5 industries that benefit from 3D product configuration

We live in a different reality since the beginning of the pandemic. Businesses experienced firsthand the need to have a solid online presence. From eCommerce experts to noobs, companies are getting ready for the online selling world. Businesses that have never targeted eCommerce as a selling solution are doing it. We bring you 5 industries that benefit from 3D product configuration.

3D product configuration – What is it?

First things first.

3D product configuration uses 3D models of products to create the perfect online visualization tool. In a configurator, customers can personalize items and view them in 360 degrees, making them seem as realistic as the actual thing.

A no-code configurator like the one Expivi provides, makes the integration and overall product innovation and maintenance easier since you don’t need your own team of developers to help you along the way.

Companies only need an eCommerce platform, 3D models of their products (that Expivi can create), and an idea of what they want the customer to configure. For example, a furniture company might wish the shoppers to be able to personalize the size and color of a sofa.

With 3D configuration, customers are empowered to create their own version of a product and visualize it as they would in real life. This brings many benefits such as reduced return rates, fewer storage needs, and decreased stock,  just to mention a few.

5 industries that benefit from 3D product configuration

From transportation to medical equipment, we bring you 5 industries that benefit from 3D product configuration.

#1 – Transportation

From cars to trailers to boats to trucks, transportation is definitely one of the industries that benefit from 3D product configuration. It can help companies optimize their sales cycle by making prototyping much faster and opportunity closing much easier.

Instead of having to create new models for every new client, using a 3D configurator, transportation manufacturers only have to choose some options on the pre-built configurator, and the prototype is created and can then be sent to the client. If the client wants o change features, all sales teams have to do is just go to the configurator and change the options according to what the client wants and an updated prototype is created.

This saves a lot of time and other precious resources. Transportation companies can either have the configurator online, and the customers can create the version of the product themselves or offline (for internal use).

#2 – Furniture

Furniture is one of the industries that benefit from 3D product configuration. Why?

3D configurators can help them reduce product returns. When buying online, customers experience doubt, and when the product is costly, that doubt can be a deal breaker.

And why do customers return items?

  • Product photography is not a faithful representation of the real thing;
  • Not enough information about the products;
  • The product was damaged or defective;
  • The customer experienced buyer’s remorse.

By providing personalization and good visuals through 3D product configuration, you’ll be tackling this problem. Shoppers will be able to choose the material, size, pattern, and finishes without leaving the comfort of their homes. 

Augmented reality also helps, since you’ll be empowering shoppers to place the configured item into their desired environment. No more trying to guess if the new sofa goes with the existing furniture. Customers can now see and experience it. Shopify has actually reported a 40% decrease in returns thanks to 3D visualization and AR, and with Expivi’s 3D product configurator and AR tech, furniture companies can reduce return rates.

Furnitute in the industries that benefit from 3D product configuration

#3 – Medical Equipment

Medical device manufacturers provide customization regularly. We can be talking about hospital beds or dental chairs, each practice will choose what fits best in their environment, and that usually means personalizing and customizing the products. They usually don’t do it online, but they can.

With a 3D configurator, companies that manufacture medical equipment can have all the options on their website, and shoppers can just choose the best combinations according to their requirements.

Businesses don’t need to have hundreds of pictures delaying their website or having to create one single prototype for each and every customer that wants one.

Customers will create their own prototype or the sales team can do it and show it to the prospective customers in seconds.

Medical equipment is definitely one of the industries that benefit from 3D product configuration.

#4 – Industrial Equipment

Companies that manufacture industrial equipment such as forklifts can use 3D configuration to make all their desired variations available online, so they are most surly one of the industries that benefit from 3D product configuration.

By integrating Expivi’s 3D configurator, industrial equipment manufacturers can empower their customers to create the product without having to visit the offices and the factory. All the possible combinations will be online and the buyer just has to choose options. 

After choosing the right options for themselves, the customer pays and a Bill of Materials is directly sent to production that now has every element needed to manufacture the equipment. 

A 3D product configurator means that companies no longer need to have prototypes of every single combination and they can instead have a fully functioning and engaging digital showroom. For businesses, this results in resource savings, and decreased stock and waste.

#5 – Containers 

If you’re in the container business, you can use 3D product configuration to your advantage by showing prospective customers all product possibilities quickly and efficiently. Businesses that build containers know that it’s a struggle to showcase all the possible product variations online, but having an online presence is essential now.  

