Using Augmented Reality to Improve Customer Experience

As more and more businesses start harnessing the benefits of augmented reality, it is beginning to change the traditional ways they communicate with customers. Companies are starting to use AR to engage their target audience better and improve their product or service offering. Overall, AR technology allows for a more customized shopping experience, which consumers are demanding nowadays. In this article, we will look at some of the ways AR is being used by businesses to improve the customer experience. 

Adding Value to the Shopping Experience Before the Sale

One of the reasons augmented reality shopping is so popular is that it alleviates many doubts customers have about buying a certain product. In fact, this works for both online and in-store shopping and offers a tremendous amount of value to both clients and business owners. For example, suppose the customer is shopping at Ikea for a furniture item. In that case, they may be wondering whether or not a particular piece of furniture will fit in with the room’s overall interior. Thanks to Ikea’s AR app, customers can place the couch, bookcase, or anything else they are looking at right into their homes to see how it will look in real life. The same is possible with more personal items like makeup since retailers, like Cosmia, are letting people try on ready-made looks and individual items in AR. 

All of this is beneficial to the business owners because the customers are more engaged and can enjoy a more personalized experience, which leads to more sales and revenue. This is one of the main reasons companies everywhere are offering an AR customer experience. 

Interactive Packages and Labels 

Augmented reality packaging is proving to be a great tool for interacting with customers and providing them with all kinds of valuable information about the product. For example, when Finlandia launched a new vodka, coconut flavor, they knew that they would need to go outside the box to promote it because it offered an unfamiliar taste. This is why our company created an AR label that allowed the users to scan a QR code on the label, which would launch a professional bartender video explaining some of the possible drinks that can be created with this new flavor. This is just one interesting example of an augmented reality customer experience and its value to retailers and consumers. 

Improve the In-Store Experience 

People are looking for more and more convenience nowadays, and when they make a trip to a physical store location, they expect all of the processes to be streamlined as well. This includes things like trying on clothing items since making a trip to the fitting rooms can be a hassle. This is why a lot of stores have already started utilizing AR mirrors that allow the user to see how a particular clothing item will look on them right in the mirror. Such technology can also be used to attract people who walk by your store since the AR mirrors can show them how window display items will look on them. A lot of retailers have found AR mirrors to be very effective in terms of increasing the average check amounts, but also customer loyalty as well. 

Using Augmented Reality Influence Customer Journey

We talked about some of the ways an augmented reality consumer experience can alleviate doubts and help with product sales. Still, we also want customers to keep coming back for return business. This is where an AR loyalty program can be precious since it will allow you to influence the customer journey at every stage. A great example of such an AR loyalty program is Wizzzi since it builds emotional engagement and distinguishes itself from its competitors. 

It offers 26 different wizard cards customers can collect with every purchase, and the characters come to life thanks to AR. Consumers can then further use AR to engage their character in battle with other wizards where these characters are actually fighting in AR or something as simple as taking a picture with the AR character. This is a fun and innovative approach to using AR to improve the customer experience as well as the consumer journey. 

AR Improving Customer Experience

If you are looking to create an AR solution to improve the experience of your customers, contact Skywell Software today for a free consultation. We have extensive experience providing AR development services, and we have helped some of the most well-known brands all over the world create a solution that fits their needs.