How the AR Bandwagon Can Benefit Small Businesses

Considering the direction in which current retail trends are pacing, there is a huge possibility that we might have an entirely new generation of youngsters who will be born into a world in which augmented reality is as common as clicking a selfie today.

From Pokémon GO to Instagram filters, this technology has come a long way by finding space in almost all segments of the market, may it be gaming, e-commerce, health or education. Although it may seem that large corporations are leading in the AR zone, small-scale businesses also have a huge window to seize this technology and amplify their ascension.

What is AR?

In simple words, augmented reality or AR is the use of technology to add artificial elements into the real-world environment for an interactive experience in real time scenario. This can be achieved through devices like a smart phone, headsets or hand-held glasses, along with the internet of course.

Small Businesses and AR

At the moment, there are three main channels AR can live on, and these are play store apps, social media and the World Wide Web. Further, most small-scale enterprises today are establishing themselves as B2B or B2C e-commerce platforms, which means that their entire dealing is through digital prospects. Now, with the coming forth of smart phones and internet facilities all over the world, small business owners can establish themselves much faster by making creative use of AR in sales and marketing.

Let’s have a look at the ways in which small businesses can benefit from AR:

#1. Break Geographical Barriers

Accessibility radius and after-service are two key factors which heavily influence a buyer’s decision when it comes to purchasing products from a new retailer. No consumer will buy what you’re selling if they can’t reach out to you in case they have a complaint or concern after the purchase.

However, augmented reality is a deal-breaker when it comes to the problem of geographical restraints. Small businesses can use this technology to allow their customers to view products virtually and remotely from the comfort of their home. This not only enables them to enjoy a try-and-buy experience but also lessens the risks of the items being returned due to dissatisfaction or incoherence with expectations.

For instance, if you have a business that sells wristwatches, adding an AR try-on functionality feature in your app can help your customers get a full understanding of the watch size and style and whether it fits their wrist.

#2. Establish Trust and Enhance Credibility

As a new business in an already thriving marketplace, it is quite a task to build a solid foundation and gain the trust of consumers. Using AR, small businesses can go a long way in developing their reputation and instilling confidence about their products and services among buyers looking for credibility.

Providing customers with instant information about the product is an effective strategy to increase customer morale and inculcate faith. The primary reason behind this is that once the buyer will become aware of the pros and cons of the item, it will help them make a more informed decision about the product in terms of cost, quality and effectiveness.

AR tools can be used by small enterprises to manage tasks like product comparison or price-drop alerts so that consumers are aware of the ongoing trends and can make their buy accordingly.

#3. Create Unique User Experiences

Smaller businesses who start using AR at an early stage gain an increased attention of consumers owing to their exclusive involvement and impressive experiences. A simple scan technology is powerful enough to catch the eager eye of customers on the lookout for something new and inviting.

For instance, a fitness snack or beverage label which can be scanned for ingredient information, portion inputs or calorie control will have higher chances of being picked up by consumers who are health-conscious. Thus, a small-scale business looking to establish itself in the market can do so more effectively by identifying their target market’s interests and incorporating it to build engaging experiences using AR. This uniqueness will not only make one stand out among peers but will also attract the attention of investors.

#4. Design Successful Campaigns

Augmented reality is essentially useful when it comes to generating attractive campaigns that will leave a long-lasting impression in the customer’s mind and eye. Creative and interactive advertising ideas generate greater interest in the brand and are more convincing about its capabilities of providing good service and overall experience.

Using AR for advertising campaigns of small businesses improves their authenticity in terms of information surrounding the product along with its use and functionality. Social media is the primary platform for such promotion whether it’s in the form of clickable links or interactive audio-visual graphics.

#5. Improve Product Visualization

Clients can be encouraged to make purchases if they are able to foresee how the product will impact them on an individual level. Businesses in the educational, gaming and healthcare sectors can increase their competitiveness and reach out to new customers with the use of augmented reality to generate immersive and futuristic experiences to help their customer base visualize the end product.

What’s great about this technology is that it brings the product to life, and makes it much easier for the consumer to explore and interact with it before parting with their cash. Through piqued user engagement, augmented reality does more than half the job of marketing, proving to be a huge plus for companies that have just begun their venture in the marketplace.

#6. Promote Brand Goals Clearly

Irrespective of the segment a business is targeting, the flexibility of AR applications is supreme in its ability of telling the story the business wants its consumers to know. AR supported campaigns or products reveal to the consumers what the USP of the business is, adds more sensibility to the goals of the business and assertively establishes a foundation about their catalog and capabilities.

With majority of the population using smart phones, it is a primary achievement for any small business to have consumers install their app in his/her valuable smart phone real estate. Business owners know the value and impact this action possesses, as now their brand is in front of them daily and they can send push notifications and reminders to sell additional items and increase profits.

#7. Save Time and Cost

Although it sounds like a wild and futuristic concept, AR is actually quite simple and affordable in terms of saving time and collateral costs due to its easy applicability. This buzzing technology does much more than just creating immersive experiences that are entertaining and enjoyable.

From increasing the appeal of the product to the customer via visual and auditory mediums, to making advertising cheaper in comparison to print-media, and eliminating any kind of hardware limitations, augmented reality is top-notch in creating a prompt and long-lasting emotional connection, boosting sales by bridging the demand-supply gap as well as streamlining the process of sales by reducing risks. This changes the game for small businesses by eliminating the major challenges they would have to face in its absence.

#8. Foster Statistical Evaluation

Data is a valuable tool in analyzing and predicting trends, especially for small players in the business. AR tools are a harmless way to gather information about the impact a brand has on customer engagement and sales, which can help in identifying a company’s strengths and weaknesses at an early stage.

Moreover, the crucial activities of future goal identification, opportunity recognition and threat discovery can be successfully concluded as a result of AR adoption. Employing technology in alignment with the present goals of the business can be useful when it comes to zeroing down the possible pursuits of the company in the future.

Augmented reality gives small businesses an enormous advantage. Needless to say, incorporating AR from the very beginning will eliminate the need to later invest in making fundamental changes in your business or build an entirely new platform for your app, website or social media strategy.

So, step into the world of augmented reality and make the future fantastic beyond imagination and memorable within experiences.