Virtual Reality for eCommerce becoming a Reality Reality

Whisking people away to immersive other realities has a long history, with the first virtual reality experiences being developed in the 1960s. Like so many other technologies, VR has taken time to find its feet. 2015 has been a real turning point, and whilst the VR industry may be in its infancy, it’s clear consumers find it exciting, and business which get formula right can expect rich rewards.

The Story So Far

VR has had many false starts over the years — the most promising was the excitement generated in the 1990s, eventually it fell spectacularly short of amazing. VR was bulky, expensive and made people ill. The closest most users got was a Tomytronic 3D space shooter; fun, but you were painfully aware that you were still very much on earth!

VR’s Renaissance

Fast forward to 2015, VR is going through a renaissance thanks to two catalysts: Oculus Rift and Google Cardboard. Oculus and Cardboard have come from the two extremes of the market. Oculus is a high-end gaming and media consumption machine, demanding lots of processing power and aiming for complete immersion. Cardboard is, well, cardboard. Corrugated cardboard with two plastic lenses and a strap to keep it on your face. It uses the processing power that we all carry around with us, just plonk your mobile in there and a 360 degree videos and strange new worlds await.

Content Explosion

Content for both platforms is growing massively. Oculus has a vibrant marketplace for new content, and YouTube has just launched a Cardboard service. The popular game engine Unity has virtual reality capabilities built into the most recent version, allowing everyone from complete novices to professional studios to create VR games and experiences. Several 3rd parties have developed mounts for GoPro cameras to capture 360 degree video ready to be uploaded to YouTube, opening filming for VR to the masses.

The popularity of both of these products have driven demand for a middle ground. Samsung’s Gear VR, the consumer version having gone on sale this month, is a well produced headset that uses their flagship phones as a display, with excellent results. The high resolution of the screen and the high-end processor in the flagship Galaxy phones mean there is low latency and high resolution — enough to create real immersion. You do feel like you’re in the experience, especially when combined with headphones. Next year, we should be seeing headsets from HTC and Sony to add to the choice offered to consumers. Cardboard, and the off brand equivalents can be purchased for a few pounds on eBay or Amazon. The first consumer edition of Oculus is due out in Q1 next year. VR has never been so available, and it’s going mainstream.

One element of the the VR experience that is massively underdeveloped is how the user interacts with the environment. User interactions and journeys define how a user perceives any digital product, VR is no exception.

From Notifications to Memorable Experiences

Over the past couple of years, traditional digital products have been aimed at reducing the time spent on user journeys — optimising online purchases has become a core deliverable for digital departments across the world. This trend is reflected in the design of operating systems and new hardware products.

There is a real focus on increasing the effectiveness of notifications — the biggest development in iOS and Android over the past few updates has been focussed on notifications. Wearables have largely been notification devices. These developments are about increasing the speed at which relevant information is delivered to users. Virtual reality presents the opportunity to buck this trend — speed can be exchanged for the ability to present products in their intended context, or to immerse users in a brand to deliver a memorable experience.

Shifting Digital From Speed & Convenience to Genuine Excitement

Immersion to create something amazing that consumers won’t forget — this is the future of purchasing through VR. Consumers can see the product in action, its size, the colour options and a range of functionality — feel like they’ve experienced the product before purchase. Or, brands can break the realms of reality completely and put their products in the depths of space, or on the Great Barrier Reef. VR allows users to suspend their disbelief. Brands can exploit this to create fantastical stories, with their products being the stars of the show. Traditional digital has been about making experiences quick and painless; VR can make experiences exciting and engaging!

A Call for eCommerce Pioneers

To make VR a success for eCommerce, businesses have to abide by most of the same ideals that make users engage with their other digital services. The core tenants of UX stand in any world; make it easy for users to find what they want, engage them in their journey and make it enjoyable. If these user needs are met, VR can provide huge opportunities for eCommerce in 2016.

The number of devices coming to market alongside the ease and availability of platforms to build means that the amount of VR content is explode. Online retailers have yet to show their hands in the VR space — there is a huge opportunity for an industry leader to emerge. The leader will be the first experience to amaze and entertain their users whilst showing their products in a completely new light.

For insights and advice about User Experience for VR, or to assess how you should use VR to boost eCommerce for your business, please contact russell.plunkett@thisplace.com