How AR for eCommerce Can Ramp Up Your Paid Ad Campaigns

Customer using AR for eCommerce to picture items in his home

Paid ad campaigns (whether powered-up with AR for eCommerce or through traditional image and video ads) provide online retailers with a way to immediately target potential customers. Statistics suggest that paid advertising returns $2 for every $1 spent

Still, for startups and SMBs, it can be difficult to spend a significant amount on marketing when funds are already stretched razor-thin. As a growing business, determining how to create a strong advertising campaign can be tough. That's why it's essential to boost the effectiveness of these ads any way you can. That’s where AR for eCommerce shines.

Paid ads meet your target audience where they are. You can add to that utility by providing shoppable posts so consumers can make a purchase without leaving the platform they're on. These shoppable posts can create a share-worthy immersive experience when you add AR technology to the mix. AR for eCommerce allows customers to customize products and virtually try them on or place them in their homes. 

Customers are loving it. In fact, 61% of customers say they prefer retailers with AR experiences. For online shops, this is an opportunity to drastically increase the effectiveness of paid ads.

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How AR for eCommerce Works

instant pot augmented reality example

Augmented reality (AR) provides customers with a way to virtually place a 3D image into the user's view of the real world. The ability to access this enhanced view of reality allows potential customers to customize products. They can even view the completed creation inside their homes. 

This is great news for eCommerce businesses. 

Finally, there is a way for online stores to cultivate immersive experiences that allow customers to try out products in a similar fashion to the one that occurs in brick-and-mortar stores.

As a customer, you've likely seen the use of AR advertising from major companies. It's the ‘try before you buy’ feature that allows you to virtually test a product before you decide to buy it. The most common types of AR for eCommerce include:

Virtual Try-On Features

This is used for clothing and shoes, cosmetics, glasses, and accessories. Virtual try-on features allow customers to try on a variety of options for wearable products from home.

Preview Placement

Home goods, furniture, and appliances can be difficult to visualize in your home, even when shopping in physical stores. AR allows shoppers to customize an item and virtually place it in a real-life space in the home. With this AR technology, users can confidently purchase an item that will fit with and match existing decor.

Social Media Filters

AR features on social media platforms were initially used for entertainment. But they can provide huge value for eCommerce sites hoping to provide an interactive experience for customers. Not only are you able to meet customers where they are, but users can also create a group shopping experience when they share images with contacts for opinions.

Click here to learn more about Threekit's AR for eCommerce platform.

4 Ways AR for eCommerce Can Ramp Up Your Paid Ad Campaigns

ring stacking

Augmented reality has come a long way from Pokémon GO. While the wildly popular game brought virtual reality and AR into the spotlight, AR technology is no longer just for entertainment.

It is a powerful selling tool used by many eCommerce stores to increase functionality on websites and gain attention in marketing campaigns. When you already have the power of paid advertisements on your side, adding reality features can increase your selling power. 

Consider these ways AR for eCommerce can improve your paid ad campaigns:

1. Grab Attention

The internet is a busy place. Consumers become blind to advertising techniques. 

While AR is experiencing a transformative moment, many companies in the eCommerce industry haven't begun using it. Additionally, AR solutions are typically found on eCommerce sites; using them requires consumers to make an active choice to stop what they're doing to visit your website. 

When augmented reality experiences are integrated into your paid ads, users interact without having to make a commitment like downloading an AR app or visiting your website.

2. Harness the Power of Social Media

Two friends sharing customized products on social media

Paid ads on social media are important because they target your ideal customers where they are. Typically, social media users are after two things: entertainment and connecting with others. 

For eCommerce brands, this is a unique opportunity to grow your customer base. Suppose your paid AR-enhanced advertisement reaches your target customer, and they enjoy playing with it. Then this potential customer can share the experience with friends on the platform, increasing the reach of the original ad.

3. Create Immersive Experiences That Attract Customers Back to Your Website

Advertisements grab attention and promote products. New technologies that use AR create interactive experiences that hold attention and provide entertainment. 

But not every interaction with your paid ad must result in a sale for it to be effective. 

If your target user interacts with the experience of trying on your clothing items, placing your home goods products in their homes, or customizing your products, you've created a memorable experience your potential customer will likely try to repeat. This can result in more traffic to your online shop that yields sales in the future.

Learn about Threekit's AR capabilities. 

4. Increase Impulse Buys

Impulse buying is fairly common among consumers. It has even risen 18% in the last year

In the past, impulse purchases were more likely to be made in person. But impulse buys from eCommerce websites are growing. 

Impulse buys are often coaxed by the power of the 'touch, feel, try it on factor' you can get with a store experience. The AR experience in paid advertising creates a similar result.

Consider This: 

Your potential customer is browsing one of their favorite platforms and sees an advertisement for a sleek leather armchair. It's nice, but not something the user can see in their own home. 

Still, with AR, they ‘place’ the chair in their living room for fun and love the result. The real-time result of seeing the 3D model in a familiar space provides customers with a new view of reality that makes them confident enough to make the purchase.

AR is becoming the new reality for eCommerce, and getting on board early can provide you with a competitive edge. Whether you already use AR features on your site or you're totally new to the concept, AR for eCommerce can help you grow your online business.

To learn more about AR for eCommerce and how the technology can be used in your paid advertising campaign, get in touch with the experts at Threekit today.