Earlier the shopping experiences used to be not only time-consuming but also frustrating because of the traveling expenditure that came along with the shopping expense. But with the evolution of technology and the integration of augmented reality into daily life happenings has changed the way businesses market themselves. Say, if you want to try new spectacles or a shirt, all can be done while sitting comfortably at home saving traveling costs. Or if you want to buy furniture for your living area, instead of flipping through the pages of the magazine, you can now virtually see how the furniture fits in your room. You too can make all this comfort available to your customers by integrating augmented reality with your business.
Slowly and steadily the technology is emerging whilst making a strong case for its potential use in visualization, maintenance and repair, annotation, robot path planning, entertainment, military aircraft navigation, and targeting, etc.
Going through these points below you will understand why incorporating AR in your business application can actually increase customer engagement.
Industry Specific Implementation of AR
What Do Statistics Depict
Use Cases of AR
AR Future Outlook
Industry Specific Implementation of AR
- Visualization: This technology gives a visualization of the real-world condition by providing a 3-D view of any 2-D object whilst letting the user know how the object will fit in the place. The retail industry is highly utilizing this technology to drive customers to their store. For instance, retailers have come up with their own virtual artist app. Which lets its customers experience how certain beauty products might look on them. Some spectacles retailers allow its users to have a 360-degree view of the look of spectacles or goggles on their face. Even at some stores, you can now stand in front of the app screen and they will show you how the clothes on their stores will fit and look on you.
- Navigation and Tracking: Tracking and pathfinding made much easier with the help of augmented reality. The simplest and most acknowledged example is Google enhancing Google Maps using AR features to improve its navigation. It uses the camera of your smartphone to guide you on which direction to walk.
- Marketing: Be it designs or logos or presentations, AR helps you add more life to 2D models to attract an audience and leave them amazed. Many home furniture stores have an app which let you have experience of how objects like furniture, faucets, etc. will look.
- Remote Guidance: Businesses can give customers remote guidance and tips about using products. Information can be offered by a remote software by examining the scene from distance. For instance, AR is allowing companies to connect remote experts and technicians in real time to collaborate through a task. It has enabled field service organization to digitally track the work remotely.
- Better Training: Enhanced understanding by presenting real word objects virtually in 3D to make concepts clear and engaging for learners.
What Do Statistics Depict?
Over time, augmented reality is changing the way businesses work by bringing entirely new experiences to the users. If you still have a doubt, then have a look at the survey below conducted by Statista which represents a forecast for the increase in the market size of global augmented and virtual reality from the year 2016 to 2018. It is expected to reach a market size of 209.2 billion U.S. dollars by the year 2022.
Source: Statista, https://www.statista.com/statistics/591181/global-augmented-virtual-reality-market-size/
The data above shows the increasing acceptance of this technology in the market simultaneously surprising us with its unbelievable capabilities.
Use Cases of AR
ARKit an augmented reality development platform designed by Apple is allowing app makers to move beyond 2D camera overlays. The apps build by ARKit helps to put 3D images into the real world by using virtual inertial odometry. Some of the very popular apps developed using ARKit are-
- IKEA, which allows users to visualize how a furniture will look in their homes directly through catalogs.
- InkHunter allows the user to have a 3D preview of a tattoo on their skin.
- Real Strike, a popular shooting AR game gives gamers a real-life shooting experience in the game. It is bringing evolution in gaming industry example of which was long back released ‘Pokémon Go’ game which became a sensation among all age group people.
- Neon AR is another application developed by Apple that is based on augmented reality. It allows users to message friends through it and find their friends and acquaintances using geolocation and notify or connect with them by placing neon signs at particular locations.
Hence, it is clearly seen that augmented reality has become a trendsetter in today’s technical world as businesses are utilizing this technology to come up with every possible innovative way of attracting people to improve their sales. Within the next few years, AR will become the smartest technology for an enterprise mobility solutions.
AR Future Outlook
This technology is undoubtedly improving user engagement, increasing business intelligence and product publicity and this can be evidently seen by its implementation in different fields. Gaming applications that are integrating augmented reality are becoming extremely popular amongst people for providing real-world interaction experience virtually. We all know, E-commerce is growing at a fast rate, it has become essential for them to provide real-world product experience to their customers to keep their interest alive in shopping online. It is also reckoned that AR is improving the quality of treatment in the medical field by reducing the risks of surgery. AR has contributed in real estate by making it possible to have a look of the property from your device with all the details included.
If you are an emerging business then you can implement augmented reality to serve the following mentioned purposes:
- Give product demos on your online store for a better selling experience
- Provide ‘try before you buy’ facility online and save customer’s time and money
- Use the technology in training classrooms for better understanding
- Educational/training institutes can use this technology to explain complex concepts.
- Increase interaction with brands
There are many more industries that are leveraging the benefits of this technology for their businesses. This is time to stay one step ahead of your competitors by building an AR implemented, innovatively themed and user engaging business. Because as AR technology evolves, customer loyalty becomes further targeted and more engaging.
For more information regarding the same, ping us at [email protected]. We will do our best to provide you with the best assistance.
