[{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BlogPosting","@id":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/2020\/12\/16\/e-commerce-product-visuals-4-trends-for-beautiful-cx-in-2021\/#BlogPosting","mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/2020\/12\/16\/e-commerce-product-visuals-4-trends-for-beautiful-cx-in-2021\/","headline":"E-commerce product visuals: 4 trends for beautiful CX in 2021","name":"E-commerce product visuals: 4 trends for beautiful CX in 2021","description":"Online retailers leaned more heavily on e-commerce product visuals to engage customers during COVID-19. In 2021, expect to see even more AR, 3D, and product configurators as retailers navigate a dramatically different e-commerce landscape.","datePublished":"2020-12-16","dateModified":"2023-01-12","author":{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/contributor\/ben-houston\/#Person","name":"Ben Houston","url":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/contributor\/ben-houston\/","identifier":370,"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/057560313de617adbede7e90bd54808931450163bebc6358e47be5531ba472f4?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/057560313de617adbede7e90bd54808931450163bebc6358e47be5531ba472f4?s=96&d=mm&r=g","height":96,"width":96}},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"The Future of Commerce","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/logo-foc-schema-app-1.png","url":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/logo-foc-schema-app-1.png","width":172,"height":60}},"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/FCEE075_CustomerData_HB.jpg","url":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/FCEE075_CustomerData_HB.jpg","height":375,"width":1200},"url":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/2020\/12\/16\/e-commerce-product-visuals-4-trends-for-beautiful-cx-in-2021\/","about":[{"@type":"Thing","@id":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/commerce\/b2b\/","name":"B2B Commerce","sameAs":["https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/B2B_e-commerce"]},"B2C Commerce",{"@type":"Thing","@id":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/commerce\/","name":"Commerce","sameAs":["https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Commerce","http:\/\/www.wikidata.org\/entity\/Q26643"]},{"@type":"Thing","@id":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/commerce\/commerce-general\/","name":"Commerce","sameAs":["https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Commerce","http:\/\/www.wikidata.org\/entity\/Q26643"]},"Commerce Platforms + Software",{"@type":"Thing","@id":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/marketing\/marketing-general\/","name":"Marketing","sameAs":["https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Marketing","http:\/\/www.wikidata.org\/entity\/Q39809"]},{"@type":"Thing","@id":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/commerce\/mobile\/","name":"Mobile Commerce","sameAs":["https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Mobile_commerce","http:\/\/www.wikidata.org\/entity\/Q1154408"]},{"@type":"Thing","@id":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/sales\/sales-general\/","name":"Sales","sameAs":["https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Sales","http:\/\/www.wikidata.org\/entity\/Q194189"]},{"@type":"Thing","@id":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/commerce\/trends-commerce\/","name":"Trends","sameAs":["https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Fad","http:\/\/www.wikidata.org\/entity\/Q787045"]}],"wordCount":952,"keywords":["3D","Advertising","Augmented Reality","Customer Experience | CX","Product Visualization","SAP Partners"],"articleBody":"In 2021, e-commerce product visuals will prevail as one of the most powerful marketing assets brands can have.Two key market developments are driving that value: The sprint to digital channels as the pandemic continues to wreak havoc on brick-and-mortar shopping, and the surge in tech innovation that enables beautiful visual customer experiences online.4 e-commerce product visual trends for 2021The top e-commerce product visual trends:Augmented reality: AR and AI will be crucial to e-commerce sales3D product visuals will become more popular as retailers attempt to stand outB2B sales will begin incorporating visual product configuratorsOnline ads will feature AR, 3D, product configurators      AI and AR: Powering the future of fashion e-commerce                Fashion retail is changing fast as AI and AR technologies help shoppers find the perfect fit online.      1: Augmented reality goes mainstreamAR features show customers products in the environment they\u2019ll be used in, from a living room to a car engine to a manufacturing warehouse. Precise shape, color, and dimension overlays can ease a lot of buyer doubts that might otherwise prevent a purchase, such as, \u201cWill this sofa go with my carpet?\u201d or \u201cWill this equipment add-on fit on our machinery?