Advanced 3D visualization has several advantages over 2D images due to the countless additional capabilities that rendering in 3D provides. There are many benefits for both B2C and B2B customers, which in turn translate into benefits for your business.
To best illustrate the various reasons that rendering in 3D is better for both shoppers and retailers, we'll first list the top three customer benefits; then, we’ll examine the top three business benefits. In many cases, you'll be able to see a direct relationship between them, as the outcome of the former is often the reason for the ladder.
Customer benefits
Rendering in 3D has many advantages over rendering in 2D. These advantages lead to 3D visuals providing unique benefits to customers that 2D images just can't deliver.
Let's dive into the three advantages most important to consumers. Each one has specific causes and can lead to distinct benefits for your shoppers.
1. Better product visualization
Rendering in 3D produces uninterrupted 360° product visualizations, allowing shoppers to view items from every angle. This provides a much more complete look at the product than still, 2D photos can manage.
Many people prefer in-store shopping because it allows them to see their options in person and even interact with them. But the various ways users can control, maneuver and interact with these advanced visuals can provide a virtual in-store experience that often matches or even surpasses that of brick-and-mortar retail.
Rendering in 3D allows you to create 3D models and 360° visuals that give users the ability to:
- Rotate products 360° to see every side
- Spin them on one axis or more for additional views
- Zoom in on specific sections to easily view details that 2D images don't capture well
- Understanding product features and functionality better using hotspots they can click or hover over to reveal additional information
- Feel as if they're walking around the item or picking it up and moving it like they would in stores
These 3D visuals are easy to convert into augmented reality (AR) files to help B2C customers virtually try before they buy. For B2B customers, seeing detailed custom products in their warehouse or office from every angle makes it much more obvious whether it will work for them.
2. More customization options
This ability to see every part of the product makes it easy for users to create their ideal version. Rendering in 3D with our next-generation product configuration platform also allows you to offer much more complex configuration options.
Our product customizer has the power and fidelity needed to configure the most complex products imaginable. With our crisp and clear imagery, even the most sophisticated products will appear accurately and in perfect detail.
It has all the functionality you could want, including nested and parametric configurations. It's the perfect choice for niches that require more specialized features to create detailed 3D renderings of advanced configurations like B2B equipment for manufacturers and building material retailers.
This gives B2C customers true customization options to tailor items to their needs and create a completely unique product. It also provides expanded options and superior control for B2B customers with specific needs.
Threekit does it all, and instead of sacrificing image quality in favor of power, we deliver the most feature-rich configuration platform with the most powerful and advanced next-gen technology that renders the highest quality 360° visuals in 3D.
3. Better customer experience
Product configuration with visual rendering in 3D provides the features customers want most.
The number of shoppers reporting a desire to customize products has been increasing for years. Also, they increasingly prefer an eCommerce experience that feels personalized to their needs and custom-made for them.
Consumers also consistently report wanting a more independent shopping experience, more visuals and more advanced technology like 3D and AR. Product configuration with 3D visuals can meet all these needs.
The sophisticated configuration capabilities and guided selling features of a 3D product configurator make it much faster and easier to create more complex products with more detailed customization options.
This can be especially helpful to B2B customers who often have more complex and specific product requirements but can't afford to waste any time playing phone tag with sales reps.
Guided selling gives consumers the independence they crave and streamlines the purchase process. Dynamic pricing provides cost transparency and eliminates surprises at checkout by updating the cost in real time.
3D visuals can easily be made into AR-ready files to give customers the ability to see products in their space. They can easily test sizes and see if they like the product in their homes.
They can also try on items like clothing and makeup to get a feel for the color, style and fit. Then they can see if it goes with their existing products and/or wardrobe.
When customers create products to their specifications in real time, it boosts their purchase confidence, making them more certain that the product will meet their needs and increasing their likelihood of buying it. Plus, a better, more engaging customer experience increases satisfaction rates.
Business benefits
Rendering in 3D has many advantages for customers over rendering 2D images. However, the advantages for businesses are even more impressive and abundant.
Many of the benefits for shoppers translate into benefits for the retailer. However, there are also additional advantages unconnected to them.
1. Save time and effort
Guided selling allows customers to configure products on their own, freeing up sales and customer service reps to deal with the shoppers who want or need their assistance. Furthermore, the process acts as visual and interactive customer education.
The platform walks shoppers through each step of their configuration. It provides additional information that may be difficult or time-consuming to explain with words alone.
As a result, the length of the sales cycle is shortened. Also, retailers receive fewer calls from customers with product questions.
Threekit's 3D visualization platform gives you the ability to quickly and easily create 3D ads, product videos and tutorials for your site, YouTube channel or other social media platforms. Even better, it does it all with a codeless configuration engine that seamlessly integrates with your website and other business tools.
2. Save money
Rendering in 3D or using virtual photography cuts photography costs by up to 90%. Show every possible customization combination in real time without creating every iteration and taking endless product photos.
Better visuals reassure customers that they know what they're getting, increasing buyer confidence and purchase volume. Having more satisfied customers also leads to fewer costly returns for you to process.
One Threekit customer saw a huge increase in sales after adding product customization capabilities. They sold triple the products in a third of the time over the following six months.
3D visuals paired with guided selling also increase upsells and add-ons. For example, Lovesac — a furniture company specializing in configurable sectionals — started selling 15% more accessories and add-ons when they launched their online configurator with Threekit.
Higher engagement and dwell time mean greater visibility on search engines and more organic site visitors. Brands can spend less on ads while still gaining traffic.
You can also make the ads you do run more effective. According to Google, 3D ads have a three times higher engagement rate than standard display ads and rich media ads.
This, in turn, increases purchase intent nearly sevenfold and brand favorability nearly fivefold. Our platform also makes your ads and other visuals more shareable on social media, increasing brand awareness for free.
Click here to learn more about Threekit's product customizer or find out about our integrations for WooCommerce, BigCommerce, Magento and Shopify. You can also find our app with free installation in places like the Shopify app store.
3. Increase KPIs
As you can imagine, all of this leads to a lot of important metrics increasing. Customers see amazing results like:
- Increased average order value by 50%
- Boosted conversion rates by 42%
- Increased customer engagement and dwell time
- Higher customer experience and customer satisfaction ratings
- More customer loyalty
- More engagement and shares on social media
The perfect win/win scenario
Rendering in 3D provides tons of added value for customers and retailers. Threekit's platform can give you an easy win/win to make your business more streamlined and successful. Make your customers happier than ever!
Sound like a pretty good deal? Get in touch with us to learn more!
