VR website: A new way to entice customers

Over the past five years, virtual reality has taken an important place in the real world. Devices and services dedicated to the use of virtual reality have already been created and are used in daily life. You can find it in movies, video games, and many more. For instance, Pokemon Go is one of the best VR games that took the world by storm and was released to the mobile-gaming market in 2016. And companies like Samsung created a virtual reality gaming headset which can instantly connect to your mobile devices. 

Also read about the Best Playstation VR Games

WebVR Shopping Portal Application development

From virtual reality game development, VR portal development has moved to the retail and e-commerce industry as a great tool for enticing new customers. The outburst in the growth of VR is great news for eCommerce merchants. New platforms for marketing and techniques don’t come around much. But whenever they do, if you want to survive, you have to be the first one to jump on board.

Possibly you would have been in a situation where you are looking for a product online, but you hesitate to buy. This is because you want to see that in a person first. Sound familiar?

Wouldn’t it be convenient for you if that product might magically come in front of you? Well, Virtual Reality can do that for you, and believe it or not, it can be done right from your browser.

As a marketing tool for businesses, VR portals are becoming progressively important. It may sound futuristic or a bit of novelty. Still, it is making an impact and proving to be a valuable resource, especially in the marketing segments like customer service and live events.

There is no doubt that to have a strong connection between your customer and your brand is essential. If they feel truly connected with the product, then only they will buy it. To make a healthy relationship with them, you need to continually come up with innovative ways to make your product visible. It can be either one-to-one sessions, word of mouth, advertising, website, social media, good-looking stores, and many other ways.

But today, we can see a change in communication where the companies are turning away from the conventional form of marketing and gravitating towards technology ridden approaches - VR website. Marketing is taking one step further where you can not only see the product but experience it, live through it. The following article focuses on WebVR and how you can make the best use of it in your business to entice customers.

If you have a struggling business, then this one’s for you. Keep reading!

What is WebVR?

WebVR is a JavaScript API that brings the magic of virtual reality to your internet browser. The user navigates through a 2D web interface like always they do. But when they communicate with any VR content, they immediately begin interacting with 3D content. These browsers allow users to see content as responsive to their phone positioning and movement of their mobile devices. 

Once the user “Enter VR” button from the browser, they enter into the world of virtual reality and with any available VR headset they can experience full immersion without downloading an app or plugins. With just a single click, these browsers provide the user with a smooth VR experience. These browsers are smart enough as they reconcile the past 2D browser with future browsing. 

Why Implement WebVR?

It can be annoying to go to an online store followed with “Download the app!” The same annoyance can also happen with VR shopping if you have to download the large app for every individual store you wish to visit. It is also a big obstruction for a new merchant, as they will have to think about creating an app and market it. This is the reason why VR websites are so powerful. 

The 3D experience exists alongside the rest of the online store and reaps the benefits of all other advantages that the website offers. Web virtual reality development allows the customer to have a 360-degree widespread product view. Today, there are various types of VR devices, with different levels of compatibility, often with their own storefronts. This has resulted in a fragmentation of the VR ecosystem, where you can access certain games and apps on specific platforms.

However, with a VR website, you can explore virtual reality in a platform where you no longer have to select which devices you are going to choose and develop them as a different experience. Instead of developing an app which users have to download, a WebVR simply appears on the web, just like any other website. Navigate the site, plug in your headset, and you are good to go.

Why should online sellers consider VR portals?

Gone are those when you have to visit a shop when you suddenly develop an urge to buy a new pair of shoes or any latest home appliance. The internet has given us the freedom to buy whenever, whatever we please. The eCommerce businesses are killing it where sales are involved. The features of VR and eCommerce are closely related - both are basically real-world experiences that have been replicated digitally. They both compliment each other well, which means as an eCommerce merchant, you can see some substantial advantages of using VR as a marketing device.

