat, Vertebrae's survey found. Advertising and shopping initiatives are already underway on all three platforms, giving retailers an opportunity to engage followers and encourage further browsing and sales.

● Search. Google is increasingly integrating AR into mapping and navigation features, while selected search results now feature AR renderings and models, and has piloted shopping implementations.

● Stores. Even as stores reopen, 3D & AR can help bridge the gap between online and offline. Not only can immersive tools integrated into the eCommerce site help consumers narrow their options prior to heading to stores to try and buy, but in-store implementations provide an "endless aisle" of items that shoppers can inspect up close, flip and spin, and inspect from all angles before ordering for shipment or store pickup.

Supporting this array of implementations and syndication opportunities requires an end-to-end platform, not just a file generator. As outlined in Vertebrae's vendor selection guide, for merchants to succeed with innovative 3D and AR visual experiences, they need:

Quality 3D asset creation. 3D assets are the foundation for every kind of immersive visual experience. Vendors should have the experience and resources to drive high-quality 3D asset creation and conversion, whether for a few products or a few hundred.
Presentation QA. The growing number of touchpoints for AR & 3D poses a challenge, because the presentation and viewing experience can be highly variable depending on the device, browser, app, or platform. Savvy vendors should not only offer tools that copy and convert 3D originals into immersive files; they should offer the testing apparatus necessary to ensure that retailers know in advance what shoppers will see.
Commerce-centric UX. All 3D & AR implementations should lead consumers toward purchasing -- and vendors should be familiar with eCommerce best practices and capable of implementing seamless integrations with leading commerce platforms.
Asset management. E-commerce teams should be able to use 3D & AR assets just as they would traditional 2D photo libraries.
Accountability. At a minimum, platforms should sync with existing analytics and tracking tools; they should also offer their own reporting functionality that includes visual tracking capabilities such as gaze and interaction metrics.

As mobile devices become the dominant device for web access, visual content is more popular than ever — and to keep pace, retailers are investing in immersive 3D and AR tools. Robust immersive commerce platforms can help brands take full advantage of visual opportunities across the web, revolutionizing shopping experiences to engage shoppers, resolve key product questions, and earn sales.

Rob Weaver is chief revenue officer at Vertebrae