The world of e-commerce is evolving rapidly, presenting both new opportunities and challenges for retailers and brands.
COVID-19 changed the culture of furniture shopping as well, making people get used to buying online. However, buying furniture online is quite challenging, as people lack the ability to touch the products and understand their real sizes, which leads to increased product returns.
Traditional online product listings and static images are no longer sufficient to captivate consumers in today's competitive digital landscape. Customers are seeking more than just static images or product descriptions; they crave an emotional connection and a sense of exploration.
As the demand for interactive and immersive experiences continues to rise, this shift in consumer behavior presents an exciting opportunity for brands to revolutionize their online retail strategies and elevate their brand promotion efforts.
Trends Overview: Meeting the Demand for Immersive Experiences in E-commerce
As we gaze into the future of online retail and brand promotion, it becomes evident that the key to success lies in creating immersive and emotionally driven experiences. Here are CGI trends that are soon going to be an industry standard.
Unveiling the Future: CGI Trends Shaping eCommerce
- 360-Degree Product Views: Offering 360-degree views of furniture products allows customers to examine the details and dimensions from different angles, simulating an in-person viewing experience.
- Augmented Reality (AR): With the use of AR technologies, customers can visualize furniture in their own space before making a purchase, enhancing the online shopping experience.
- Customization with 3D Configurators: Customers are increasingly looking for personalized and customizable furniture options. E-commerce platforms can offer tools that allow customers to select materials, colors, and configurations to create their ideal furniture piece.
- Virtual showrooms: Virtual showrooms have emerged as a significant industry trend, offering immersive and interactive experiences that captivate and engage customers in the digital age.
All these tools are designed to increase both engagement and conversion rate of the website. But what about brand promotion? Among all these trends virtual showrooms have emerged as a powerful tool in brand promotion, as they not only increase sales but also help to create a buzz and provide a new-generation experience to buyers.
By harnessing the power of visualization, we can transcend physical limitations and create digital spaces that transport customers into a world of imagination and possibilities, where emotions, visuals, atmospheres, and spaces converge to create a symphony that enthralls and delights.
In this article, we'll explore the transformative features showcased by the collaborative Living By Design 2023 virtual showroom.
A Glimpse into the Future: Where Emotions, Visuals, Atmospheres, and Spaces Converge
Case-study of a Living By Design 2023 Virtual Showhouse: A shoppable online showroom with inserted shoppable products
The second annual fully virtual showhouse Living By Design 2023, performed and delivered by YouSee 3D rendering studio and Embello digital marketing agency, brought together 12 leading interior designers and 8 sponsoring brands with an overall audience of 6.5M+ followers to create a virtual, shoppable showhouse.
In the frame of this project, each of these 12 A-list designers from Emmy-nominated TV host Bobby Berk and AD100 designer Brigette Romanek to top-tier designers and influencers, has been given an opportunity to imagine individual spaces inside a house that is virtually set in Brentwood, CA. The West Coast setting includes 4 bedrooms and 3.5 baths, complete with a pool. Open 24/7, it’s ready to meet visitors any time of the day on its dedicated website.
The LBDSH (Living by Design Showhouse) is a digital showhouse enhanced with interactive elements, such as product tags and pop-ups, that provide a detailed description of the product with a link to “buy” or “learn more” to the website.
This aims to turn furniture and decor shopping into an engaging, fun, and visually enriching experience for consumers.
Throughout the immersive virtual showhouse experience, multiple path-to-purchase callouts are seamlessly integrated into the home's design, guiding visitors to explore and engage with the sponsored brands, enabling them to purchase products or schedule a design consultation.
Here is the full list of features of this Virtual Showhouse:
- Product pop-ups
- Info pop-ups
- Floor-plan view
- Featured product list view
- Info pop-ups
- Custom Branding
Besides that, there are other features that can be inserted into the Virtual Showroom as well. These are:
- 360-spin view in the product pop-up
- AR-view in the product pop-up
- Gamification (perfect for holiday sales campaigns)
- Product configurator (allows to change the color/material of the product and see how it matches the environment)
This project aimed to increase brand awareness by transforming the usual form of online shopping experience and connecting design enthusiasts with the design industry. Such projects bring fresh air to the industry and promote the collaborative work of industry talents while upgrading buyers’ online shopping experience at the same time. Each element is designed for exploration and interaction, offering opportunities to connect with brands, and/or arrange design consultations.
The 3D visualization team at Yousee Studio has been working closely with Embello to transfer each designer's vision from 2D sketches and floor plans into a 3D digital environment.
While crafting this tour, Yousee created 20 3D rooms, produced 123 panoramic 3D renderings (which are viewpoints when you are walking throughout the tour), 183 still 3D images, and 27 animated videos. It took a total of 2,900 work hours, and a dedicated team of 16 individuals, including modelers, designers, and managers.
Sponsoring brands include California Closets, Kohler, Ann Sacks, Dunn-Edwards DURA, Minted, Lamps Plus, AHF, and Summer Classics. YouSee Studio has crafted 3D models for every sponsored product featured in the virtual showhouse, totaling 150 models in all.
Author, Design Expert & Emmy-nominated TV Host Bobby Berk says:
“We loved collaborating with YouSee Studio to bring our showhouse great room to virtual life. With the help of their team, we had the opportunity to not limit our creativity and approach the architectural design without any limitations. Our space plans and products were thoughtfully and efficiently translated into a room we are so excited to share!”
To share Living by Design 2022 Showhouse marketing insights – the first-ever virtual showroom gained an impressive 2.8 million views on its website, 4.1% social media engagement, and 12,000 leads.
Here is the overview of the main benefits of a virtual showroom
- Effective and innovative brand promotion and PR tool: By providing engaging content, you can create a positive image of your brand and reach your audience in ways that conventional PR methods often cannot.
- Multiple paths to purchase: Offering various avenues for customers to make purchases can significantly enhance the user experience.
- Improved engagement via Interactive Experience. An interactive experience draws users in, encourages them to spend more time with your content, and fosters a stronger connection with your brand.
- Accessibility and Cost-Effectiveness: Hosting a virtual showhouse typically involves lower costs compared to setting up and maintaining a physical event. There are no expenses for renting a venue, setting up physical displays, or staffing the event.
YouSee studio is excited to have an impact in making virtual experiences the “new norm” in the furniture retail industry and is open to PR Collaborations with innovative brands and designers.
Explore the virtual showroom Living By Design 2023
