‍The ROI of Investing in 3D Visuals for E-commerce Brands

The eCommerce industry includes smaller online stores representing home-grown brands and large marketplaces with comprehensive product catalogs.

As an online store, once you successfully navigate the basics such as optimizing your product description or figuring out your payment methods, you must find ways to differentiate yourself from others in the market.

Once you are in this stage, improving the quality of your product visuals and the overall purchase experience should be at the top of your priority list. Of course, there are many ways to create conversion-oriented eCommerce websites, but leveraging emerging technologies and features will not only differentiate you from competitors but also future-proof your online store.

This article will explore how 3D visualization can help your online store and the kind of ROI you can expect by investing in these technologies. 

Overview of 3D & Augmented Reality in eCommerce

As product marketing and visualization become more dynamic, so do the various ways of presenting and promoting your products on your online store.  When the competition is as fierce as in the eCommerce industry, you must focus on differentiating your online store. 

Today, when you set out to craft exceptional online shopping experiences for customers, utilizing 3D product visualization and AR features are important options to consider. At the very least, 3D visualization and configuration can help you breathe life into the products on your digital shelf, and level up your customer’s shopping experience. 

3D visualization involves creating highly realistic virtual representations of products that customers can interact with and check from various angles. The applications of 3D visuals in eCommerce can range from just product visuals to complete virtual storefronts.

By replacing static product images with 3D product visuals, you allow users to interact and engage with the product and in some cases, thus letting them get a better idea of how specific customizations will look. On the other hand, many online stores leverage AR to let customers try out the products before purchasing.

Primary Use Cases of 3D in eCommerce

When used properly, 3D product visualization and AR features can empower the online shopping experience you are delivering and maximize your ROI. Here are some of the common use cases of 3D visualization in eCommerce.

1. Product Visualization

2. Product Customization

3. Product catalogs

4. Complex product demonstration

5. AR

6. Virtual Showroom

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Key Benefits of 3D Visuals for eCommerce Brands

Now that we have discussed some key use cases of 3D product visuals and how they are leveraged in eCommerce stores, let us look at some of the top benefits you can gain by leveraging this technology for your online store.

1. Saves Cost and Time

By allowing customers to visualize the product more clearly using 3D visuals, brands can enhance the value of the purchase experience even more. 

Consider the typical cost of converting visitors into customers on your online store, also known as Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC), as per the standard financial accounting definition. Now, if they return/exchange the product or cancel their orders, this cost will only go higher and may even end up with a loss of revenue.

With the help of 3D product visuals, you are not only future-proofing your product catalog but also letting the customers check the product in detail. As a result, you’ll have to deal with fewer returns or dissatisfied customers.

Additionally, 3D visualization can be cost-effective compared to traditional photography and prototyping. As a result, you’ll spend less time and resources when using these visuals in your marketing or product development processes.

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2. Boosts Interactivity and Engagement

One of the biggest limitations of an online store compared to a typical brick-and-mortar store is that customers cannot touch, feel, or interact with the products they want to purchase. With the help of 3D product visuals, your online store can overcome this limitation to a certain extent.

By leveraging 3D visuals, customers can easily explore or interact with products in a much more hands-on manner. As a result, they’ll have a better understanding of product functionalities and features helping you get better engagement. 

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3. Enhances Products’ Visual Appeal

As you may already know, your product images can make or break your product page or sales pitch. It all boils down to the importance of making the first impressions matter. While detailed product images tend to make customers’ purchase decisions easier, the lack of them can lower the perceived credibility and authenticity of your product.

With 3D product visuals, your products will have more detailing and realism than traditional photography, making them more attractive and appealing to customers. Such enhanced visual appeal can capture new customers and engage existing ones by communicating product features and dimensions more effectively.

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4. Retains Versatility and Adaptability

When it comes to leveraging a specific technology or feature in your online store, one of the biggest questions you’ll have is its ability to translate on different devices and platforms, and rightly so. Most of the top AI consulting companies will help you implement emerging technologies and related features seamlessly into your website.

Today, customers can discover and browse your online store on different devices and even leverage multiple devices in the purchase journey. Delivering a uniform purchase experience is pivotal in this scenario and any inconsistencies in the user experience can be detrimental to it.

3D visualization has already evolved and has been utilized enough to ensure that you can repurpose your product visuals across various platforms and devices. When you create a 3D visual for a product on your website, you can use it on social media, mobile apps, and other platforms with consistent messaging and branding.

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The ROI of 3D Visualization and Configuration

Now that you know about the different types of use cases and benefits of 3D configuration and visuals for eCommerce stores, you can easily calculate the ROI of leveraging the technology. 

To understand the exact ROI, consider quantitative factors such as cost reductions in photography or prototyping, and improvements in conversion rates. Now combine them with quantitative factors such as improved brand perception and customer satisfaction resulting from better user experience.

You can also calculate the actual ROI of leveraging 3D visuals by comparing the revenue and profitability generated by product pages containing traditional images in the past, with the ones generated by enhanced 3D product visuals implemented now in its place.

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Concluding Remarks

3D product configuration and visualization have been an empowering force for online stores, helping them overcome the limitations of online shopping and craft unique shopping experiences. Utilizing technologies such as 3D visualization and augmented reality effectively can enhance your customer’s virtual shopping experience, and maximize sales and revenue for your online store.

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