Online selling is both easier and more difficult than ever. Although people feel more comfortable buying online, there are also many more players in the game.
Product customization is a good way for eBusinesses to stay ahead of the curve. Most companies don’t provide that customizable purchasing experience, so there’s room to be a pioneer.
81% of customers are willing to pay more for customized clothing and 76% are willing to pay more for customized furniture. Shoppers want customization and they will pay more for it, no matter the industry.
We bring you 6 key product customization benefits for a more competitive online selling business.
1- Higher product page engagement
Purchase probability reaches the highest when a person spends around 50 seconds on a product page. In order to increase the average time per session on your product pages, you need to have an engaging journey.
Product customization powered by a 3D configurator adds gamification to the buying journey, therefore increasing the time spent on product pages. Increased engagement is often associated with higher conversion rates, which is what companies ultimately want.
2- Better customer experience
A good CX (customer experience) is on every company’s priority list. Product customization in online selling can offer just that.
As we mentioned before, customers are willing to pay more for customization. Why? Because it means that a product is specifically produced for them, it targets their specific needs. This enhances CX and brand loyalty.
If you add 3D configuration to the mix, you enable shoppers to get the best online visualization at the same time you’ll engage them in the creative process. They’ll be able to change things like color, material, size, and even engrave or accessorize products. Augmented reality levels up the experience by empowering potential clients to place their configured item in the environment they chose, for example, a couch in a living room.
3- Fewer product returns
Here’s what is known: 30% of all online products are returned compared to 8.89% in physical stores.
Return rates mean that you’re not providing the product your clients expect. Besides being an important indicator of customer dissatisfaction, product returns mean more shipping costs for companies and less revenue.
Product customization empowers customers to create something that resonates with them. They create their own version of your solution. At the end of the day, people are less likely to return something they created themselves. Companies offering customized products report a 40% decrease in their returns.
You must provide a good online experience though. Product customization is amazing as long as the user can visualize what they are actually creating. Poor visualization and lack of information will increase return rates even though you offer product customization.
3D configurators are the best visualization tool companies can have. It allows customers to configure products in real-time. Using 3D interactive software to create realistic 3D visuals, shoppers can create their ideal product while visualizing it as they would in a store, inspecting every detail.
4- Less waste and smaller inventory
Product customization leads businesses to shift from a made-to-stock way of producing to an on-demand way of manufacturing.
With this new model, companies only manufacture what is ordered.
Mass manufacturing often leads to waste because there’s no attention to the product’s specificities, and the quality of the product is overlooked. Once something is highly customizable, the materials used and the processes are much more efficient and well-controlled, which ultimately leads to less manufacturing waste.
Having custom products tailored to clients’ needs means nothing is wasted. There are no unsold items, nothing to be dumped in a landfill. Less waste and a smaller inventory are great product customization benefits for online selling.
5- No need for large storage spaces
Product customization on demand means less that there’s no longer the need to stock on unnecessary materials and have thousands of unsold items in some dusty storage units.
Everything that is produced is sold. No waste, no storage. Leveraging 3D configuration, companies can create their own digital showroom, providing visualization that is as realistic as in a physical store.
6- An eco-friendly brand and a sustainable business
Product customization can potentially be a greener way of manufacturing. As mentioned before, by including custom-made products in your business you’ll be tackling issues like waste and return rates, two non-sustainable consequences of online selling.
Companies produce much more than they sell. On-demand customization means that businesses only need to create what is ordered which is why is a no-waste solution. 81% of consumers indicate that sustainability is a priority for them, is it a priority to you?
Did you like this article about product customization’s benefits in online selling? Then check out our article on how companies are using Augmented Reality.