Why does the brain love with its eyes
The main reason is that visual content is perceived faster than any other, it is visual perception that dominates when making a purchase from most people. According to neurobiological studies , in humans, the visual channel is the leading channel of perception, since more than 50% of all neurons in the neocortex are involved in visual perception. This, in part, can explain that Internet commerce was able to largely replace the traditional one. From this it was concluded that the consumer, and even more so the IM client, chooses the product first of all with his eyes. The inaccessibility of kinesthetic and sometimes sufficient auditory impact further focuses the potential buyer on visual perception.
To date, a number of trends have emerged in the visualization of goods in Internet commerce. These trends are likely to be the future of this industry and have already gained significant weight:
- Video reviews;
- An increase in the resolution of photographs and an increase in their number;
- 3D content (360 photos, 3D reviews);
- Experimenting with VR.
Retailers note that following one or more of the visualization trends described above, apart from perhaps using VR content, is already increasing sales today. For example, Pult.ru relies on a variety of photo and video reviews of significant products, and Svyaznoy conducted A / B testing of 3D reviews, and received a 7% increase in conversion from 3D content in the results. It can be stated that in the future it is visual content that will determine sales and that text and audio content will be integrated into it.
Video
Video is the simplest, one might even say the traditional way of presenting a product to a consumer. Moreover, product reviews by independent bloggers are sometimes more important for the buyer than the entire product page, which is often perceived as unreliable. When people talk about the development of video content, they mean, first of all, independent reviews and tests of devices. Moreover, the standard unpacking, judging by the customer reviews in the comments under the corresponding videos, are no longer always satisfied. The buyer increasingly wants the most competent independent opinion.
From a technical point of view, video resolution, camera angles and lighting quality become important. It is important that the product can be seen from all sides, and even better if it will be operated in different modes. In the case of electronics, objective even hardware tests are also important, if the reviewer's competence allows them to be done. In other words, the more detailed a video is, the higher its consumer value. In this sense, the YouTube community is only building up its positions, eliminating the need for stores to create content on their own.
Among the disadvantages of this type of product visualization are the duration, the possibility of biased assessment or hidden advertising. We will not consider the bias of reviews due to the fact that it is impossible to check the objectivity of any content. With some assumptions or other, the existing reviews are more or less objective.
But the duration is a problem, since a long study of the purchase moves the user away from the purchase, which means, in theory, reduces the conversion. In the classic dream of an internet retailer, a customer enters, falls in love with the consumer properties of the product and buys. Video content can create a distant wow effect, but the longer the time elapses from the moment the buyer gets acquainted with the product until the moment of purchase, the more factors (including random ones) can change his decision.
Resolution, HDR, quantity
Requirements for traditional photography are growing. For modern e-commerce, FullHD is gradually becoming the minimum acceptable resolution for a product photo. High resolution allows you to examine the product in detail, which is significant for a potential consumer. Dynamic range is also important, especially in the case of a variety of shades in the product, as a rule, acceptable quality is achieved using HDR technology.
The number of photographs has increased significantly in recent years. This is due to the fact that the consumer wants to see in the photo the presence of certain features, for example, gadget interfaces or items of clothing, and not read about them in the description. As a rule, they resort to a text description only if the product is very needed and there is no way to obtain information in other ways. In part, this is due to the hypothesis that the brain of the average shopper is lazy and seeks information in the simplest way available.
There is an opinion that in 10 years two-dimensional content will die out under the onslaught of more informative formats. I strongly disagree with this position, if only by virtue of the fact that the simplest solutions are among the most effective. I have an assumption that it will change somewhat, for example, it will receive interactive elements like those found in 3D views.
360 photo and 3D reviews
Designed for 3D visualization of objects. You can twirl in all directions, considering the desired product. The first advent of these imaging technologies came in the mid-to-late 2000s and failed. Low data rates and imperfect web display technologies, in particular Adobe Flash, have killed the first wave of Internet retailers' desire to use 3D content. Today speeds have increased, technology has changed and high-resolution 360-degree panoramic images, as well as full-fledged three-dimensional models of goods (3D views, in the technology of the company REVIEW3) are regaining the lost ground.
There are many advantages, for example, the ability to instantly view the product from all sides, and in the case of reviews, also interactively interact with the object, receiving information (including text). Perhaps the main advantage of such content is the time that can be missed when viewing a large number of photos.
The disadvantages are also tangible, in the case of 360 photos - this is a cost that is many times higher than the cost of standard photos. In the case of 3D reviews, their number is limited by the fact that the only company in the world, REVIEW3, sells by subscription, which creates exclusively electronics models and selects only flagships and mass-sold ones. Nevertheless, the interest of the Russian and foreign online retail market in these technologies has been actively growing since the onset of the pandemic and the widespread withdrawal of stores online. Therefore, in the coming years, we should expect an exponential growth in the number of 3D objects on the websites of online stores of completely different directions: from the already familiar electronics stores to online jewelry boutiques.
VR in retail
Virtual reality, albeit a distant one, is the future of Internet retail, especially in clothing and wearable electronics. At the moment, the limitations of VR technologies, as commercial ones, are associated with the relative resource intensity and low prevalence of the corresponding peripheral devices. However, as we well know, over time and increasing manufacturability, the cost of any electronics decreases, and the possibilities increase. Thus, in 5-7 years the moment will come when VR glasses will become the same part of everyday reality as a smartphone. From that moment on, online retail begins to actively use 3D VR content. I would venture to suggest that the same 360 photos and 3D reviews will form the basis. The only significant drawback of VR solutions today is the low prevalence of virtual reality devices.
Outcome
All trends existing today will obviously continue for the next couple of decades. The main trends in the near future will be an increase in the quantity and quality of traditional photos, the development of video blogging with detailed reviews and device tests, an increase in the share of 3D content, especially 3D reviews, as more interactive content. In the long term, virtual fitting rooms will flourish, as well as modernization of traditional types of content such as photos and videos, possibly the emergence of new, more informative and interactive formats that complement the user experience.
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