With a 3D configurator, customers looking to get a container can build their own version of the product as they see all available options for each of the sides. Depending on what options you’d want to provide, you can allow them to choose size, color, window and door finishes, and other features. 

This facilitates the customer journey, as well as the sales cycle. How? Well, sales teams will be able to put the product on a large screen and take the customer through each step of the building process with real-life-like visualization and personalization. Container manufacturing is most definetly one of the industries that benefit from 3D product configuration.

 

Did you like this article on 5 industries that benefit from 3D product configuration? Then read how it can also improve your product life cycle here

Top 5 benefits of personalized gifts for eCommerce businesses

The holidays are around the corner. People are wondering what to get their loved ones. Personalization rarely goes wrong and many retailers, even big ones such as Ralph Lauren, are allowing it in their online stores.

Shoppers are now more aware of what they buy and use, and in a world that celebrates individuality, providing customization is essential to have a successful online business. Offering personalized gifts, even if for a short period of time, such as during the Christmas season, could be a great differentiator. 

The possibilities are endless, from an engraved perfume bottle to a bathrobe with someone’s initials, from widening your color selection to expanding your size range.

Personalized gifts have plenty of advantages, for both companies and consumers alike. In this article, we bring you the top 5 benefits of personalized gifts for eCommerce businesses.

#1 – Lower return rates

Product returns are a problem for most online businesses, wouldn’t you agree?  They usually can mean that: 

  • Product photography is not a faithful representation of the real thing;
  • Not enough information about the products;
  • The product was damaged or defective;
  • The customer experienced buyer’s remorse.

20-30% of all products ordered online are returned as compared to 8.89% in physical stores. Return rates are an important indicator of customer dissatisfaction and they are incredibly harmful to the environment. 

Besides the added transportation and pollutant emissions, returned items are usually considered unsellable by companies, which means they just end up in a landfill or an incinerator. They are wasted.

The chances of returning a personalized gift are much lower. Shoppers are empowered from the very beginning to create something which resonates with them and with the person they are buying for.

The result is a unique product thought and created for a special someone.

#2 – Competitive advantage

According to Harvard Business Review, when buyers are given the chance to customize their desired products, they buy more and are more likely to recommend the brand to other people.

This can represent a good extra source of revenue, using the resources you already have, and set you apart from the competition.

The online shopping landscape is definitely overcrowded, So it’s important to offer personalization options that stand out from your competition. To achieve that, make sure you provide high-quality customization and a good buying journey. A 3D configurator can help you with that, so you can nail personalized gifts.

blocks on a yellow background representing the advantage of personalized gifts for eCommerce

#3 – A pop up store is born

As mentioned before, personalized gifting can be something you integrate into your business proposal, or it can be something that only happens a few times a year. Brands such as Rituals, for example, do it.

A digital pop up store is the perfect way to enable personalized gifts for some time. What is it?  It’s basically a little store on your website where you offer, for a limited time, a unique and exclusive product. What is more exclusive than a fully personalizable made-from-scratch item? 

#4 – An extra source of income

People are willing to pay more for a customizable item. They also tend to buy more from those who provide personalization.

Personalized gifts can be a good source of income by allowing shoppers to personalize your existing stock. From engraving to accessorizing, you have a lot of possibilities to get there.

3D configuration is a great way to do it, especially with Expivi. Why? Because it’s a CPQ configurator. This means that it configures, prices and quotes. After the integration of the 3D product configurator on your website, the customer can personalize the item, view it in a realistic way, and personalize it as a quote is immediately created. The client then pays and a Bill of Materials with the desired personalization is sent directly to production. All involved parties are connected through one platform.

#5 – A great marketing asset

Personalized gifts can be used in a million different ways when it comes to marketing. Social media is one of them. You can easily create valuable content using what your clients will share.

There is nothing like receiving an item created especially for you and sharing it on Instagram. All you have to do afterward is re-share it, and the leads will follow. It’s also a good way to start a new campaign and use it in your paid media strategy.

Personalized gifts will allow you to do market prospect since you’ll be receiving information regarding your product that you didn’t before. For example, you can know which colors your clients chose more often, what sizes are more popular and what type of engraving font is picked more regularly. 

Interactions coming from personalization create valuable data from which brands can design more relevant experiences. Creating therefore a chain reaction that leads to higher customer loyalty.

Would you like to know how to make a 3D product configurator work for your business? Ping us!

eCommerce Trends 2023 – Top 5 must-haves to succeed

The end of the year is around the corner. It’s time to evaluate but it is also time to plan. We bring you eCommerce trends 2023, so your company can start preparing for the challenges ahead. These are the top 5 eCommerce trends retailers need to know about to succeed:

Sustainability – eCommerce trends 2023 

More and more brands are researching ways to green up.