Many online merchants are effectively using VR as a part of their integrated marketing strategies. In an age where content is recognized as one of the driving factors behind lead generations, VR is an excellent way of creating an unforgettable customer experience that will really last.  

Think about it: What is more alluring, reading a description of a dress or virtually trying that dress on in different colours along with the accessories? 

eCommerce sellers should take note: Virtual reality can reinvent your shopping experience, enabling you to build enticing experiences that re-enact the traditional shopping trip, but from the comfort of the customer's home or from anywhere around the world. This has the competence to alter the way we do shopping entirely, and online merchants should start preparing for the VR revolution before they get left behind.

What are the advantages of VR websites for businesses?

1. One step ahead of your rivals:

In order to attract online visitors to your site and increase your booking or sales, it is essential to give your Web users unparalleled access to VR video. If you want to stay ahead of your rivals, you need to keep your potential customers for a longer duration in your homepage by enabling them to interact with your products and services. A simple click of the mouse will not be enough if you want to establish confidence with your customer. A virtual reality website will give your company an opportunity to create experiences that will reach your audience through unique interaction rather than just a plain text. 

2. Fully Immersive customer experience:

VR can create an immersive, rich, and most importantly, memorable shopping experience by giving the customer a total sense of presence which is much richer than those we experience in traditional stores. They are more likely to develop an immediate, lasting emotional connection by experiencing a product, physical business location, or a showroom in virtual reality. 

3. Transform of the idea ‘Try before you buy’:

Web VR has transformed the ‘Try before you buy’ concept. With many companies integrating VR technologies into the customer experience, the idea of ‘try before you buy’ grows tremendously. ‘Try before you fly’, ‘Look before you book’ all these immerse consumers in the unique product experience. Imagine that you are on a hotel booking website and you want to book a room in a particular hotel. You are not sure whether to go to that hotel or not. WebVR gives you an opportunity to walk virtually and have a look at your entire property. This will provide more information to the customers in order to make an informed decision.

4. VR portal reduce language barriers:

If a picture is worth a thousand words, a VR website must be more than a million. By demonstrating the product’s worth by showing rather than saying is much easier. Also, it can be more helpful by demoing complex products, particularly to someone who speaks a different language than you.   

In what ways can you use VR websites in eCommerce?

Imagine sitting on your sofa, wearing a VR headset and getting the feel of the expo, live events or watching a product demo. This is how virtual reality has wholly altered the way people used to watch events as well as shop. Without making a single step from the comfort of your home, you can reach a new place of your desire. 

Let’s look at the ways you can get the most out of VR as an eCommerce merchant. How can you offer your customer a VR shopping experience, and how other brands are already gaining the rewards VR has to offer.

1. Real-time customer feedback

Are you seeking ways to ensure that you form a strong emotional relationship with your clients? Traditional concepts are passe because businesses now have to formulate strategies to let consumers experience memorable experiences. VR websites are the best way to do it. Customer experience is the most important factor for a prosperous business, and the feedback of the customer is a crucial aspect of it.  People are bored with the standard ideas that are offered today. It is imperative to offer, which is innovative, engaging, and appealing, i.e. a WebVR experience.

Offer new experiences to your clients, allow them to feel amazing and let them have a unique experience of virtual reality. 

Happy customer - a successful business. 

Companies who want to stay in the market must contribute to the customer’s experience. And a virtual reality portal is the best approach to do it.

2. A compelling story of your product

Nothing is authentic anymore. But don't let this put a dampener on your product. You can still make your product stand out. Although there might be numerous other products like yours, do they have the same emotional and engaging backstory? No, they don't. This is how you distinguish your brand - by selling it with a story behind it.

You should develop a story that appeals to your audience. Doing this would help them to connect with you emotionally. It also allows communicating with them on a much deeper level rather than just giving your product the hard sell. 

