Due to the global COVID-19 pandemic, foot traffic on the main street is at an all-time low, making it very difficult for retailers to attract the kind of traffic they are used to, especially during a critical season like winter holidays. But, instead of trying to entice customers by simply lowering prices or staging massive sales, innovative companies around the world are using immersive 3D virtual tours with e-commerce to reinvent or improve the shopping experience. purchase.
Knowing how crucial the upcoming season is for retailers, here are five ways virtual tours can help aid retail:
- Transport people to your store instantly – At its most basic level, creating a virtual tour is a great way to transport people around your store so they can get a feel for the products you offer in a warmer, more integrated environment than most. commercial sites that only present the products on a white background. With 3D, you can create immersive experiences that represent your brand, which helps build long-term value and loyalty for your business. Here's a great example of the Happier Camper store in Los Angeles brought to life with a 3D virtual tour.
- Add e-commerce – By using virtual tours and adding e-commerce, people can continue to buy your products even if they can't visit your store in person. A 3D digital twin, combined with e-commerce, like this Ferguson showroom in Chicago, is a great example of how the shopping experience is enhanced through a virtual tour by labeling each product with details and a link to buy.
Improving Storytelling – A virtual visit is not only an opportunity to introduce your products in a more natural environment, you can also enhance product storytelling by integrating images, sound, video and text to tell a much richer story. Artcraft® Lighting, a lighting manufacturer, is an impressive example. - Attract an international audience – One of the best things about creating a virtual experience for your store is that you can attract people from all over the world. This means you won't be limited to people who know you or see your store on the street. By combining your 3D model with modern digital marketing and social media, you can attract people from all over the world to shop in your virtual store. Here is a Rockford store in Chile that is fully accessible to anyone with a browser anywhere in the world.
- It's easy to set up – What's good about all this? It's easy and free to get started. All you need is an iPhone or iPad to create a virtual shopping experience for your store, like this Home Office, created entirely with an iPhone. Bonus, Matterport seamlessly integrates with Google Street View to make visiting your store easier.
- The creation of a virtual tour combined with e-commerce just might be the best way for retailers around the world to showcase their products in new, exciting and immersive ways to a global audience eager to shop. With Matterport Montreal, it's easier than ever because you can use multiple cameras, including your iPhone, and our cloud-based platform to enhance and integrate Mattertags that are related to your products. The home office above was created in less than an hour and is now shareable on the web, social media and through email campaigns.