Customers are looking for sustainable options but so are companies, that have investing forces pushing them to a more sustainable future. As of 2022, 81% of consumers indicate that sustainability is a priority, and almost 80% of retailers believe that their sustainability work increases customer loyalty.

This trend has been a constant for the past few years and will continue to be a guideline in the future. Retail companies are using more sustainable materials, and eco-friendly packaging but they are also targeting things like return rates. 

Product returns are costly and they are bad for the environment. This is particularly true for online businesses where at least 30% of all products ordered online are returned as compared to 8.89% in physical stores.

How can you decrease your return rates? Read our article on how 3D configuration can help you do it.

Personalization – eCommerce trends 2023 

80% of consumers are more likely to purchase from a brand that provides a truly personalized experience. Personalization in the past referred to the ability of digital advertisers to track you online and tailor advertising, but the paradigm has changed.

Customers are looking for the opportunity to create something unique online. With 3D configuration that reality is made possible by empowering shoppers to create their own version of a product. 

With 3D configuration, the product isn’t a static image, but a detailed render that the customer can inspect from every angle. Using a phone, tablet, or computer, they can zoom in or out, examining a 360° representation of the product before it’s ever produced. 

The ability to rotate and zoom in on the item enables customers to “feel” for the textures, details, and quality. As a result, buyers are more engaged and inspired in their shopping journey.

Shoppers are also encouraged to personalize the product by changing its size, color, accessories, or parts at the same time they see it come to life in the configurator.

A product that is tailored to someone’s needs is less likely to be returned. A personalized product resonates with the shoppers in a more meaningful way and that adds value to the journey.

Omnichannel – eCommerce trends 2023 

Nearly 75% of buyers use multiple channels before purchasing, and 73% of eCommerce consumers report using various channels during their customer journey. It is therefore important to enable customers to find you on multiple channels.

Having a good website isn’t enough anymore, it has to be highly responsive so buyers can find you in desktop or mobile. Social media also plays a key role when it comes to retail.

Creating meaningful content can be a challenge. A 3D configurator can also help companies nail content creation and increase engagement rates.

First, the configurator will allow you to have the best online view of your product. This can be used omnichannel in your content strategy. Second, since the configurator has a strong gamification component where customers can play with the product, changing its features, it can also be used in social media as an engagement tool.

It’s not just about being everywhere at all times. It’s also about leaving a good impression and providing quality content.

representation of DTC with expivi in one of eCommerce trends 2023

DTC business model – eCommerce trends 2023 

The direct-to-consumer (DTC) business model is not new. The pandemic boosted its popularity and is now something that many online businesses are beginning to target. Manufacturers found that selling directly to consumers was easier and more profitable than going through third-party platforms.

This not only helps to eliminate costs, but it also means that businesses can offer products at lower prices and build stronger rapport with clients. DTC means that customers can go directly to you with any concerns, creating opportunities for you to prove your value, upsell, and cross-sell.

The catch of DTC is that it requires more attention from the company side which now controls every detail of the selling and buying journey. It calls for heavy engagement and more staff and resources to handle the added operational elements, such as production and shipment.

Expivi can empower businesses to control their supply chain and every element of the buying journey in one platform. How? Well, the customer visits your website, engages with the configurator, and creates their ideal version of your product. After payment, a Bill of Materials (BOM) is created with all the components needed to produce that item. That BOM is then sent to production, using the same platform, which means they will have access to all the information needed to create the personalized product.

All parties are connected through one platform and through one unified ERP system. This means that there’s little room for miscommunication and less need to employ extra resources.

Interactive shopping (AR and AI) – eCommerce trends 2023 

Shoppers engage with 3D images of products nearly 50% more than static ones. eCommerce needs to adapt to this reality. Augmented reality (AR) and AI are essential so companies can get there. 

In the near technological future, companies will offer their customers hyper-personalized experiences without worrying about the physical world’s barriers.

Using AR, eCommerce will enable shoppers to “feel” the product and place it in their desired context. Using 3D configures of your products, shoppers will be able to inspect the items from every angle and place them where they want, without having to leave their sofas. Want to see if the table fits in your dining room? No problem. Want to see if a shirt goes well with your skin tone? Easy. AR will help you do that.

Interactive shopping is a major eCommerce trend for next year, and with AR, customers will know if your product fits their requirements at the same time they have a great shopping experience.

