Let’s face it, no matter how you might excel in engaging your customers, you’re not going to win, and keep their business if you’re not able to help them understand how your product or service will make a tangible difference in their lives. And yet that ability to build real value for your costumes is often the key difference in converting a prospect into a sale.
It’s usually not enough, though, to appeal just to your customer’s intellect. You need to do more than explain, more than simply telling them what you have to offer. You have to make them feel the need, make them want the solution you have to offer. That usually requires a deeper level of persuasion, one that really shows them the difference your product can make in their lives.
And, increasingly, you have the power to do just that–thanks to innovations in augmented and virtual reality (AR/VR).
What’s the Difference?
It can be easy to confuse augmented reality (AR) with virtual reality (VR), but they’re actually quite different. AR uses technology, such as glasses, digital screens, smartphones, etc., to alter the sights and sounds of the physical environment you’re actually in in some way.
VR, on the other hand, takes you out of your actual physical environment and plops you down in some alternate reality. Through the use of headsets, gloves, and other peripherals, you’re able to engage with this other world as though you were really there.
Even Better Than the Real Thing?
The simple fact is it may well be in the fields of business, marketing and customer experience that AR achieves its highest potential.
For example, with AR, shoppers can use a selfie and their smartphones or mobile devices to “try on” different shoes or articles of clothing. Clients can experiment with different hairstyles before making a trip to the salon. You can even check out a seemingly endless variety of specs before you shell out the big bucks for your new prescription eyewear.
Customer experience is, after all, imperative to capturing and growing that relationship. And there’s nothing like being able to offer your customers a level of service and engagement that competitors just can’t match.
AR can provide a second-to-none customer experience because, not only can your customer lose themselves “playing” with your products, but they’ll also be much more likely to actually like how the item looks on them. That’s not only going to decrease the number of returns, but it’s also going to boost your relationship with your customer. What your customer sees is what your customer is going to get, which means no nasty surprises when your customer shops online or places an in-store order.
But that’s not all. AR even allows customers to transform photos on a traditional print page, such as a magazine or newspaper, into 3D images they can practically reach out and touch, all with a simple smartphone app. This can bring your advertising to the next level. It’s notoriously difficult to take a 2D image and accurately envision what the object would look like in 3D, but with AR tools like these, you’re helping your customers overcome that problem and, in the process, potentially revolutionizing your advertising!
The Takeaway
Virtual and augmented reality is more than a gamer’s dream. Now, more than ever, they’re also the best way to optimize your business. That includes providing your customer with an experience that other retailers just can’t compete with. It’s about taking your customers’ reality and making it better!
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