Four Products You Didn't Know Could Benefit From an Interactive Shopping Experience

Interactivity, engagement, and conversions all go hand-in-hand. 

Consider, for instance, that in a survey by analyst Deloitte, roughly 71 percent of people said they'd shop more often with a brand that offered an experience built on augmented reality. In that same survey, 61 percent of respondents indicated that they would choose stores that offer AR over those that don't. Survey respondents also stated that AR creates a more fun, exciting shopping experience. 

It all comes down to interactivity. Technology like AR allows customers to interact with a brand and its products on a far deeper level than a static website. That in turn results in a far higher engagement rate — double, in fact. 

All other things being equal, increased engagement ultimately means increased conversions. People are far likelier to buy from a brand that provides a memorable interactive experience than they are from one with little or no interactivity. When your target market is highly engaged, your average revenue per visitor may also increase along with your average order value. 

In the best-case scenario, you could see up to 70 percent higher revenue.

Basically, in a world increasingly defined by remote work and online shopping, interactivity is often the be-all and end-all of the retail experience. But that just applies to sectors like clothing, luxury goods, and furniture, right? Most other sectors don't really need the same level of interactivity, do they? 

You might be surprised to know there are many products and industries where retailers can greatly improve the customer experience by making things a bit more interactive. We're going to go over a few of the most unexpected — here are four retail sectors you didn't know could benefit from an interactive experience. 

Arts & crafts

Whether it's a profession or a hobby, art is inherently tactile. The experience of making something with one's hands is a big part of what makes it so satisfying. Isn't it a little curious, then, that most online art and craft supply stores are almost entirely static? 

A little interactivity can go a long way here. For instance, you might consider putting together a tool that allows customers to mix and match paint to see how different colors go with one another. You could also provide interactive visualization and size comparisons for products like easels or frames. 

Above all, don't be afraid to get a little creative with your interactivity, just so long as you don't impede the shopping experience in the process. 

Kitchen utensils

Most people, when they buy products like cutlery, don't tend to think much about what they're purchasing. They're just kitchen utensils, after all. It's only once you start getting into higher-end knife sets that product quality really starts to make a difference. 

Once again, interactivity here helps to bridge the gulf. When a customer visits a brick-and-mortar shop, they can see their utensils in action prior to committing to a purchase. In some stores, they may even be able to test the products themselves. 

While you won't be able to capture the full in-store experience, interactive product pages can at least allow customers to view and examine any prospective purchases on a deeper level. 

Pet supplies

It might seem especially out there at first, but there's actually a multitude of ways you can improve interaction and engagement for customers who are purchasing pet supplies — everything from food to toys and enclosures. These include, but are certainly not limited to:

• A specialized food calculator/meal planner for pet owners. 
• The ability to view and reposition a cat tree or something similar in a room via AR. 
• Real-time, interactive demos of various toys and tools. 
• Virtual try-on for accessories like collars. 

Realistically, people spend a great deal of time, effort, and money on their pets. By making the shopping experience more streamlined and interactive, you've the potential to catch and retain customer attention in a big way. And as we already said earlier, this can result in considerably higher revenue. 

Department store products

The one thing most big box department stores seem to have in common is that their online shopping experience leaves much to be desired. Websites are frequently sluggish, slow to load, and cumbersome to navigate. Product listings are static and include very little information, and features such as category-based search tend to be virtually non-existent. 

On mobile, these problems are often even worse. 

Many of these storefronts need more than a bit of interactivity, they need a total overhaul. They need the business to revamp and rethink its outdated web design practices. Interactivity plays an important role in this regard — businesses must allow customers to view and interact with the products similarly to how they would in-store.

Depending on the products in question, what this means may vary: 

• Virtual try-on for apparel. 
• Nutrition and calorie calculators for grocery items. 
• Size comparisons for electronics, furniture, and other bulky products. 
• Virtual room view for decor. 

You get the idea. 

Create a better, more interactive shopping experience with Tangiblee

Interactivity and success in the world of online retail are two sides of the same coin. Tangiblee can help with that. 

Trusted by some of the top furniture and apparel brands in the world, our augmented reality and interactive shopping platform can be leveraged for a wide range of different products and use cases — far more than what you might initially expect. 

If you're interested in seeing what that means for your business and how we can help you improve both engagement and revenue, contact us to schedule a free demo.