Did you like this article on eCommerce trends 2023? Then read about the role of the Metaverse in eCommerce.

Quickly creating a Christmas Pop up Store using 3D configuration

Retail is a growing sector. It is expanding in total revenue but the number of players is also increasing. Global retail sales grew to $26 trillion in 2021 but also, for every store closure, two new stores open.

Q4 is almost ending. It’s time to think ahead. In eCommerce, it’s difficult to stand out from the competition but something like a Christmas pop up store can be an excellent short-term strategy to increase revenue and create a buzz.

We bring you a small guide on the relevance of pop up stores in eCommerce and how you can get there with 3D configuration for the Christmas season.

What’s a pop up store?

The concept is quite simple. A pop up store is a shop that is designed to be temporary. It pops-up for a limited period of time and aims to achieve a particular goal.

It’s a strategy that most retail brands are implementing in order to offer a unique and engaging experience since it provides flexibility and the opportunity to experiment with less associated risk. 

Some brands live on it, traveling from location to location with their entire stock, therefore becoming nomadic. This is not always the case and other companies choose a different take on the concept.

Many online brands use it as a marketing and sales tool. For that, they choose specific times to showcase their pop up stores. Valentine’s Day, Father’s Day, Mother’s Day, Easter, and the beginning of each season are just a few examples. Of course, we cannot forget the mother of all pop up shops, a Christmas pop up store.

Usually, the products available are a version of their current inventory, but with a special twist, depending on the occasion.

Benefits of pop up stores in eCommerce

There’s a reason why pop up stores are becoming increasingly popular. They come with a lot of benefits for online businesses. Besides being associated with higher sales, there are also other important benefits such as:

  • Short commitment
      • It’s a store that exists for a limited period of time, so you can take advantage of all the short-commitment benefits. Shorter and cheaper campaigns, less need to stock up, shorter inventory, less workforce… 
  • Testing and Experimentation
      • It’s the perfect tool to test and experiment. Its low-cost and temporary nature allows brands to engage in test marketing of new products and promotions to target future demand. If a certain product doesn’t really resonate with your audience it’s ok, it was only available for a limited time and you can learn from the input you collected.
  • Buzz generator
      • Something like a Christmas pop up store will get people talking. It’s a great marketing tool that companies can use to create special campaigns on paid channels and social media. It engages customers in their buying journey as well, since they are searching for something unique during the season. It creates a buzz for all the right reasons.

christmas pop up store with a girl trying out some christmas decorations

Christmas pop up store with 3D configuration

An online Christmas pop up store can be the perfect way to make good use of those extra holiday visits to your website. People are looking for something special for their loved ones, and through 3D configuration, you can offer that. How? By offering personalizable products and therefore the perfect gifts.

With Expivi, the process of having a 3D configurator is simplified. It doesn’t require any code and it’s simple to use and update. 

Using 3D models of your products, Expivi creates a configurator that after being integrated into your eCommerce platform, allows customers to visualize products as they would in real life. The shopper can also personalize the product depending on the options you want to provide, that includes being able to change color, size, pattern… You can also enable engraving and accessorizing.

You don’t need your team to come up with an engaging product page, there’s nothing more engaging than a 3D configurator. It adds a sense of gamification to the buying journey and empowers the customer, decreasing buyer’s remorse.

Let’s say you decide to go for a Christmas pop up store during November and December. You only need to have the configurator online during these months, but that doesn’t mean you can’t recycle it for new campaigns. During Valentine’s Day, for example, you can bring back the configurator and allow your customers to create a romantic gift. Again, no need to create a completely different product page, it’s just a matter of updating the resources you already have.

Le Olive, a sleep and loungewear company embodies personalized gifting in a great way. Most of their products are personalizable and customers can actually choose what to embroider on the items. They decided to work with Expivi to bring their vision to life with a 3D configurator where shoppers can view the engraved products as they would in real life.

L’Oréal has also nailed personalization. They decided to team up with Expivi to create the ultimate gift. Viktor & Rolf’s Flowebomb perfume bottle can be engraved and accessorized by the shopper who pays an extra amount for each added personalization. As an outcome, their return rates decreased to a staggering 0%.

3D configuration can help companies create the utlimate Christmas pop store, and most of all, it can allow brands to have a recurrent revenue tool that requires little workforce and investment.

Did you like this article on how to get a Christmas pop up store? Then read about how you can have a shorter sales cycle with 3D configuration right here.

