AR and VR are changing customer experiences.

According to EMarketer, the last pandemic accelerated the adoption of AR and VR technology, with at most 93.3 million and 58.9 million active users, respectively. This is unsurprising given how these smart systems and ar devices have helped individuals cope with significant shocks in their life.

Daily activities reflect their rapid adoption at both the individual and business levels. As remote labor became more prevalent in many company models, AR/VR facilitated a smooth transition from live training to a clear visual of step-by-step coaching for a huge number of workers in a variety of industries and countries.

AR and VR have helped many businesses develop resilience for the future and promote customer engagement in a variety of ways, from social relationships in VR video games to enhanced and customized online purchasing experiences. 

But how has this multibillion-dollar sector changed the way a company communicates with its clients? Let’s look at some examples of how these technologies can be used to provide highly valuable solutions.

Increasing brand knowledge

Consumers’ research, interaction, and decision to buy goods or services from businesses have been dramatically influenced by technology. 

With more information at their fingertips, potential customers are becoming more demanding in terms of brand authenticity, with 88 percent of consumers reporting that authenticity determines their future relationship with brands they are most likely to support. 

This implies that organizations must come up with new strategies to help customers understand their value proposition and, as a result, develop strong customer relationships.

AR/VR allows businesses to reach more people and communicate important and sometimes define ideas. Large companies like Chiquita used AR and VR technologies to offer transparency and demonstrate their commitment to sustainability, which is driving many consumers’ purchasing intent. 

A shopper can virtually explore the tropic and follow the path of a Chiquita banana in Latin American farms all the way to their grocery store by scanning the blue sticker on their Chiquita bananas.

This interactive experience promotes the brand’s sustainable product development path as well as its environmentally friendly supply chain, tilting the scales in its favor.

The AR and VR ‘try-on’ experience

According to a survey by Alert Technologies, when people reach trial rooms or areas to examine whether the goods or service is a good fit for their requirements, businesses can convert 67 percent of them into buyers. The consumer begins to weigh his or her options at this point before making a choice.

Brands can employ virtual technologies to help remove any doubts and questions in a fun way, allowing for a more targeted approach to imagining a potential fit. 

Supra Boats, for example, employs AR technology software and online customization to let potential purchasers learn about a boat’s features at their own pace through a step tour in a stress-free environment. 

They may also experiment with different colors and add-ons to customize their ideal boat and then order it directly from the app.

The “try-on” experience’s success is due to the ease of use and comfort provided to potential buyers who can try on products for themselves because of the space and privacy in their houses. 

Businesses can also take advantage of key consumer insights like size and default preferences, allowing them to better understand their customers and make more correct and use-like decisions in the future.

Streamlining the purchasing process

Taking the doubt out of a product’s potential fit for a customer’s needs is simply one step closer to them making a purchase. Finally, brands might look for strategies to simply persuade these potential customers to purchase the product or service.

Many big firms have AR technology embedded into their apps to make this step easier for customers and encourage them to buy. Returning to Supra Boats, the software scans the region with the phone’s camera before layering the boat of the user’s choice, complete with all of its configurable characteristics, ensuring that it meets the user’s expectations.

The program, however, does more than just display customized ships in your living room or backyard; it also allows users to take a virtual product tour to better understand and use each of the additional capabilities. This is well known for increasing the brand’s value for customers, allowing them to make purchases with much less doubt.

Improved customer service

Consumers are increasingly lured to brands and organizations that provide more quality than only their initial purchase, using excellent customer support and service, as the retail sector becomes more competitive. 

According to Microsoft, 90 percent of Americans believe customer service to be a critical element in deciding whether or not to do business with a company, and around 58 percent of Americans stated they would switch companies if they experienced poor service.

These figures don’t lie, and they point to a big opportunity for firms to provide more value after the sale. Customers benefit from AR and VR because they can get practical and real-time support at the push of a button. 

Nespresso’s Assistant, for example, can help consumers meet their coffee demands by providing fast ordering, answering frequently asked concerns about the machine, and providing simple descaling instructions.

The ability of the virtual world to respond quickly to certain requests and provide detailed information and instructions boosts consumer engagement and satisfaction with the brand’s service. And this can most likely convert said buyer to being a recurrent customer. 

Organizations can utilize augmented reality (ar) and virtual reality (VR) to widen and enhance their customer experience by leveraging the potential of personalization. Customer journey insights can help you build deep and meaningful relationships with your target audience in ways that traditional or online marketing tactics can’t.

In return, AR and VR serve as the lifeline for many businesses to remain competitive in their industries and build on resilience for any future events.