Amazon’s foray into AR product visualization has changed online shopping forever. Thanks to AI, the Amazon AR experience is now more accessible to merchants. Find out how you can make use of this e-commerce innovation to grow your business
Augmented Reality (AR) is changing the face of digital marketing and transforming how customers interact with products online. Triggered by QR codes, images, or specific actions, AR can overlay digital elements over just about any environment. Think of it as a type of virtual try-on technology.
AR can turn viewing experiences into interactive and immersive online shopping sessions. As such, it can be used to influence purchasing decisions. But how exactly is Amazon tapping into the potential of Augmented Reality shopping, and what does this e-commerce innovation mean for sellers?
The History of Augmented Reality Shopping on Amazon
At the forefront of innovation, Amazon first flirted with interactive product visualization in 2015, when it launched AR for TVs. Then in 2017, AR View was released. As TechCrunch explained, it was a step up from shoppable stickers, developed in the style of ‘preview placement’ app IKEA Place.
Three years later came the Room Decorator. Now called the View in Your Room feature, it lets buyers coordinate the décor of an entire room using furniture, wall art, ornaments, and other furnishings rendered at scale. The results can be saved, shared, and- most importantly- purchased on Amazon.
Fast-forward to 2022, and shoppers can see how some shades and shoes would look on them before buying them on Amazon. With the Virtual Try-On Eyewear and Shoes tool, they can move their heads and feet around to check an item from every angle, swap colors in real time, or share on their socials.
More recently, Amazon announced that it launched a feature in the AR adventure pet game Peridot. It enables players to buy merch from within the game using Amazon Anywhere. They can then interact with the items and show them off to other players.
Over the years, Amazon shoppers have been able to access virtually try-on (VTO) for make-up, hair dye, and various other products using AR, either online or in-store. Also, Prime Video users had access to a virtual shopping experience, touring Amazon movie sets and shopping merch on the spot.
But most merchants couldn’t access this type of e-commerce innovation. All that is changing…
How AI Can Scale Up the Amazon AR Experience
Thanks to AI and a new partnership with Hexa and other 3D tech stack experts, AR should now be more accessible to many other types of products and merchants. The same goes for SuperDNA 3D Lab and Loft3Di, both of which have been vetted by Amazon to offer sellers AR and 3D assets for their listings.
Toward the end of this Accelerate session on YouTube, brand owners will learn how to turn their smartphones into a mobile 3D scanning device and start offering interactive product visualization within minutes. In effect, they convert 2D images into 3D models with AR compatibility using AWS Thinkbox. This includes packshots and lifestyle images taken directly from 3D digital twins.
Key Features of a Successful Amazon AR Experience
Immersive
- Immersive content brings products and messages to life in ways once unimaginable.
- Let customers engage with branded AR environments to boost engagement and brand recall.
- Create virtual demos, storefronts and showroom tours to let customers see first hand how an item would fit into their lives and which version is the most suitable.
Personal
- Let shoppers preview items in the real world before buying to create more realistic expectations, reduce return rates, and boost satisfaction.
- Let customers try on fashion or visualize furniture in their homes, so that they feel that they’re making informed decisions with confidence.
- Ask for reviews showcasing an AR experience in action, as it could incentivize other customers to buy.
Engaging
- Offer a similar AR experience in-store and online, so that your brand can bridge the gap between the two in terms of accuracy and enjoyment.
- Virtual product displays, try-ons, and demos could boost footfall as well as online traffic.
- Blend digital elements across your physical stores, so that you offer a well-rounded Amazon AR experience.
Hyper-Targeted
- You can try hyper-targeting with digital ads embedded in real-world scenarios and designed for specific micro-segments.
- Contextual ads like interactive movie posters and virtual scenarios (e.g., virtual manicure) can be more engaging than ads that target certain behaviors.
- AR ads meet customers where they are and when they are the most receptive, driving awareness and conversions.
Viral
- Fun AR filters and lenses encourage customers to interact with branded experiences and share them with their social networks.
- The viral potential of AR content generated by users can extend the reach of your marketing efforts and drive organic growth.
- Viral AR content can amplify brand reach and engagement, further securing your edge.
Amazon AR experiences were once exclusive to big brands. But AI is making them more accessible to sellers. As the technology continues to evolve, sellers who get a head start now and develop an engaging Amazon AR experience have every opportunity to boost their growth this year.
Melanie takes an active interest in all things Amazon. She keeps an eye on the latest developments and keeps Amazon sellers up to speed.