Product Configurators – 10 Main Benefits For Your Online Store

“How important is product customisation?” and “Do I need a product configurator?” These are among the most common questions that B2B and B2C business owners must answer. If, in the past, just a few companies used 3D configurators to engage with their audience, this trend has revolutionised the ecommerce world in the last couple of years.

So, it’s no wonder that product personalisation has become one of the most important criteria in buying decisions. Since the pandemic, ecommerce has boomed, and more and more retailers are moving to an online business model.

As a result, the ecommerce industry and niche markets have become highly competitive, and in the long run, it’s no sign that there will be a slowdown in these kinds of sales.

With brands striving to stand out from the crowd, leveraging technology can make all the difference for your business if you sell products online. When you offer a superior online experience to your prospective customers, you will be able to get their business far more readily.

To understand how valuable these features can be, let’s take a look at ten benefits of product configuration tools for manufacturers.

Does Your Business Need a Product Configurator?

This is a fair question. The truth is that not every business needs product configurator software. If your product portfolio includes many items, and each of them has more than 3 features, you might need a product configuration app.

Let’s review some frequent situations: 

Do you want to test new models, options, or a particular feature for your products? 

You don’t need to spend much money to manufacture different variants of the same item. You can create a virtual version of your item and test it in a 3D configurator. If you are working with product configuration software, you can create 3D renderings of your merchandise and gain even more insight.

Are you trying to find the winning product amongst your complete offering?

If you have many articles and are looking for a winner – a product configuration tool might help. By analysing the decisions of your interested customers when they personalise their products, you will be able to more easily identify the most successful versions and prioritise their production. 

Do your sales reps focus on clarifying order details rather than selling?

Simply put, the product configurators do their job. They record the order and all the customisation details, and once your sales rep approves it – it’s instantly sent to the production team.

These are some frequent situations that you may have already encountered. A 3D product configurator can take a lot of the work out of sales and production teams and optimise your entire selling process.

3D Product Configurators Benefits

There are multiple benefits of using a product configurator app. They apply to both B2B and B2C businesses and include everything from improving sales processes to boosting customer satisfaction and brand affinity.

1. Increased Customer Satisfaction

For any manufacturer, customer satisfaction means everything. Customers like to see a product before buying it, and when using a visual product configurator, users ensure they’re creating the product they think is perfect for them.

In addition, if you also give them the opportunity to view the item in their personal space, there is a much higher chance that they will feel more satisfied with it once they receive it. This way, you reduce unnecessary interactions, phone calls, or visits to the store and perform better in the manufacturing-sales process. 

2. A Product Configurator Helps You Reduce Products Returns

Whether we are talking about online stores or in-store shopping, product returns cost retailers billions of dollars every year. This is because only static pictures and product descriptions don’t allow a complete product overview. Plus, when a user wants to customise an item, he will have to make an effort of imagination to get some idea of how the product will look in the end.

Here is where the 3D product configurator software comes into the scene. They let customers get a realistic preview of the product they are personalising while monitoring the cost of their design in real time.

All these functionalities allow people to make more informed purchasing decisions, thus reducing the probability of returning products and building long-term brand loyalty.

3. Configurators Drive More Sales, Favour Cross-selling and Upselling

According to a McKinsey report, 71% of consumers expect personalisation. At the same time, a Deloitte study showed that 36% of potential customers stated they were interested in buying customised products and services. In comparison, 48% are willing to wait longer for tailored products and services.

But with an ecommerce product configurator, potential customers can quickly assemble more products, satisfying a specific need. This represents a cross-selling and upselling opportunity for sales and production teams, for which they can add an extra fee.   

In addition, due to the customisation options and features used by their potential clients, sales representatives can get to know their needs, preferences, and budgets quicker than before. This way, they can offer the best solutions while your customers get an excellent online shopping experience.

4. Product Configurator Apps Help You Increase Efficiency

3D product configuration tools help you shorten the entire production, sales, and marketing process. As you receive feedback from potential clients in real time, you can adjust, fine-tune and perfect your products as time goes on.

