Here is the monthly round-up of all important news and articles in the world of furniture, e-commerce, and technology.
FURNITURE TECH
The Internet of Things Is Coming Home
Homes and devices are becoming smarter. The use of Internet of Things (IoT) technology in home furnishings and retail will see explosive growth. According to the National Retail Federation, about 75 billion IoT devices will be used by 2025. Companies will have a lot of information about customers behavior and preferences. However, collecting consumer data is not the end goal. Brands and retailers will have to find a way to utilize the data for customer-centric decision making.
Visual storytelling matters: The persuasive power of in-context images for higher conversion rates
Stories create purpose. Context gives shape and meaning. In-context images help you boost emotional engagement, ultimately leading to higher conversion rate. 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. High-quality room scenes are the online equivalent of the feel of a rich, velvety texture, soft cushions, or diving into bed.
E-COMMERCE NEWS
Changes to PCI Compliance are Coming June 30. Is Your Ecommerce Business Ready?
PCI compliance is a security standard setup to ensure that your customer’s data is being handled safely. Any business that accepts credit cards, must be PCI compliant before July 1, 2018. By being compliant, you protect your customers’ personal card data as well as assure them that your business is trustworthy. Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) and early versions of Transport Layer Security (TLS) are no longer considered secure forms of encryption. It is critically important that companies upgrade to a secure version of TLS – such as TLS v1.2 or higher – as soon as possible.
5 Ecommerce Trends You Need to Pay Attention to
E-commerce changed the face of retail forever. We live in a world where everything happens extremely fast. Hence, it’s crucial to keep an eye on all the latest trends and innovations in this industry to be able to stay relevant. Micro-influencer marketing, voice search, bots – these are just some of the hot topics in the e-commerce world today.
CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE AND DIGITAL UPDATES
Walmart’s website redesign: Five first impressions
Walmart has recently undergone a website redesign. The revamped version focuses on rich experiences, including a significant visual makeover and more personalized elements. One of the changes they’re making is introducing a new section that showcases top-selling items in a customer’s location. This way the shopping experience is more tailored to an individual shopper’s preferences.
How digital virtual experiences reinforce the physical environment
Massive changes in information flow, technology, and communication, redefined customer expectations. More than billion Internet users have gone mobile, profoundly changing how people buy and companies sell. However, retail and online channels are complementary rather than competitive. Smart companies know how to make the most out of that. Check out this article for some great examples from Sony and Nike for mixing physical and digital experiences.
INFOGRAPHIC OF THE MONTH
The website is the most likely place for a furniture retailer to reach shoppers.
- 70% of consumers shopping for furniture begin the process online.
- 39% of online furniture shoppers are in the middle of the purchase process and “narrowing options”
- 17% are ready to purchase
- 49% of those shopping for sofas online want to buy within two weeks
Shoppers who were offered a personalized online experience were twice as likely to buy from the retailer that provided it.
UPDATES FROM CYLINDO
Introducing the new version of 360 HD Viewer: Enhanced Shopping Experience with Rich Product Content
The latest version of the 360 HD Viewer brings new features for rich product page experience. Now brands and retailers can enhance the shopping journey by incorporating dynamic product content from a single platform.
So what comes along with the 360 HD Viewer 3.1?
- Integrated videos – The new version of Cylindo 360 HD Viewer supports self-hosted videos, as well as Vimeo and YouTube videos, shown directly in the 360 viewport.
- Optimized mobile zoom – It is now possible to downsample the zoom level shown from 4K to 2K. This is especially important for a mobile version because it provides seamless mobile experience with advanced 2K zoom.
- Dynamic background color – Brands and retailers can now have a dynamic (solid) background color for the viewer. They can choose a custom background color to match their product page theme.
Ready to experience the latest version of 360 HD Viewer?
SEE IT IN ACTIONUPCOMING EVENTS
NeoCon, June 11-13
The 50th edition is just around the corner. NeoCon serves as the commercial design industry’s launch pad for innovation. From industry trends, business opportunities, networking with people from the industry, to numerous seminars, panel discussions, and lectures – NeoCon has it all.
If you are attending NeoCon and you want to discover how simple a superior product visualization can be, send us an email at hello@cylindo.com and we can schedule a short meeting.
