Using Online Product Configuration to Increase Sales and Promote Products

Introduction

Online product configuration tools are going to become a requirement in the future. They are just beginning to be adopted by many large companies as a means to communicate the customizable options of their products as well as for quoting and pricing processes. Online configurators allow for 3D representations of complex products so that consumers can interact with these items or locations as if they were really holding them or visiting them.

These tools are going to become the new normal over the course of the coming years and early adopters will benefit from the use of these highly effective tools in sales as well as quoting processes. Consumers are already beginning to report that they expect this level of effort to be made if they are going to purchase an item online, and for those who are in development or who are designing things like theme parks, there is no other acceptable solution.

What is Online Product Configuration?  

Online product configurators allow you to do many things. They make it possible for your consumers to see your products from all angles and they will let you show every feature and facet of materials and functions as well. Users can zoom in and out and rotate the product as needed.

For complex items, you can make a building tool that will allow parts of the item to be added and subtracted as needed to demonstrate custom options as well as the overall function of the product. Think about car manufacturers who allow you to build your own car on their website. This is a way to change out features and options with a 3D configurator.

For those who are selling their designs of a theme park or a complex piece of equipment, the 3D configurator tools on the market allow them to create an exact rendering of their product or the location they are building so that investors and buyers, and developers can interact with it and understand it.

This powerful visual tool is changing the way that companies do business as well as the ways that consumers interact with products online.

Brands Who Are Using Product Configurators With Great Success  

1.     Heavy Stone  

This family-owned business specializes in items made from specialized metals. This is primarily a jewelry manufacturing business that has leveraged a product configurator to help consumers searching for their products to customize and view their potential order from all angles.

This tool is a huge benefit to their niche product as they are selling items that are made from atypical elements which many people will not be familiar with. Having a 3D product configurator on their side allows them to show all of the features and styling of their products to interested parties.

Unique products like these require the ability to show their value and their styling without leaving any of the details up to the imagination of potential customers.

2.     Millie & Noah  

This jewelry company sells unique ring styles as the mainstay of their business and they have created the perfect means to view these unique pieces by leveraging the use of a 3D configurator. The company also makes fully-bespoke items in many styles that need to be communicated effectively with their audience.

Their configurator lets you change out all of the possible partially bespoke design options as you customize and change the number of bands, their arrangement and their unique materials and styling. This is a perfect example of the use of a quote and price tool and the delightfully seamless method of adding and subtracting options along with adjusting the price makes it clear that you are getting exactly what you asked for when you buy from this company.

This is a great use of a quote and price tool that demonstrates the value and craftsmanship of these unique jewelry products. This creates consumer confidence while also helping customers to create the perfect gift, the perfect wedding ring, or the right surprise for that special someone.

3.     Boom  

This company offers a retooling of an older sales model that was popular in the 90s. Custom watches were all the rage back then, and with Boom on your side, they can be your favorite new personalized item again!

Boom lets you pick and choose all of the features of your watch, from the bands to the bezel, to the face style and you can build and change your watch design right inside the website. This means that you will know exactly what your new watch will look like in advance and you can even decide to pick and choose from additional bezels that can be changed out once you get the watch and start enjoying it!

This is a very clever way to make a fully customizable product highly visible to consumers so that they not only understand the intention and the point of the product, they can see the cost and the outcomes of their custom choices in real-time.

4.     Bellissimo  

Many people do not think that you can buy a custom hat online and would not even think about heading to a website to order their next hat. Bellissimo disagreed and built the perfect quoting and pricing tool that allows you to make your own fedora any way that you want it.

This is another great example of leveraging the power of a 3D configurator to create reliable renderings of customizable products that are for sale online. The power of being able to see and understand exactly what you are going to be purchasing cannot be overstated when you are planning your use of a 3D configuration tool

Belissimo’s purchasing process demonstrates how even the most niche product can be communicated effectively through the use of a 3D configurator.

5.      Tesla  

There is really no comparison in the carmaker world for Tesla. These cars are the most customizable cars in the car manufacturing niche, and there was no other way to make sure that buyers were getting exactly what they wanted than to offer a quality 3D configurator buying experience

Tesla will allow you to customize many small items about your car’s design and you can see them all populate and change your overall quoted price. Being able to see the car you are building develop right before your eyes is a huge benefit when you are going to be buying something as expensive as a Tesla, and having access to the running tab of the cost of the car you are making is a huge help as well.

Investing in a Tesla through their online sales platform is an easy process and has no doubt helped to launch them to the forefront of luxury and electric car sales in ways that would not have been possible without 3D configuration.

Online Product Configuration Makes the Difference Between Views and Sales  

Online product configuration offers businesses the ability to create unique and highly customizable products without suffering from a lack of sales due to poor visibility for these products. While 3D product configuration is often associated with marketing ideas and complex development plans, 3D configuration is now becoming more and more associated with eCommerce or online sales.

Consumers are going to come to expect that 3D configuration will be a part of their online buying experience in the coming years. Brands that do not jump on board and leverage this technology will find that consumers will be less interested in investing in their products. There will be too many other companies selling similar items that offer 3D configuration to make the buying process easier.

If you want to convert visitors to your site to customers with ease, you will need to get 3D configuration on your side. There is no better way to demonstrate the benefits and features of your unique items than with quality 3D configured images and real-time customization through price and quoting functions.