3D Product Configurators: Revolutionising Ecommerce
- 3D Product Configurators: Revolutionising Ecommerce - March 22, 2023
Do you have an online retail business and want to provide a more engaging ecommerce experience for your customers? A 3D Product Configurator is the best tool for your purposes, allowing your audience to customise their products according to their needs and visualise changes in real-time.
Ecommerce has become an integral part of global retail and like many other industries, it has expanded substantially due to the development of online technology and changes in consumer behavior. This trend boomed during the Covid 19 crisis, with people shopping online instead of going into stores. In 2020, ecommerce sales accounted for US $4.25 trillion worldwide and this figure is expected to grow by 56% in the coming years and reach approximately $8.1 trillion by 2026.
This increase in ecommerce makes competition fiercer than ever. Companies must keep up with the changes taking place around them and integrate innovative technologies that transform online shopping experiences. A 3D Product Configurator is an innovative solution that allows customers to customise and visualise products in 3D, leading to more informed purchasing decisions and greater customer satisfaction.
What is a Product Configurator?
Have you ever browsed a website that allowed you to customise a product according to your needs? Or have you used an app to place a piece of furniture in your room, to see if it fits in your space? Well, these are perfect examples of a Product Configurator in action.
If you tried this, you should know that a 3D Product Configurator is interactive software that allows you to personalise and visualise products in a three-dimensional space. You can use it to select various product features, options, materials and colors while observing the changes in real-time.
Product Configurators are widely used in industries such as furniture, fashion, architecture, automotive, interior design and real estate, playing a significant role in the purchasing process. In addition, they can integrate with Customer Relationship Management (CRM), CPQ (Configure, Price, Quote), ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) and help businesses to boost their sales.
What are the benefits of a 3D Configurator?
Using 3D Configurator software comes with many features and multiple benefits for your consumers and your business.
1. Enhances customers’ experience and satisfaction
A Product Configurator is an interactive tool that uses 3D renderings of an item and allows your potential clients to customise it according to their specific needs. Users can see real-time images and analyse a product from every angle, to see the smallest detail, move it around, zoom in, and zoom out.
This results in better and faster purchasing decisions. It’s an entirely new and customer-centric approach to the sales process. Instead of promoting a specific color, material, size, design, and style, you let your customer build the perfect product. This feature goes even further if you enable AR (Augmented) and VR (Virtual) Reality, allowing your potential buyer to visualise and place the product in their space.
2. Improves users’ engagement and increases your sales
3D Configurators are also a great way to guide buyers through the purchasing process. For this, you need to provide your consumers with a series of next steps when they have finished creating their unique product. If a summary of the personalized item includes all the chosen elements and a specific price, your customers will feel confident to proceed and buy the product.
You should provide a clear call to action for the next steps and you’ll be able to secure sales that may have eluded you before.
3. A 3D Product Configurator lowers the acquisition costs and maximizes the purchasing value of a product
Research shows that people are willing to pay more for products they can tailor to fit their expectations. In fact, a Deloitte study shows that 48% of surveyed customers said they are willing to wait longer for customised products, while one in five customers agreed to pay 20% more for personalised products.
At the same time, real-time 3D Configurators allow brands to get more qualified leads and higher engagement rates. In conclusion, we can say that companies that use a 3D software configurator can lower their acquisition costs and have a higher ROI.
4. It helps you control and reduce stock levels
Some companies have expanded their product range in response to the growing clients’ desire for personalisation and customization. But this also means increasing production, storage, and sales costs.
With a web 3D Product Configurator, you can respond directly to custom product requests and avoid manufacturing of unsold stock.
5. It helps you reduce the return rate and cart abandonment
As mentioned above, a 3D Configurator allows customisation of any product and the ability to explore it from every angle. When customers can see exactly what they are buying and how a product fit into their space, they are more confident to purchase it, reducing cart abandonment. AR lets customers virtually “try out” a product.
Understanding how a product appears, the quality of materials, fit and finish, means a 3D Configurator is much more informative and helpful in the buying decision than static photography.
As a result, businesses that integrate 3D Product Configurators in their sales systems have significantly reduced cart abandonment and return rates.
6. 3D Configurators help you explain complex products in an easy-to-understand way
A 3D Configurator allows you to easily showcase and explain complex products to your audience, in a friendly and easy-to-understand manner. It can be an exceptional tool that supports your sales team and enhances their sales process. As an example, when they launched their award-winning ARIA benches, Street Furniture Australia partnered with INHAABIT to create Build ARIA. This modular 3D Product Configurator allows staff and customers to build an ARIA bench in 3D and automatically generate personalised quotes.
How do you choose a 3D Product Configurator?
When you want to leverage product configuration software to boost your sales, there are a few important factors to consider:
1. Your business’s needs
Do you have an architecture firm or urban design company and need a 3D Configurator to create outdoor design projects? Or do you run an online furniture store and want to allow your potential customer to configure a furniture product that best meets their needs? Possibly you have sell bathware products and want a way to onboard your CAD files into high quality Augmented Reality or 3D on your website? No matter how complex your requirements are, a 3D Product Configurator can handle your requirements and integrate with your existing website.
2. Features
If you want a 3D Product Configurator for online sales, make sure it can:
- Render 360-degree products
- Visualise ultra-realistic product models
- Allows real-time product customisation
- Flexibly handle all of your configuration options and requirements
- Allow customers to make direct enquiries with their specifications listed
- Supports high definition 3D and web AR (Augmented Reality) through your mobile web browser
3. User experience
The configuration software you implement should have a beautifully designed interface that aligns with your website branding. It should be easy to use for your audience, regardless if they need it to customise simple or complex products.
4. Integrations
Ensure the 3D Product Configurator you choose can integrate with all of your systems, such as CMS, ecommerce platforms, CRM, CPQ, ERP and more. Pay attention to the connectivity options: in some cases, you might have a pre-built integration and in other cases, you might need Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) for connection. The simpler your integration is, the faster and easier you will be up and running with your solution.
3D configuration is driving ecommerce forward
3D Product Configurator software has revolutionised ecommerce by offering customers unparalleled customisation and visualisation for products. Integrating cutting-edge technology into your online platforms will enhance your customer experience, streamline sales processes and ultimately drive higher customer satisfaction and business revenue. INHAABIT’s 3D Product Configurator is an all in one solution that comes with Instant AR product visualisation and creates a next-generation online shopping experience that will take your business to the next level.
