Consumers’ shopping habits have changed over the past decade and the decision-making process is defined by their omnichannel interactions. Customers nowadays are seeking out online ratings, product reviews, videos and discussions as they move down the path to purchase. They want to see the product from every angle before they decide to buy it online or visit your store.
In one of our previous blog post, we talked about the importance of product visualization and the fact that human brain processes visuals 60,000 times faster than text. You can have the most creative product descriptions, but if you don’t have high-quality visuals it just won’t cut it.
Stories Sell
Storytelling is not just a buzzword. It goes back to the ancient times when people used storytelling to communicate, share ideas and learn. Now we are witnessing that storytelling is inevitable for every business. No matter if you want to position your brand on the market, attract and keep the best talent in your company or sell products – you have to tell a story. The human brain is more receptive to stories than to data and facts. The main reason is that we get the information in a more memorable form, so we can easily relate and accept the main message.
“People don’t buy products, but rather the stories these products represent” – Storytelling: The Story Making Machine and Formatting Minds
However, creating authentic and compelling stories that will drive engagement is more challenging than ever.
The persuasive power of visual storytelling
The average human attention span has reduced, so you have little time to make an impact. Our increasingly digitized lifestyle has influenced negatively on our ability to focus, but if there is one thing you can bet on, that is visual storytelling.
Research shows that people remember only 20% of what they read, 10% of what they hear and up to 80% of what they see and do.
Visuals have the power to evoke emotions and to trigger a reaction. Here are some statistics to prove this statement:
- 93% of consumers consider visual appearance to be the key deciding factor in a purchasing decision.
- 4x as many consumers would prefer to watch a video about a product than to read about it.
- 2x improved engagement – 360-degree spins and image rotation functionality can significantly improve your web session duration by offering interactivity.
We learn to read as we grow, while sight and hearing are two of our five core senses. We are wired for visual processing of information, so focusing on visual storytelling can be the ace up your sleeve.
The main challenge for e-tailers
There are a lot of benefits from online shopping. More choices, ability to compare items, rich content and the right information, at the right time. Still, one of the main reasons why customers doubt when it comes to online shopping is the inability to touch or try the product.
When it comes to online shopping, companies must understand that their no.1 task is to boost shopper confidence and to make their buying decision as simple as possible. Investing in product visualization will give your customers a peace of mind, and it will save you from all the headaches from product returns.
Stories create purpose. Context gives shape and meaning.
In-context images help you boost emotional engagement, ultimately leading to higher conversion rate.
A research from Google shows that 64% of women who shop for apparel on their smartphone agree that seeing images of products in context positively influences their purchase decision.
It’s much easier to sell products when you show them being used. No matter if it is a jewelry, purse, sofa or a car. This helps shoppers to get rid of their fears about the usage, aesthetics, and size. According to BigCommerce, 78% of online shoppers want products to be brought to life with images.
In-context images give you a bigger freedom to show the benefits and the purpose of your products. To put it another way, in-context images empower businesses to trigger emotions by telling stories.
Room scenes – A picture is worth a thousand words…and sales
Online merchandising is a mix of art and science. And it can make a difference for your e-commerce business. From high-quality images, videos, and advanced visualization tools, to product comparisons, recommendations, reviews, and ratings – customers seek for rich product page experience before they decide to make a purchase.
Your task is to display the products in such a way that stimulates interests and creates excitement and an urge to buy what they see.
When it comes to the furniture industry, bridging the gap between user experience of physical stores and that of the digital world becomes increasingly important. As one of our clients Plush found out, often, the online shopping experience can enhance, instead of substitute the in-store purchase.
Having in mind that most of the purchase journeys start online, you have to provide superior online customer experience in order to attract customers’ attention.
Customers find it hard to imagine how a sofa would look like combined with other pieces of furniture, how large is it in real life, and how it will fit in their living room. This is why room scenes are very important. Show the quality and versatility of your product. Put it in context, highlight its beauty. Reinforce your customers’ perception that the product they are about to invest in is the right choice.
High-quality room scenes are the online equivalent of the feel of a rich, velvety texture, soft cushions, or diving into bed.
Ready to go the extra mile?
Traditional product photography has a lot of downsides: it’s complicated, static, inflexible and very costly. There has to be a better way.
And actually, there is. Cylindo has introduced a new and unseen way of capturing customers’ imagination. Cylindo Styleshots represent interactive room scenes with a versatile approach to building authentic room sets for furniture brands and retailers.
Ready to experience the room scenes you’ve been waiting?
YES, SHOW ME MORE