Field notes on AI-native CPQ

Augmented reality (AR) has been around for decades now, but only recently have the technologies needed to maximize its full potential emerged. Providing customers with interactive and immersive shopping experiences is a top priority among many companies, including:

One of the most popular and effective digital marketing strategies is influencer marketing. But like any marketing idea, it requires a well-thought-out plan to execute — a plan you can help bring to fruition with the use of a visual configurator.

Augmented reality is the next generation of online shopping. Thanks to their ability to deliver superior online experiences, AR apps for eCommerce have exploded in popularity–and nearly every business can benefit. AR apps not only provide virtual experiences that rival in-person visits; they’re also creating new opportunities that were previously unavailable to consumers. New abilities, like on-the-spot customization, in-home viewing options, and interactive marketing campaigns provide new experiences that neither brick-and-mortar stores nor traditional online shops can deliver. And the possibilities are still growing. Grand View Research predicts the total market for augmented reality to be worth $340 billion by 2028. What was once the province of Google Glass and Pokémon Go has become mainstream.

In a world that’s becoming more dependent on the Internet with each passing day, it’s no surprise that the bulk of modern shopping is happening online. The eCommerce market is flooded with options for customers to choose from, and many brands are fighting to offer their own unique, high-quality shopping experience that sets them apart. Product customization is an increasingly essential component of that experience. The opportunity for shoppers to select the finer details of a given product and personalize it to their own preferences can be what makes or breaks a purchase–and what keeps certain retailers ahead of the competition. What was once a novelty in many brick-and-mortar stores has become a standard for online shopping. There are many reasons why offering product customization in your eCommerce experience is necessary for your company to succeed in the 21st century, and the following are some of the top ones.

As online shopping gains significant momentum, consumers expect a superior virtual experience. In the 21st century, personalization is making a huge stand. That's why allowing consumers to customize their products is the key to high conversion and retention rates. An interactive product configurator is a powerful tool that doesn't just allow customers to explore items from all angles–it helps them create a perfect product by playing around with different configuration options.

Augmented reality is becoming far more than a fun toy. Today, augmented reality is an invaluable tool for businesses. High-quality 3D visuals have seen a growing demand in eCommerce for at least the past decade but the pandemic caused consumer expectations to spike and they’re here to stay. During quarantine, shoppers were forced to do nearly all of their browsing and buying from home. Brands stepped up to provide them with highly detailed, photorealistic 3D product visuals raising the bar for every player in the digital marketing game. Some brands went a step further and designed augmented reality experiences enabling customers to view products in their spaces in real-time. Today, the competition is a short keyword search away and consumers have voiced their preference for brands offering AR for ecommerce. In fact, a recent study found that 66% of shoppers said augmented reality increased their confidence that they were buying the right product. So it’s clear that augmented reality can increase customer confidence, and therefore boost sales, but how can businesses go about designing and deploying an augmented reality solution? Fortunately, with rising demand has come new opportunities to incorporate augmented reality into your marketing plan. There are multiple avenues to that end of varying levels of complexity. Let’s take a look at a few options.

Consumers today are craving highly visual online shopping experiences. Showcasing products in real-life environments via augmented reality (AR) certainly seems like it would meet that criteria. But is AR an effective tool for eCommerce? We’ve all seen AR apps used to share fun, whimsical animations with friends and family but AR has far more potential than a few laughs. Think about it. With high-quality 3D visuals, AR gives consumers a chance to envision real, tangible products right in their own space. This gives them even more confidence than being able to browse a store’s physical inventory at a brick-and-mortar location.

In digital marketing, Augmented Reality (AR) has been all the rage for quite some time now, and for good reason. But what’s the best AR app for eCommerce? There are plenty of variables to take into consideration when rating the AR apps available to digital marketers but before we dive in, let’s take a look at what AR is and why it’s so critical for eCommerce today.

At Threekit, we help our clients build amazing eCommerce customer experiences mostly because it's really fun to watch it transform our clients' online business. We don't do it for recognition, but we'd be lying if we said it doesn't feel nice to be appreciated. That's why we were thrilled today to see our collaboration with TaylorMade Golf featured in an article by ZDNet contributor and Salesforce Evangelist Brian Solis called "2021: The year that 3D and augmented reality for commerce cashes in."

In many ways, golf is the most personal sport. Among the ten most popular sports in the world, it's the only one you can play by yourself. Every swing is different, but for far too long, everyone has had access to essentially the same clubs. Most amateur golfers test a few different brands and go with the one that works best, but the pros have essentially always relied on fully custom clubs to optimize their performance. TaylorMade is bringing that customization experience to every golfer with their all new builder for their all new SIM2 driver, powered by Threekit.

Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton, more commonly known as LVMH, is the company behind many of the world's largest and most successful luxury retail brands including Louis Vuitton, Dior, and Sephora. As part of their effort to identify and support emergent brands, LVMH runs an accelerator program in Paris called "Les Maison des Startups."