You can also save on other costs, such as supply, production, and inventory. As customers virtually tailor a product to their needs, there is no need for a stacked inventory, both for raw materials and for finished products. You can thus reduce costs in several other departments, such as logistics, marketing, and storage. 

5. Increase Customer Loyalty

 If customers can adjust a product to suit their tastes, desires, and budget, they are more likely to return and use your services again. Satisfied customers can become loyal clients and your brand advocates.

When a person is impressed by the services he gets from your company, they are more likely to recommend your brand to their family, friends, or colleagues. This process can trigger a domino effect, and increase site traffic, customer engagement, conversion rates, and profit margins.

In conclusion, implementing 3D product configurators can transform how you do business online and offline.

6. Provide Your Audience With a Fun and Interactive Experience

Despite the fact that people want to see more interactivity and collaboration, both ecommerce sites and social networks are still oversaturated with static images and texts. So, why not take the opportunity and do something different with a high probability of attracting curious people? By integrating a 3d visualisation plugin into your online store, you can create interaction with your users and increase the time they spend browsing your site.

Also, when you have so many variations and customisation options available, customers can spend more time building the perfect product for themselves or their loved ones, raising the probability of placing an order.

7. 3D Product Configuration Tools Can Be Used On Any Device

One of the most significant advantages of a 3D product configurator is that you can access it using desktop computers, mobile devices, tablets, and intelligent kiosks at trade shows.

This mobility helps sales reps show the product to potential customers, letting them customise the product themselves and place the order immediately. The result is a higher conversion rate of visitors to buyers than when presenting a classic catalog. 

In addition, since over 50% of online store traffic comes from mobile, manufacturers need to offer their intended target audience a mobile-friendly configuration. 

8. Gamification Of The Sales Process

Using a 3D product configurator is like playing Lego, where specific pieces fit and work together, and others don’t. And these features generate interest and make them fun, entertaining, and easy to use. 

In addition, with an integrated CPQ solution, customers can engage in an enjoyable personal experience that will end with having a completely configured product created by themselves. In addition to offering great customer service, manufacturers can collect information and use ecommerce gamification to offer retailers additional value that will enhance customer experience, increase conversion rates and allow them to get higher sales.

9. Increased Connection and Engagement With Your Audience

Many people love online shopping. But it’s even better when you add a 3D product configurator on your ecommerce site and allow customers to create an outcome that perfectly reflects their needs. In addition, integrate it with an instant AR that lets them visualise how the personalised item would fit in their space.

It’s like assembling their own Lego house, and, sometimes, they might share pictures with their friends or family just because they are very proud of the results and get immediate social validation. This is the customer’s reaction you want to achieve.

The more customisation options customers have, the more deeply they can connect with a particular product. With each additional feature they can implement, they will add some of their personality to that item. And that’s how you create an emotional connection with your clients and increase customer loyalty.

10. Increased Social Media Presence

Words spread fast – and this couldn’t be truer than today, when we all know the power of social media. When people feel empowered by a brand-new service or product they like or have designed, they are more likely to share it on social media. This creates a buzz around your product, increases shares, drives more organic traffic to your website, and ultimately boosts your ranking.  

As a result, interested prospects are more likely to do business with you if a trustworthy source refers you. Besides, as people receive positive feedback, they are assured they’ve made the best decision with 3D product configuration and get an item that perfectly fits their needs, lifestyle, and budget.

Both the consumer and brand benefit from increased social media presence. When the customer receives an endless stream of likes and shares, also the brand boosts its awareness and recognition among the target audience.

3D Product Configurators Set the Future of Ecommerce

At the end of the day, 3D modeling will become the norm for retail and especially for ecommerce. While it might seem like a headache to implement 3D product configurators in your online store, the results are definitely worth the effort.

In the world of ecommerce, lagging behind technology and ignoring consumer preferences are some of the biggest mistakes you can make. You’ll want to avoid this, considering that adopting the new trends can make all the difference to your business.

3D product configurators are here to stay, and those who stay one step ahead of the competition will benefit greatly.