How to optimize a product life cycle with 3D configuration

The product life cycle was a concept developed by German economist Theodore Levitt, who published his model in the Harvard Business Review in 1965. Still used to this day, it is an integral part of business development and strategy. But what does it consist of exactly, and how can we make the best out of it? These are the questions we plan on answering in this article.

What is a product life cycle?

The name says it all. It’s the time it takes a product to go from a simple concept to its withdrawal from the market. The product life cycle takes into consideration two variables, time and sales that vary depending on which of the 5 phases the product is in. The concept is used for decision-making and strategy development throughout each stage.

What are the product life cycle stages?

#1 – Development

This is the product life cycle’s first stage. There are no sales yet, the product hasn’t been introduced to the market at this point. It means it’s all about researching, prototyping, and creating a launch strategy.  It’s important that you test the concept with potential users and adjust certain things according to their feedback. Development usually takes a long time before the product is ready to be introduced into the market.

#2 – Introduction

The product is introduced in the market. It’s about building awareness and ensuring you reach your target audience.

#3 – Growth

Hopefully, your product is being well received and consumers are embracing it. Demand grows and so do the sales.

#4 – Maturity

Usually, after a period of growth comes maturity. This happens when sales begin to level off from the previous rapid growth. Some companies tend to reduce prices at this stage in order to remain competitive.  

#5 -Decline

The dreaded stage. When your product is no longer a favorite with your audience, sales start to decrease. It often occurs when the market is competitive and businesses lack innovation.

graph with a product life cycle

How to optimize a product life cycle with 3D configuration

A 3D configurator uses 3D models of your products to create the perfect online visualization tool. In a configurator, customers can personalize items and view them in 360 degrees, so they seem to be as realistic as the actual thing.

A no-code configurator like the one Expivi provides, makes the integration and overall product innovation and maintenance easier since you don’t need your own team of developers to help you along the way. 

Companies only need an eCommerce platform, 3D models of their products (that Expivi can create), and an idea of what they want the customer to able to configure. For example, a furniture company might wish the shoppers to be able to personalize the size and color of a sofa.

Once you have those three things aligned, the configurator can be created and it is ready to help you optimize your product life cycle.

Develop and introduce new products faster

During the first phases of the product life cycle, you need a lot of research and prototyping. A 3D configurator makes this process smoother by enabling you to make the changes online, without having to create thousands of physical representations of your product. This helps introduce it in the market much faster. 

A retail supplies design studio decided to use a 3D configurator to make representations of their hangers according to what their clients required. From different colors to finishes to materials to sizes, their variations are too many to count. The configurator helped them automatically create the prototypes and send them to their clients. This optimizes the introduction of the product in the market and therefore, the product life cycle.

Manage changes easily and maintain quality

A 3D configurator already has everything you need when you decide to change or upgrade your product. Let’s say you’d like to offer more color options or perhaps different sizes or finishes. Using Expivi’s no-code configurator, your team can do that by just changing a set of rules on the backend. 

This allows you to easily tweak your current inventory without hiring a workforce to update your configurator. You’ll also be using the 3D models you previously created, which means you’ll maintain the quality of your online offer.

All of this means that you’ll be able to upscale your products faster introducing new innovative features and delaying the decline of your product life cycle.

CPQ to ensure optimized production and efficient communication

Design and manufacturing have to be connected to have an optimal product life cycle, particularly in the early stages. In the online market, speed and innovation go hand in hand. Those who deliver move forward and those who don’t are left behind.

A CPQ (configure, price, quote) software enables companies to have good control over their product’s life cycle. How?

Through a unified ERP system, Expivi empowers businesses to connect every party involved in their product journey. What does this mean? Well, the customer configures, pays and a Bill of Materials (BOM) is automatically created at the time of purchase, providing the customer with a clear idea of what goes into their configured product. The BOM is then immediately sent to manufacturers (and eventually suppliers) containing all the information needed to produce the item (materials, quantities…). This is all processed in one platform.

What if you run out of a certain material? No problem, that can be automatically changed on the configurator by suppliers/ production, and that option will no longer be available for customers. This unified ERP system allows online companies to gain full control over their product life cycle, at the same time it informs the shopper regarding what goes into the manufacturing of their purchase. Transparency and efficiency!

Market research and product testing

Imagine that you want to test a new version of your product before producing it. With a 3D configurator, you can offer that new product version to your customers and see how well it is received. Since you’ll be manufacturing it on-demand, there’s no need to have the product ready before it is ordered. This allows you to test market reception before production. 

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