.png)
The eCommerce marketplace is a competitive one. No matter what product you sell, it can be challenging to stand out from other businesses in the same space.
However, with alternate reality technology becoming increasingly accessible, making your online store an immersive experience might be something to try out — it would certainly give your user experience an edge over competitors.
Take a ride with us into the metaverse as we talk about all things immersive. We’ll cover the following:
- Crash course to the metaverse
- What an immersive on-site VR experience is
- Immersive experiences we love
- How to make your online store alive
Metaverse: A Crash Course
Before we dive into what an immersive experience is, there’s some terminology coming up that we should iron out.
- Metaverse: An overarching term for digital worlds that parallel the real world, including alternate realities and digital currencies
- Virtuality continuum: The spectrum in the metaverse that defines how immersive an experience is
- Augmented reality (AR): One foot in the real world, one foot in the digital world with overlays superimposed onto physical environments
- Virtual reality (VR): Fully immersive, interactive experience in the digital world that requires some wearable component
- Mixed reality (MR): A combination of AR and VR technology
- Extended reality (XR): Enhances the senses and can be a combination of AR, VR, and MR
- 360° video: A headset that allows users to be fully immersed and have full real-time access to sight and sound while an author controls and directs the environment
Because there are various immersive experiences, these terms will appear again. As you can see, they are all related yet slightly different. Use our guide as much as you need when dealing with the metaverse.
Now that we’ve covered vital terms let’s immerse.
What Makes an Experience Immersive?
The Summary
An immersive experience is a magical place where everything comes to life. It can be interactive, three-dimensional, and even educational. It combines all digital realities and transports users into endless possibilities.
There are many different kinds of immersive experiences, but every experience does require some device. Possible devices include:
- Mobile phone
- Computer
- Console
- Wearables: head-mounted device or smart glasses
The best thing about alternate realities is that they are highly accessible. As you can see, anyone can enter a whole new world with nothing but a smartphone.
The Situation
Picture this: you’ve decided you’re going to become a coffee drinker but need to cut the bitterness. You head to the grocery store and walk to the dairy aisle. You quickly realize this decision will be much more challenging than you’d thought.
On the first shelf, you see whole milk, skim milk, heavy cream, and half-and-half. You see almond, cashew, soy, and oat milk on the next shelf. Who knew there would be so many options?
But then, a voice starts talking to you. It’s not your imagination — it’s the voice of an augmented reality narrator.
The narrator brings every milk option in front of your face in a 3D overlay and gives you all the nutritional values and cost facts you need to know. When the narrator finishes, you’re able to make your decision.
This is what an immersive experience could look like. And how much more fun would the grocery store be if that became a reality?
Types of Immersive Experience
Once you’ve secured a device enabling the immersive experience, you need to decide what kind of experience you’d like to curate. Take a look below for different types of immersive experiences.
- Tactical Immersion: Tactical immersion means physically touching some object or device that contributes to your digital reality. For example, you might have a device in your hand that works as a wand in your digital wizarding world. This type of immersion is generally associated with video games; however, medical and military fields also use it for training.
- Narrative Immersion: The earlier example of the supermarket coming to life qualifies as narrative immersion. A lifelike, interactive, and 360-degree sonic experience is immersion. When a digital narrator communicates with an audience, that is narrative immersion.
- Sight Immersion: Sight immersion is a digital experience you can see, a visual that transports us to an alternate reality. From 3D movies to art exhibits, if you can see it, it has the potential to be immersive.
Five Immersive Experiences We Love
When it comes to the metaverse, there are so many ways to participate. The more immersive an experience, the more versions of digital reality it incorporates. There are so many innovative ways to immerse in different industries, so take a look at some that we love.
1. Van Gogh Exhibit
If you love art (and even if you don’t), the immersive Van Gogh exhibit is an incredible experience and is likely in a city near you. From Boston to Las Vegas to Los Angeles, this exhibit is meant to serve as many people as possible.
When you enter, you’ll experience the following:
- 500,000 cubic feet of projections
- 60,600 frames of video
- 90,000,000 pixels
This immersive technology encompasses the viewer in colorful brush strokes and famous Van Gogh masterpieces. You can feel like you’ve stepped inside a work of art with this memorable experience.
2. IKEA Place
This app lets users see 3D models of the many furniture options in their homes. The app scales the object to see how it would fit. This visual immersion is a huge asset that helps users save time and hassle.
Augmented reality in this app is an excellent new way to shop eCommerce just by using your fingertips.
3. Pokémon GO
The Pokémon GO app took over the world in its own right a few years ago with its fun, interactive format. Users can see superimposed images of Pokémon characters as part of the real world.
Its GPS AR technology allows users to combine the virtual world with their real world on a mission to catch as many characters as possible.
4. Area 15
When you think of Las Vegas, you likely picture slot machines, clubs, and sports. Still, next time you’re there, venture off the strip to Area 15. This venue is a playground for alternate realities.
When you arrive, be prepared to choose wondrous experiences in the cinema, alternate reality, and self-guided adventures like:
- Army of the Dead: Viva Las Vengeance
- Birdly
- OZ Ride
- Virtualis VR
- Particle Quest
From ax throwing to zombie hunting, this place has it all.
5. Museum of Ice Cream
What could be better than ice cream? A museum that’s full of interactive ice cream experiences. With pop-ups in New York, Los Angeles, and Singapore, buy tickets to the must-see attraction with a delicious twist.
Tactical, narrative, and sight immersion make this museum better than the rest.
How To Make Your Online Store Alive
Our favorite five might have gotten some ideas going in your head for how an immersive experience could boost your eCommerce store. Let’s get into how to make your online store come alive.
Whether tactical, narrative, or sight immersion, any combination of these will make your site come to life.
If you loved the IKEA Place example, you could apply the same concept to your store with options like Illumix’s Virtual Try-On. No matter what product you offer your customers, Illumix’s AR technology allows customers to see products on themselves before deciding.
Instead of customers looking at stock images when visiting your online store, provide them the freedom to buy with confidence as products come to life before their eyes. Adding immersive experience options can boost customer experience, revenue, and retention.
If you’re ready to take your online store to the next level, it’s time to get into your new reality.
Conclusion
The future is now. Embrace the metaverse and all it offers by using immersive experiences in your eCommerce store. Whether it's AR, VR, MR, or a combination of all three, see where alternate reality can take your business.
Customers will love the interactive options you offer and can be confident in their purchasing process. Bring your online store to life with help from the digital world.
If you’re interested in learning more about the metaverse and AR technologies, check out the rest of our site.
Here at Illumix, we specialize in building dynamic AR experiences that can enhance your brand. We’ve done the heavy lifting already. Contact us to learn how we can help.
Sources:
Immersive Experience: Giving More to Your Customer ⎸ G2
What Is an Immersive Experience? | Lifewire
12 Of The Best Immersive Experiences Around The World You Need To Visit ⎸ CNN
