Augmented reality (AR) is Over 50 yearsHowever, its popularity and use has increased dramatically in recent times. The technology merges the digital and physical worlds, allowing you to showcase your products in a hybrid environment.
Companies across industries are adopting augmented reality as a way to share their products and services with potential customers. Whether this technology is right for you to incorporate into your customer experience depends on your business, your customers, and your imagination.
What is Augmented Reality?
Augmented reality is a technology that blends virtual and real elements. It is achieved through the use of an augmented reality device (usually a tablet or smartphone) and sometimes special AR glasses or headsets (such as Apple Vision Pro). These tools allow you to use AR to overlay virtual elements onto images of the real world.
How does augmented reality work?
Unlike virtual reality Unlike VR, where you work with digital objects in a fully digital environment, augmented reality (AR) technology adds digital objects to real-world environments.
AR apps use cameras and sensors to place virtual objects into a user’s environment, which the user can then view on the screen of their phone or other AR-enabled device. By overlaying these digital images onto images of real-world settings, augmented reality allows users to see things that don’t exist in their actual environment. With so many possibilities, individuals and businesses across industries are beginning to use this technology in innovative ways.
How to use augmented reality in your business
Augmented reality is already impacting businesses across the globe. Here are some examples of sectors embracing this technology:
retail
One attractive consumer use case for AR technology is online shopping, allowing customers to touch products and see what they look like up close. AR Shopping You can increase your sales.
For example, augmented reality apps allow consumers to see a digital 3D version of a sofa. Customers can view the sofa from all angles and even place the digital object in their own physical environment without being in a physical store. This is a great way for users to visualize which sofa would look best in a particular room.
Or consider a beauty supply store Retail AR Give your customers the opportunity to try out different colors of eyeshadow or different hair colors. Allowing your customers to interact with your products from a distance using augmented reality in this way can increase customer engagement.
repair
Another way to use augmented reality in your business is to deploy this technology in remote maintenance and repair processes. Whether you need to provide information to trained technicians or consumers, you can use AR technology to place AR overlays, how-to information, and diagrams on real-time images of products.
This use of AR will enable companies to provide remote assistance for repair processes that would otherwise require on-site intervention. customer service For example, a user can point an AR-enabled smartphone at a complex mechanical product and use augmented reality to see how the parts work and diagnose what isn’t working properly.
training
For decades, businesses and organizations have used simulation technology to train their employees. AR now allows employees to blend simulation with the physical world, helping them prepare for real-world scenarios.
New hires can also receive live training feedback through the AR app while learning to use virtual tools in a real-world environment. Users can also learn how to use complex products or tools by viewing detailed virtual instructions while interacting with real-world objects, saving in-person training time and allowing employees to learn at their own pace.
education
Using AR to create interactive lessons is another way to combine efficient learning with the personal touch of real-time feedback. remote learn.
Imagine a class of students learning about the ancient Incan ruins of Machu Picchu. Augmented reality for education allows users to see the ruins at different times and see maps of the city as it was when people lived there. For those with AR devices like tablets and smartphones, this can be a great way to interact with information in a physical space.
sightseeing
Augmented reality has the potential to revolutionize tourism-related businesses, and the ability to use technology to create personalized experiences will only become more important.
This could mean displaying detailed digital information during a self-guided tour or using artificial intelligence to plan a route tailored to a potential customer’s interests. Another example could be showing users meals from different local restaurants or letting them experience digital versions of different hotel rooms.
Interactive Storytelling
AR experiences can be a powerful marketing tool to tell your company’s story, increasing brand awareness and creating more opportunities for potential customers to engage with your company.
In addition to businesses, media organizations are also using augmented reality to tell stories, using the technology to overlay moving graphics and videos on newspapers and magazines.
Meanwhile, museums are using AR to create guided tours of museum exhibits: as visitors move through the rooms, they can scan QR codes with their AR-enabled devices, which play sounds and display graphics, transforming the viewer’s experience of the physical environment and making the static come to life.
Modeling and Design
A major advantage of AR is that it allows users to visualize digital elements without the physical constraints associated with prototyping and manufacturing. Unlike traditional modeling techniques, augmented reality allows users to place digital objects in non-digital spaces.
For example, engineers can design a 3D model and then use augmented reality to view it from different angles, allowing them to more accurately predict an object’s real-world potential and theoretically streamline the design process.
Augmented Reality Examples in Business
Great examples of augmented reality in retail include: Rebecca Minkoff fashion brandThe apparel, handbag and other retailer has been an early adopter of new technologies, and the business decisions have proven to be a good one.
Over a period of time, Rebecca Minkoff incorporated 3D modeling and AR technology into its website, allowing shoppers to use their smartphones to interact with the products they were considering purchasing. The screens allowed them to view the products from different angles and get a close-up look at the details. Ultimately, Rebecca Minkoff found that its website visitors were 65% more likely to place an order after interacting with a product in augmented reality.
Frequently asked questions about augmented reality in business
What are the challenges of using augmented reality in business?
Two challenges to using AR in your business are time and cost: Integrating AR technology into your user experience requires technical skills and may require hiring experts, and like any technology, the effectiveness of AR ultimately depends on the nature of your business and the needs and wants of your customers.
How do you use AR in your marketing?
AR can be a powerful tool for marketing your brand. For businesses, AR allows customers and potential customers to interact not only with your product, but also with your brand in their own physical environment. AR creates a personal connection between your brand and your potential customers.
Will AR increase sales?
be Case Study A properly implemented augmented reality solution can boost sales, as seen in the case of fashion brand Rebecca Minkoff, which saw a 44% increase in customers adding products to their shopping list. shopping cart After interacting with a product in 3D, shoppers are 65% more likely to place an order, and after interacting with a product in AR, they are 65% more likely to place an order. Results vary, but augmented reality allows shoppers to interact with products in a real-world environment, making it more likely that they will place an order. Increase sales By deepening the connection between your customers and your business.
