Oct 09
9
What is Augmented Reality and Applying it to Internet Marketing
Author : Arthur Cooper
Most futuristic and sci-fi themed movies are using the concept of augmented reality to portray a world where reality merges with computerized information You might think regular use of this technology will take place in the distant future but we’re not too far from augmented reality being applied in our everyday lives If you were to give your customers the option to look at your products and services with the aid of augmented reality, you won’t believe how easy it would be to guide business dollars directly to you As it becomes more common, using this surreal technology in internet marketing will impact mobile marketing and e-commerce shopping Executing a plan to integrate augmented reality as an internet marketing strategy will give businesses an edge to increase sales, conversions, and traffic
Augmented reality is the combination of looking at objects in the real world and then integrating it with computer generated images Humans have natural object recognition, but with augmented reality we could see beyond the surface and fill in the blanks of missing information
What is propelling the use of augmented reality is the increase in internet access We are no longer limited to accessing the internet from a PC or a laptop The next largest gateway to the internet is through the use of mobile phones, PDA’s and other mobile web products like the Nintendo DS or PSP’s These products provide a medium that allows users to connect to the internet and since they are equipped with cameras, you can pan through the real world and experience the world through augmented reality Navigation systems in cars and applications on phones are the first steps, but there is nothing more valuable than having handheld technology that can guide customers to your store and provide them with desirable and useful information
The company, Layar, has made the world’s first augmented reality browser for cell phones Similar to how a navigation system or an online directory ad works, businesses will quickly understand just how valuable it will be to allow a customer to pan over their store and see linkable information that is important for consumer decision making Customers will be able to stand in front of your store and see prices, specials, contact information, and link to your website This could work for a multitude of storefronts including restaurants, clothing stores, hotels, car dealerships, even real estate property for sale
A significant factor that influences ecommerce conversions is the ability to accurately communicate a product to a customer When a product is presented on a site and it lacks visualization, consumers will not easily purchase the item, especially if it is a big ticket item A company out of UK, Magic Symbol has created a way to help close the gap between consumers and the product by marketing products with augmented reality Clients they work with include BMW, Toyota, and popular BBC show, Merlin Curious shoppers or viewers can download and print a paper with a certain square design, then see the product in their hand in 360 view through augmented reality by holding the paper in front of their webcam then seeing it on the computer
Zugara, an interactive marketing firm has created a webcam shopper functionality that helps customers try on clothes right in front of their pc through their webcam Selling clothes on the internet is tricky because customers cannot try on what their buying With the webcam shopper, although a customer cannot technically try the clothing on, the customer can virtually try different articles of clothes on, giving them a better idea of what it will look like This helps with matching tops and bottoms to create the perfect outfit and choosing the right color and style What cannot be ignored is that shopping with this feature is very exciting, and will surely attract shoppers to your website
In marketing, the main objective is communicating the right message to the consumer Giving your customers a surreal shopping experience with augmented reality will give them a better understanding for your product Even with a great marketing campaign message, it still might prove difficult to direct consumers to a place of business and to a virtual shopping cart The essential idea is to look for new ways that will generate curiosity in trying your products or services and influencing product interaction In other words, Augmented Reality makes virtual reality, less virtual
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What is Augmented Reality and Applying it to Internet Marketing
