The benefits are obvious for both businesses and consumers.
Augmented Reality has already begun to transform the digital marketing industry and the way online advertising is done.
Specific examples of the use of this technology are as follows:
- IKEA has long since made a mobile app, through which users can choose the company's furniture and see if it fits the spaces of their home. In this way, they can be sure that a piece of furniture not only they like, but also if it fits their space, without of course having to visit the store.
- A similar example is the one implemented by L'oreal recently. In particular, he created a mobile app, with which users can, using their mobile camera, try different makeup products and see how their face looks with a certain makeup.
- Social media, such as Facebook, have already made it possible to add Augmented Reality features to their users' posts and to the ads that brands run on them.
The benefits for businesses from the use of Augmented Reality are the following:
- The consumer has the opportunity to try and interact with the product before buying it, so it is easier to choose what suits them and more likely to complete the purchase online. In this way, the total time it takes a potential consumer to become a customer is also reduced.
- It improves the overall experience of the consumer when he comes into contact with the brand. Specifically, the experience becomes more personal for each consumer (personalization). He feels they are giving him a better service-experience and therefore feels more important and is more likely to become a customer (and/or make repeat purchases).
- The use of this technology strengthens the branding of the business as it shows that it is a pioneer in developments and stands out from its competitors.
- Observing the behavior of users in Augmented Reality experiences gives businesses valuable information about their consumers' preferences and things they can improve in their digital strategies.
As a result, many businesses are already using it in their digital marketing strategies and these are expected to increase even more in the next period of time, as the possibilities of Augmented Reality also increase.