Benefits of 3D Product Configurators

jewelry configurator

October 4, 2021

Author: Nathan Millar

Technology is improving at such a high rate in our age. According to Moore's Law, computer processing speeds double every two years. This means that each decade of our lives could potentially be vastly different compared to the previous decade. Whereas, it may have taken centuries or millennia to notice similar technological progress in ancient times.

Exciting possibilities may have already arisen that most of us may not be aware of yet. This such as the current stage of the web's evolution.

Around the start of the new millennium, the web evolved from Web 1.0 with its static desktop web pages to Web 2.0 with its interactivity and user-generated content, such as with Facebook, Instagram, Uber and Twitter. Now the web is currently evolving from Web 2.0 to Web 3.0 with decentralized data networks and artificial intelligence.

In the midst of this transition, 3D web graphics have taken a leap where as user, instead of only being able to watch a video or view static images of a manufacturer's product, can now also interact with 3D visualizations of a products in real time and directly from a website.

Further more, from the arrival of WebXR, one can now experience these interactive 3D experiences in Virtual Reality from VR Headsets using WebVR and in Augmented Reality from smartphones using WebAR, directly from a website.

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Here are of the many benefits of visualizing products with a 3D product configurator web app:

house configurator

CPQ - Capability to Configure, Price and Quote

As a user interacts with a digital representation of a product, and since its within a program instead of only a being a visualization, interactions have the potential to trigger real events. An order could be made based on what a client has customized, or a price calculated depending on what they've configured. Forbes.com determined the following regarding how configurators are revolutionizing CPQ:

Contributions of 3D configurators to six of the core areas of a business:

Increased revenues
Growth and maintaining margins
Reducing the cost of sales
Contributing to more effective utilization of assets
Increasing manufacturing efficiencies
Reducing accounts receivables and the costs of collecting

Ways visual configurators contribute to the core areas of a business

Improved sales effectiveness across all channels, mobile devices, CPQ and CRM platforms sales teams are using
Accelerating sales cycles
Reducing customer churn
Increasing average deal sizes by providing prospects with a clear view of the products they’re buying
Up to 40% higher online conversion rates and a 30% improvement in average sales prices when using 3D models to replace 2D static images
80% reduction in online returns by showing customers exactly what they're getting
Increase collaboration between engineering and sales
Increasing the speed and quality of quotes
Greater collaboration across departments
Errors and misunderstandings are reduced, increasing productivity and sales

chair configurator

VOC - Here the Voice the Customer

A business could receive valuable feedback from customer driven-analytics by how clients interact with the selectable features while customizing their products in an online 3D product configurator. The data collected could be used for product development and marketing teams to not repeat the same mistakes and to make more accurate decisions. Forbes.com also found that this improved manner of attaining the VOC has the potential to:

Shorten a product's development calendar by at least 40%
Reduce physical sample creation by up to 70%

CX - Enhance your Customer's Experience

The experience of the additional aspects involved in purchasing, such as the friendly service from staff or the enjoyment of a venue, is what online experiences tend to lack.

Though in-person experiences may be ideal in some cases, a business's location may be at a great distance from certain customers or their time may be limited. Venturebeat.com determined the following regarding why 3D imaging matters to retailers:

Captures consumer interest
Improves the customer experience
Drives increased sales
82% of visitors will activate 3D product views when available
95% of survey respondents prefer 3D to video playback options
3D imaging helps bridge the gap to AR and VR

Rotating around, zooming in or out, and triggering functionality of a digital version of a product could be a similar experience to holding the actual physical item, or allow 3D items to be engaged with before the actual physical object has been built. VR or AR experiences could also be substitutes for experiences one could have from being in-person at a venue.

CX - Importance of Customer Experience with Online Business

If 3D product configurators could improve a customers experience to such an extent, it may be useful to understand the importance of CX in current online business:

Superoffice.com has a customer experience statistics report which reveals the following:

3 Reasons why Businesses Invest in Customer Experience:

Addressing each of theses reasons can positively impact bottom line revenue:

42% - To Improve cross-selling and up-selling
32% - To Improve customer satisfaction
33% - To improve customer retention

1,920 business say that top Priorities for businesses in the next 5 years are:

45.9% - Customer Experience
20.5% - Pricing
33.6% - Product

$1 billion annually can expect to earn, on average, an additional $700 million within 3 years of investing in customer experience.

Investing in CX initiatives has the potential to double your revenue.

86% of buyers are willing to pay more for a great customer experience.

Customer experience will overtake price and product as the key brand differentiator.

67% of customers prefer self-service over speaking to a company representative.

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CX - An Engaging Future with Interactive 3D Experiences

Interactive experiences are challenging traditional media, such as with video games making more than sports and films combined in 2020. Though things are changing fast online and change itself can be uncomfortable, these benefits resemble windows of possibility, which previously didn't exist or were closed, that are now open.

“Reality isn’t the mark for generating revenue; potential customers want virtual solutions that let them interact with inventory on demand.”, Doug Bonderud 'biztechmagazine.com'

Engaging digital experiences can deliver an instant immersion which in-person experiences, static 2D images or video alone may not always be able to provide.