Developing AR And VR Applications For eCommerce

AR/VR App Development For eCommerce

Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) might be a relatively new technology in the eCommerce industry, however, these experiences have already started to produce tangible business results. With increased sales and conversion rates, it is significantly boosting the overall customer experience. Did you know that:
 

• 71% of customers are willing to shop more if AR/VR applications are available over the e-commerce retail stores.
   
• 40% of customers are consenting to pay more for any product with customization available on AR apps.
   
• 32% of customers are already using such apps while shopping.

Before we delve deeper into the details, let’s first understand what AR/VR applications actually are.


Augmented reality (AR): It deals with the integration of digital elements to a live view of the subject. Best examples include much renowned Snapchat lenses and the famous game Pokemon Go.

Virtual reality (VR): It involves the complete immersion of individuals into an unnatural/imaginary/virtual environment. Unlike AR, VR needs specific and detailed devices such as Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, and more. 

Technology Stack for eCommerce App Development

To build AR/VR eCommerce applications, there are 4 possible options: cross-platforms apps, hybrid apps, native apps, progressive web apps.
 

1. Native App Development: Native applications are built only for a specific operating system: iOS or Android. They support and feature a wide range of functionalities that a smartphone can offer. Such applications offer effective device resource usage for both online and offline modes, best possible security, and performance. At the same time, native apps are more expensive to build and maintain and hard to support and patch for multiplatform. For Android app development for eCommerce, developers usually use Kotlin or Java and for iOS app development, it is crucial to use Objective C and Swift languages. 
    
2. Cross-platform App Development: Such apps are developed for multiple platforms at the same time while sharing the same codebase. Therefore, they are the most time and cost-effective and there’s no need of hiring separate developers for each platform. Though these applications often lack compatibility with the features of native devices. The most famous frameworks for cross-platform eCommerce app development include Flutter, Xamarin, and React Native. 
    
3. Hybrid App Development: These applications are often cheaper to develop as compared to other apps. The most sought-after platform for building eCommerce hybrid apps is Ionic. 
    
4. Progressive Web App Development: These are web applications or regular web pages or websites that appear to users as traditional applications. They are inexpensive, quick, run on all platforms, easy to build and support, and have certain offline functionality.

Also Read: Industry 4.0 And The Adoption Of Technologies
Improved Shopping Experiences with AR/VR apps

With efficiency and comfort being the critical factors in eCommerce, a notable impact that AR/VR apps have brought in this sector is the convenience for buyers and retailers. Nevertheless, it significantly cuts down the time spent in searching products, making payments, and enabling users to carry out a plethora of tasks in limited time frames. Traditionally, customers would go to physical stores and retail shops to experience and try products. However, AR and VR applications are totally transfiguring the landscape, allowing retailers to:
 

• Develop virtual showrooms and enable customers to browse through the products at the comfort of their homes without having to physically visit the retail store.
   
• Offer virtual environments of projects/products and allow customers to explore & experience all the capabilities and features first-hand. 
   
• Build brand awareness about attributes and provide customers with an opportunity to virtually experience the benefits of those products’ attributes.
   
• Offer their customers a chance to put on their AR headset, flip through the product's catalog and make informed purchasing decisions.

Final Thoughts

Proactive eCommerce brands are already taking advantage of the positive customer responses to AR/VR applications and are developing their own engaging experiences. Immersion, impact, and engagement are some of the reasons why AR/VR app development has become a buzzing trend in the eCommerce industry. Whether you intend to offer a 360-degree video catalog or just an engaging digital experience, augmented and virtual reality is enabling sellers and online retailers to maximize their sales while accelerating customer reach & engagement. If you are looking to build your own eCommerce application using neoteric and future-focused technologies, connect with our experts.