Today’s e-commerce websites are no longer traditional shopping platforms, but multifunctional ones. However, these features are presented in 2D planes such as text, images, and videos, lacking realism and interactivity. Therefore, many businesses are introducing 3D product configurators into their e-commerce websites to allow consumers to understand better and customize products.
In this article, we will further explore the advantages and details of 3D products, and how to apply the 3D configurator to actual business to enhance the consumer experience. Through relevant cases and practical experience, readers can better understand how to use this technology in their e-commerce websites to create more commercial value and profits for brands.
What is 3D product
In simple terms, 3D products refer to three-dimensional product models. Unlike traditional 2D flat images, 3D products allow consumers to view products from multiple angles, move and rotate them to understand the details and functions of the products through webpages or programs. In addition, it is also possible to use immersive technologies such as VR, AR, MR, etc. to view and evaluate products in real or virtual environments, making it easier for consumers to make purchase decisions.
In general, creating a 3D product needs the skills of modeling software and image processing software. Some examples of 3D modeling tools include Autodesk Maya, 3DS Max, Blender, and SketchUp, while some examples of image processing software include Adobe Photoshop, GIMP, and Affinity Photo. It is also important for designers to have a background in design and art in order to create high-quality 3D products. When creating, many factors such as product details, materials, lighting, etc. need to be taken into consideration as they can affect the final quality and effect of the product.
Also read: 3D Modelling for Virtual Reality
3 advantages of 3D products
In today’s competitive e-commerce market, brands need to provide better consumer experiences to stand out, and 3D products provide tremendous help in this regard. In the following sections, we will focus on three key points and showcase the important role that 3D products play in the transformation of e-commerce websites.
1. Enhancing the consumer experience
Have you ever encountered customers who hesitate before placing an order after years of operating an e-commerce business? This is what is known as the “evaluation period” in the marketing funnel, where customers start comparing products and thoroughly checking the details.
However, traditional e-commerce websites can only present products through 2D flat images or videos, which cannot fully showcase the product’s three-dimensional sense, making it difficult for consumers to truly experience its appearance, details, and functionality. At this point, potential consumers have to spend a lot of time using limited information to build their perception of the product, which is also the place with the highest shopping cart abandonment rate.
3D products can fill this gap perfectly. Its characteristics can provide a more realistic and three-dimensional product experience, allowing consumers to freely rotate and zoom in and out of the product in 360 degrees on the website, view the appearance and details of the product from multiple angles, and gain a deeper understanding of the product’s features and functionality through interaction.
In addition, immersive technologies such as virtual reality and augmented reality are also on the rise. Consumers can wear VR glasses to try on clothes in a virtual environment or walk into a house to observe the placement of furniture. This approach can increase consumers’ trust and satisfaction with the product, and therefore increase the likelihood of purchase.
2. Improving marketing effectiveness
As consumers’ demands for website design and product presentation continue to increase, traditional 2D images are no longer sufficient to meet their needs, and 3D products have become an important tool for attracting consumers.
Firstly, it is worth mentioning the feature of 3D products — “interactivity”. With the modeling technology that can create almost identical virtual products, not only can it increase persuasiveness, but it can also restore the product experience, making it a necessity in “experience generation”. Taking home furnishing brands as an example, from style display, detailed presentation, to final customization components, it is definitely superior to the traditional flat display effect on most websites now.
Moreover, more importantly, in addition to detecting keywords, the SEO data of the website also places great weight on the dwell time. When a highly interactive 3D product appears, the user’s dwell time naturally doubles!
3. Increasing
production efficiency
When a brand starts considering incorporating 3D products into its e-commerce website, more specifically, the technology of “3D product configurators”, it not only improves the consumer experience and marketing efficiency, but also enhances production efficiency.
Simply put, consumers can use an interactive website with a built-in configurator to design and customize their own products, and estimate costs, enabling quick shopping and production. This method meets the personalized needs of consumers and increases shopping efficiency, saving time and costs.
In addition, the configurator also has the function of outputting orders, which is very convenient for merchants. For example, when your customers customize a product on your website, the configurator can automatically send the product specifications to the sales system according to the set format, allowing you to easily view order contents and reduce the error rate.
Conclusion
Digital transformation, interactive websites, and 3D modeling technology are all trends of the times. For businesses to increase their e-commerce sales, digitising physical experiences and elevating digital experiences to be on par with physical ones is essential. And this is the direction of the future.
If you are looking for a professional 3D engineering team, feel free to contact our technical experts.
