Field notes on AI guided selling.

Augmented reality (AR) is the process of layering some type of organized digital information onto a real-world scene. The process augments–in other words, improves or makes more complex–our interaction with the world around us. Augmented reality has been available for several years, via smartphone apps like Niantic Inc.'s Pokémon Go and apps that let shoppers see what a certain piece of furniture will look like in their living room. Today, tech titans like Google, Apple, and Facebook have ambitious plans for launching AR-based products in the future. There is an infinite number of potential applications of augmented reality–it's not just for gaming anymore. These prominent companies know AR is required for state-of-the-art products and customer demands. Self-driving cars and smart factories have been touted as primary applications of augmented reality. But with 5G wireless service comes ease of applying AR technology to consumer-based products like smart glasses. It's time for every business to assess the ways AR can be applied to improve both in-house operations and customer experience. Below are some examples of tech industry investment in augmented reality.

The world of eCommerce is more competitive than ever before. With countless brands vying for customer attention on their laptops and mobile devices, it’s critical for every player in the digital marketing space to be on their A game at all times, in every medium. While this may sound like a monumental challenge, it’s also one of the most exciting times in marketing history. New technologies, approaches, and tools are popping up every day, promising an endless future of innovation to look forward to.

If you're like me, you're super intrigued by the hooplah surrounding NFTs, crypto-markets, and meme-stocks. You understand that there are opportunities out there, but you don't really know enough to figure out how to leverage them. This new piece from Threekit's founder Ben Houston, "Virtual Products and NFTs in the Metaverse," is a super helpful overview, offering practical insights for businesses who want to learn how to sell virtual products and make their mark in this space.

The importance of customer experience in eCommerce cannot be over-emphasized. Why? Because without staff or a brick-and-mortar structure, online shoppers form their opinions of a brand based on their journey through its website. The pandemic completely transformed every area of life, including shifting shopping habits from traditional in-store visits to primarily digital experiences.

We are thrilled to announce the launch of Shop Threekit. Shop Threekit is the world’s first multi-brand 3D marketplace. That means it’s the first place on the web where virtual shoppers can go to find the best customizable products with high-end eCommerce customer experiences to match.

With this partnership, smart companies can develop immersive, visual digital experiences that engage visitors, boost conversions, and transform their businesses.

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.