We all know how easy it is to order clothes online, but wouldn’t it be great if you could try-before-you buy online too? Guess what... now you can! And we can tell you first-hand that having an avatar – your digital twin – makes the online shopping experience a whole lot easier!
In recent years, digital wardrobes and virtual try-ons – also known as VTOs – have taken the fashion industry to the next level of digitalisation. A growing number of online stores now invite customers to create their own avatars and try on clothes virtually, online. But what exactly are digital and virtual wardrobes and how do avatars work in e-commerce?
Online shopping made easy: Find the perfect outfit with a virtual wardrobe!
A virtual wardrobe is a digital version of your wardrobe at home. It’s an easy, user-friendly way to organise and visualise your clothes online. By uploading pictures of your clothes or selecting them from an online store’s database, you get a clear picture of what you already own and ways to coordinate your outfits. Some virtual wardrobes also give you the option to categorise garments and save outfits to retrieve later. The advantages are obvious. You can manage your wardrobe from absolutely anywhere and any time you want. Digital wardrobes and fitting rooms are especially popular with busy people who want to look good but don’t have much time. A virtual wardrobe saves you time and lets you personalise and tailor your shopping experience to suit your individual needs. The technology is constantly evolving to provide you, the customer, with an even better experience. In fact, some digital changing rooms now use artificial intelligence to suggest entire outfits that match your style and favourite colours.
The virtual shopping experience: How digital avatars are personalising online shopping
So, what about avatars? While virtual wardrobes help you catalogue your clothes and curate your outfits, online shopping avatars are personalised virtual representations of your real-world self. These computer-generated images reflect your height, proportions, colouring and other physical characteristics. Avatars let you try on different clothes and accessories virtually without actually having to buy them or physically try them on. How do you get an avatar? To start with, you enter your body measurements and proportions, which algorithms use to build your avatar. You can then have your avatar try on different clothes in a virtual environment. Visualising yourself in various outfits will help you decide which outfits suit and fit you best. H&M is a well-known example of how avatars can be used for online shopping. The fashion group began offering initial test runs with avatars in selected shops as early as the summer of 2021. As part of the pilot phase, customers had the opportunity to be measured using scanners in participating stores. They received their personalised avatar and were then able to try out their new online prototype from the comfort of their own home (or wherever they wanted) and try on the latest It pieces with their avatar. The new feature was well received by customers and the infrastructure was set to be further developed before it could become part of the company’s day-to-day operations.
What this means for retailers. Virtual try-ons drive customer satisfaction!
The trend towards using avatars in online shopping mainly started because customers wanted an experience that was as close to reality as possible. Being able to try on clothes virtually helps them get a clearer idea of how the items will look on their own bodies. As technology continues to evolve, more and more retailers will be able to offer this type of hybrid shopping experience. This will lead to increased levels of customer satisfaction and engagement, higher sales conversion rates and fewer returns. For the customer, a major advantage of digital changing rooms and avatars is the time they save. Instead of spending hours walking through different shops trying on clothes, they can simply browse through different outfits online and try them on virtually. As well as saving time, it cuts down on the hassle and stress of shopping. What’s more, digital wardrobes are a fantastic way to expand their fashion horizons and try out new trends.
The perfect combination for international online shopping
What does translation have to do with digital dressing rooms and virtual avatars? Online shops. If you want to give your customers an immersive and interactive shopping experience, you need to ensure that your virtual dressing rooms have perfectly translated product descriptions. While virtual technology enables your customers to try on your products, our translation services will give them your product information in their native language. A professional online shop translation should not be underestimated. It will improve the customer experience and build trust in your online shop. Successful international product marketing has many elements that need and deserve to be translated to create a smooth shopping experience for customers from different countries. These elements include product descriptions, reviews, shipping information and payment terms, among others.
In summary
In summary, virtual wardrobes and avatars can offer enormous added value for your e-commerce customers when used together with professional online shop translations. With an increase in customer satisfaction, companies can look forward to new customers, greater customer retention, higher conversion rates, reduced returns and a stronger brand reputation. That’s why it’s worth investing in high-quality translation services to assure a successful international presence and fully utilise the potential afforded by the digital shopping experience. The translation agency intercontact translations is happy to help you adapt your online shop and product descriptions for the digital age and for your multilingual clientele.
Get startedSabrina Baumgardt