Due to the global COVID-19 pandemic, foot traffic on main street is at a record low, making it very hard for retailers to attract the kind of traffic they are used to, especially during critical buying seasons like the winter holidays or Mother’s Day. But, instead of trying to lure in shoppers simply by lowering prices or holding massive sales events, innovative companies from around the world are utilizing immersive 3D virtual tours with eCommerce to reinvent or improve the shopping experience.

Here are five strategies to improve sales effectiveness your retail space:

Transport people to your store instantly – At its most basic level, creating a virtual tour is a great way to transport people to your store so they can get a feel for the products you are offering in an environment that is warmer and more holistically integrated than most commerce sites that only show products on a white background. Using 3D, you can create immersive experiences that represent your brand, which goes on to build long-term value and loyalty for your business.

Add ecommerce – By using virtual tours and combing it with eCommerce technology, people can continue to buy your products even if they can’t visit your store in person. A 3D digital twin of your retail showroom, linked to eCommerce can elevate the shopping experience. Visitors can browse through your store just as they would in person, and you can tag each product with details and a link to buy.

► Explore 3D Space
Ferguson Showrooms - Virtual Tour

Enhance storytelling – A virtual tour is not just a chance to let people experience your products in a more natural environment, you can actually enhance the storytelling behind the products by embedding images, audio, video, and text to tell a much richer story. For example, you can tell the story behind the craftsmanship of your products, or how they are sourced, or even the materials used that make your products special.

Attract an international audience – One of the best things about creating a virtual experience for your store is that you can attract people from all over the world. This means that you won’t be limited to the people who know you or who happen to see your store on the street. By combining your 3D model with modern digital marketing and social media, you can attract people from all over the world to shop in your virtual store. Your store can be fully accessible to anyone with a browser from anywhere in the world.

It’s easy to for shoppers – The great thing about all of this?  It’s easy and intuitive for shoppers.  All they need is an internet connection and a mobile device or computer!  You simply need a website and/or social media presence to create a virtual shopping experience for your store.  As a bonus, 3D virtual tours also integrate seamlessly with Google Street View to make in-person visits to your store seamless.

Creating a virtual tour combined with integrated eCommerce might just be the best way for retailers around the world to showcase products in new, exciting and immersive ways to a global audience who are eager to shop. With three dimensional, interactive virtual tours, and hot tags to link to your ecommerce products.

Learn how to make your retail store sharable on the web, in social media, and through email campaigns. 

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This blog post originally appeared on https://matterport.com/blog/how-virtual-tours-ecommerce-can-save-retail and has been edited, but used with permission.