Let’s say you make hand-made cashmere products. You could use VR to give a full 360-degree showcase of how the process of making the pashmina product is ethically sourced. You can take your customers on the journey how the local people comb the undercoat of a goat. What is the process of spinning, weaving, and dyeing. Your customers can experience all of this through the magic of VR, instead of just reading about it on the website.

3. Testing of the product

One of the reasons that many customers are cautious of making an online purchase is they don’t get a good idea of what the product will look like. Before they buy anything, they have an innate desire to try first, with 58% prefer to buy a product after they have been offered a chance to test it first. VR websites give the customers a product view from 360 degrees, from all possible angles and providing a better outlook of what they are buying. 

Although there are apps that can offer a 360-degree product view, but to view a product on screen does not compete with the product that is being digitally checked. There are already plenty of eCommerce retailers taking advantage of virtual reality that allow its customers to buy products digitally rather than visiting a store. 

An example of this is a beauty brand - Sephora. Sephora Virtual Artist app makes use of VR technology on its shopping application to deliver a personalized shopping experience. This app enables users to try different products before deciding what to buy. In addition to this, they can also learn the make-up tutorial with their extensive video coverage. This results in boosting user engagement, conversions and reducing refunds. I played around the app and used their virtual tutorial; they are very cool. It shows you how to contour, where to apply highlighter on your face than guessing after watching a YouTube video. 

4. Launching Live events

The main problem with live events is getting people to attend them. Don’t get us wrong. We are not saying that your events are not worthy of attending, what we mean is many of them don’t get the opportunity to visit it. It might be because of the distance or unable to make it there physically.

The fantastic thing about virtual reality is you can bring the event to your audience instead of vice versa. By integrating a VR feature into your live events can broaden your audience by reaching those who would like to attend the events but cannot as it is held at different parts of the globe.

Excitingly, VR allows everybody to sit in the front row seats of the shows - literally. VR lets everyone sit on the front row, so no one is left sitting at the back, trying to make out the way to see the details of whatever is being showcased. This will go a long way to enhance the experience of your audience, therefore, offering them a more optimistic impression of your brand. 

Let’s take the example of a New York Fashion Week.  Even though the show itself was in New York City, via VR technology, the visitors had an opportunity to present in Milan for the “Dreaming of Italy” show. All the New York fashion lovers were able to watch fully immersive, 360-degree videos of fashion collections through the Samsung Gear VR headset. Anyone attending the VR fashion show has the complete feeling of being present in an exquisitely furnished room with models in beautiful outfits parading right in front of them.

The best part of this technology is you can host the events with reduced costs by creating a virtual experience instead of physical ones. It can also bring more customers to the brand who could not otherwise visit the events. So, VR will definitely increase the brand’s presence as well as awareness and get more sales.

So, if eCommerce is your playfield, it is worth investing in VR technology with the help of virtual reality applications. When implemented effectively, this cutting-edge technology not only provides an engaging experience by setting your brand apart but also bridges the touch feel of the gap of online customers.  

Begin with a clear vision of who is your target audience and what kind of experience you want them to have. Be clear what you would like to achieve, what are your goals and the scope of the project. Understand the technology that can transform your idea into reality, hire a VR developer who can build a virtual world for you. Virtual reality should tell more about experiences than technology, make sure it provides value and offers customers the experience they won’t find anywhere else.

What’s more exhilarating?

We get to see the historical changes unfold before our very eyes. 

Conclusion

If you want to survive in the hyper-competition market of today, make sure your brand stands out of the crowd. The secret is to emotionally involve customers, reaping the benefit of technology to improve customer engagement and drive sales. In one word: with your VR website provide an outstanding digital experience to your customer. 

Being the best VR game development company, Logic Simplified has a rich talent pool of virtual reality game developers experienced in all the latest technology. We develop the best VR applications. The experts of the company work smartly on VR development technologies and tools to provide you with the best solutions for your high-tech needs. The team of experienced, passionate, self-driven game designers and developers deliver custom-tailored solutions. To know more, just drop us an email at enquiry@logicsimplified.com