In the last couple of years, buying behavior has changed rapidly.
Purchasing online has become a routine for customers from both B2C and B2B spaces.
Even people who strongly preferred physical product experience, after the pandemic, have switched to online shopping.
One key reason why the transition was so rapid and increasing is that businesses including retailers and manufacturers are using personalization to make customers feel like they are shopping from the store.
With the adoption of AI-powered applications like Personalized Recommendations, Virtual Assistants, Visual Search, Automation, and more, eCommerce stores and marketplaces are able to provide personal experiences at every touch point of buying journey from highly-relevant search results, and quick checkouts to 24x7 customer service.
Customers are able to order anything to everything from their places of comfort, with a few clicks!
However, it doesn’t apply to all types of products yet!
Though more and more people are buying online, they are still reluctant when it comes to high-value items.
For example, you won’t give a second thought when ordering a pizza, a pair of shirts, a new smartphone, or renting a car online, but if you want to buy furniture or a refrigerator, or a TV, you will want to go to the store, check it out and clarify your doubts like size, color, services or warranty with the salesperson.
#AI and #ArtificialReality (AR) can help retailers and manufacturers to bring these high-value products to customers’ premises virtually to provide them with a highly-personalized product experience.
During one of the podcasts, Arun Prasath S, CEO of FocuzAR explained how over an AR-based video call a salesperson can show and demonstrate to the customer –how the wardrobe would look in their bedroom, if it matches and fits the room’s design style or not.
Customers can also interact with the virtual product to know more information like functionality, dimensions, and aesthetics, and receive assistance from your sales representative instantly.
As metaverse captures more space in people's lives, this trend to preview products or experience services in your own environment and on your own time will force even small to medium-scale businesses to adopt AR-based experiences to keep up with the evolving customer expectations.
For businesses who haven’t yet started with personalization, this is the right time for you to adopt an AI-powered hyper-personalized shopping experience, and plan your next strategies as you improve on your customer experience and build on the tech capabilities.
Next Big Challenge for the eCommerce Industry