\u201dAnd shoppers are ready for AR: 40% say they\u2019re willing to pay more for a product if they can see it first in AR.But traditionally, AR features have mostly been the domain of the big retailers who have the budget and resources to develop them. Only 1% of retailers used AR features for their e-commerce product visuals in 2019.That number will likely rise in the coming years as a growing number of AR solutions enter the scene, and leaders like Apple\u2019s ARkit continue to push boundaries for what\u2019s possible for AR.      The future of online shopping gets real with AI and machine learning                AI and machine learning have starring roles in the future of online shopping. Retailers that leverage these technologies effectively can build brand loyalty for years to come.      2: More online retailers turn to 3D product visuals, post COVID3D in e-commerce isn\u2019t new, but it\u2019s been a boon to retailers \u2013 including those who recently moved online \u2013 during the pandemic. Products that are difficult to capture fully in static, 2D photography come to life in 3D.An interactive 3D product visual is trustworthy, engaging, and persuasive – just like holding or looking at a product in person.Research shows that the more a shopper can interact with a product (e.g., by zooming or rotating), the more they\u2019ll trust the vendor. And shoppers who can see a product in 3D are eleven times more likely to purchase than those who don\u2019t.In 2021, we can expect more and more brands to adopt 3D assets of their product visual inventory as the return date of \u201cnormal life\u201d and things like in-person shopping remains murky.3: Product configurators streamline B2B salesPrior to advanced product configuration capabilities, the B2B buying process for complex, highly customizable products could be a headache. Buyers would either have to wait for sales reps to refer back to the product team for product mockups and quotes, or they\u2019d have to take a leap of faith and order custom features that they couldn\u2019t see beforehand.Then COVID-19 arrived and removed trade shows, conventions, and in-person sales interactions from the equation.Now B2B brands can leverage virtual product configurators \u2013 which often feature 3D and AR \u2013\u00a0 to offer high-quality visualizations in every sales conversation.More accuracy and ease in the buying process boost product satisfaction, which ultimately leads to stronger relationships and recurring business.Increasing the visuals in the B2B buying process makes the experience more closely resemble B2C: more self-service and a more seamless transition from interest to investigation to purchase.      Handshakes or hands-off: Managing the B2B sales experience                Today's B2B sales experience blends digital sales with the human touch. What's the right mix right for B2B sales success?      4: AR, 3D, and product configurators make their way into online adsThe same 3D, AR, and configuration technology can entice customers early in the funnel when you employ them in your ads. You can anticipate the rise of AX, or \u201cadvertising experience,\u201d in 2021 marketing strategies as brands look for ways to make their ads stand out among the thousands consumers see every day.Online advertising will likely become more interactive as marketers play around with their visual assets in display, video, and social media ads.Social in particular will make a great home for rich AR and 3D experiences, as that\u2019s where consumer attention is these days: 55% of consumers have bought something online after discovering it via social media.      What is social commerce? Definition, examples, stats                Social commerce is the use of a social platform for e-commerce sales, and it's huge: By 2027, it's projected to drive $604 billion in sales.      Standing out & getting ahead of the pack with innovative online visualsNo matter what\u2019s in store for the pandemic in 2021, retailers that invest in e-commerce product visuals will boost their brands for the long haul.Visuals uphold the customer experience as mobile and digital e-commerce economies continue to boom.And even if widespread vaccination brings a full return to physical selling, innovative online product visuals will remain a vital complement to the in-person customer experience.With 3D, AR, and configuration, brands have an exciting array of online visual tools at their disposal to garner customer trust and satisfaction in a highly competitive landscape.  Relationship status: Complicated.AI in e-commerce is critical, but obstacles around data privacy, talent, and integration are slowing adoption. Our powerhouse panel has the stats + strategies you’re looking for. Register HERE."},{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"2020","item":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/2020\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"12","item":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/2020\/\/12\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"16","item":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/2020\/\/12\/\/16\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":4,"name":"E-commerce product visuals: 4 trends for beautiful CX in 2021","item":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/2020\/12\/16\/e-commerce-product-visuals-4-trends-for-beautiful-cx-in-2021\/#breadcrumbitem"}]}]