In essence, you need to be thinking about what can be done to counter the key issues of online shopping, and while online shopping has come a long way, there’s still ways in which the high street wins.
From problems visualising items in situ, to the fitting and choosing of clothes and shoes, people are still very likely to go to an actual physical shop when it comes to making important purchases, or items they might want to try out before buying.
You could try on dozens of outfits without ever having to leave your home, and find clothes that really fit you, all without the fuss of poring over racks of clothing, and that’s just the fashion applications.
New technologies like augmented reality could make this a thing of the past. Combining AR tech with a super easy returns process could make for a much more reassuring online shopping process.
Augmented reality is already something most of us have regularly experienced. You know those filters on your Snapchat? They’re an example of AR. Essentially, it’s all about accurately reading the real world, and layering digital elements into it.
This isn’t just set to transform fashion e-commerce stores either. From buying glasses to furniture, being able to picture the item in situ and visualise how it works with your appearance or your home can be a major thing.
Why New Tech is Crucial in E-Commerce
It’s never been easier to start an e-commerce business. With easy DIY websites continually being produced, drop-shipping removing overheads, and guides and tutorials for literally everything online, shoestring online stores are continually appearing.
While the more DIY options rarely compete with the top e-commerce websites, this still makes up a whole lot of competition for anyone looking to build an effective long-term e-commerce business.
Fortunately, there is a way to stay ahead of the competition, and that’s always going to be incorporating new tech. Staying innovative is one of the best ways to carve out your niche in the market and beat the competition. It used to be tech like mobile optimisation, but that’s old hat now. Now you need to be thinking about things like AR.
The Problems with Online Shopping
You can’t just liberally douse your e-commerce site in new techniques, plugins, and software either. There has to be purpose to your approach, and that requires thinking about the real problems of online shopping.
That’s part of the reason why AR software is set to transform e-commerce. People still like the high street because it allows them to get a much better look at the products they’re buying. Augmented reality allows them to do that from the comfort of their homes.
Whether it’s trying on glasses or visualising furniture in situ, AR can really combat some of the major issues associated with online buying. Already, there’s online opticians using mobile apps to let customers try on glasses.
More recently, there’s clothing brands sending out morph-suit style spandex costumes allowing their customer’s smartphones to accurately measure their clothing sizes. This data is then used to provide custom-made clothing.
This is just what’s being done now. Imagine in a few years time when the technology is truly honed to a fine edge of precision. AR technology could be the final nail in the high street’s coffin.
