How Do I Increase the Conversion Rate on my eCommerce Website
Overall, consumers are more and more inclined to buy products online.
According to the US Department of Commerce, “eCommerce represented a growing share of the retail market in 2018, taking a 14.3% share of total retail sales last year, up from 12.9% in 2017 and 11.6% in 2016.”
The cost and difficulty of traditional brick-and-mortar upkeep are growing, urging retailers to turn to eCommerce.
So the question isn’t whether or not your company should invest in eCommerce, but how you invest in enriching your customer’s online experience to increase your sales.
The key success factor in eCommerce: an accurate representation of your products
The most crucial factor to consider when creating the “best” digital shopping experience to increase your conversion rate is a good representation of your products on your website.
“92% of consumers say visuals are the top influential factor affecting a purchase decision.” (Data Source: Poweredbysearch.com).
With plenty of brands and options available, customers can easily get lost and lose traction if your products don’t catch their eyes.
High-quality images capture products details
Improving product presentation could be as simple as displaying good photos.
They should be high-quality photographs, capturing all the different angles of the product to provide a reliable representation of how it looks.
Video demos show products in action
Another great way to increase your conversion rate is by sharing videos that are informative and that show products in action. They allow customers to see how your product works, learn more about its characteristics and digest the product information.
The advent of 3D has recently overshadowed the benefits of using videos and images.
3D models are the next best thing to an in-store experience
3D is the closest representation of products in physical form. Showcasing in 3D isn’t just about being trendy; it’s a better way to display products online accurately.
3D digital shopping isn’t just scrolling through pictures and words; it invites the customer to play a part and explore the products as if they were right in front of them.
By zooming in and rotating 360° around a product, customers get a more hands-on, interactive experience.
“It helps closing the imagination gap. Shoppers can’t touch the product so we need to give them the most detailed info we can and 3D strongly contributes to that.”
Pauline Junne, EMEA eCategory Manager at Groupe SEB
3D content creates an active digital shopping experience, whereas pictures and videos are passive.
This disruptive strategy results in better-informed customers who are more likely to buy and less likely to return purchases due to a lack of understanding of the products. It’s a powerful tool to increase your conversion rate on a your eCommerce website.
“Customers who viewed a 3D model are 25% more likely to buy.”
—Alex Hamilton, Senior Ecommerce Product Manager at MADE.COM
The trend for customized products is increasing at a rapid rate—especially with consumers becoming more accustomed to on-demand, personalized services.
As an example, this 3D configurator from Zodiac allows potential buyers to customize all elements of their boat, view those updates in detail as they make them, and explore the customized product from every angle.
With real-time updates to the interactive 3D product, configurators make customers feel more actively invested in and engaged with the configured product.
This additional emotional component often leads customers to make the purchase. Zodiac’s 3D configurator has increased sales of their most expensive model, the N-Zo, by 50% in 2 years.
Especially if you sell complex products, a configurator is the perfect sales tool to help customers thoroughly understand the product they are buying. It also saves unnecessary back-and-forth between customers and your sales team.
With 3D, customers can experience a unique digital shopping experience that pictures and videos simply can not achieve.
VR and AR reshape the eCommerce experience
Digital technology is further integrating into our everyday life — the shopper journey is no exception. With smartphones becoming an essential device, new opportunities that leverage them emerge. One increasingly popular example is VR and AR.
Virtual fitting, digital showrooms, real-time virtual room planning are just a few examples that utilize VR/AR. Customers gain a new channel to engage with products — leaving a stronger connection and understanding.
Instead of guessing how a piece of furniture will fit in their room, customers can use AR to virtually place the furniture. Instead of swatching makeup on their hands, customers can virtually apply it on their own faces.
With the right tools and methods, implementing mixed reality can be done with ease. All 3D models uploaded onto Sketchfab are AR/VR ready.
You can easily let your customers explore all your 3D content in VR
Bridging the gap between in-store and online experiences
Today, many purchases involve both digital and physical experiences. Many shoppers look for products in-store but make their purchases online. Conversely, a purchase may start with online research, followed by a visit to the physical store.
People still shop in-store because they can feel, touch, interact with, and try a product before buying it. This in-person interaction is particularly important for personal items such as clothes, cosmetics, and furniture.
High-quality images and videos can help close the gap between in-store and online experiences.
3D models, however, provide an even more interactive and immersive experience—the closest you can get to an in-store experience. They can dramatically improve your conversion rate when well-implemented.
? If you want to showcase your product in 3D, just visit our plans page and subscribe to one of our licenses.
