Today's fast-paced digital world has given birth to new consumer expectations for a fast, easy and personalized buying experience. But one customer complaint every business has likely experienced is: “When I ordered it, I thought it was going to look like this and have this functional feature.”
Sound familiar? The good news is that there’s an effective solution: Product Configurators.
Product configurators are an excellent tool for companies who sell customizable products. Why? Because they enable customers to see a highly-detailed visual rendering of their product as they’re customizing it. Not only will customers know exactly what their product will look like and how it will function upon arrival, but they’ll also get an accurate price quote—making it easier for you to deliver a great experience and close more sales.
The flexibility and customization product configurators offer can bring value to a variety of industries. Below we dive into four of the industries where product configurators can help improve the customer ordering experience, boost efficiency and increase upsell opportunities.
Clothing & Apparel Accessories
The clothing and accessories we wear are an extension of our personality, showcasing our unique fashion style and often helping us feel more confident.
As a result, we want to know what our options are before we commit to a purchase—especially an online purchase.
Product configurators give apparel companies the opportunity to meet those customer needs, as well as make additional recommendations that could increase the size of the sale.
Target’s online shopping interface is a great example of a product configurator in its most basic form. (Image rights belong to Target Corp.)
Available colors are all displayed in a small thumbnail, and shoppers can click each color to show a high-quality visual rendering.
In addition, the "guests also viewed" section underneath gives customers additional ideas to find exactly what they’re looking for or perhaps add to their purchase.
When it comes to making more advanced customizations, Nike serves as a great example.
In addition to their large number of static products, Nike allows its customers to design custom sneakers with the help of a product configurator.
Similar to Target, customers can make easy color and style collections on any item. But the “Nike By You” option allows people to create custom color combinations and even add embroidering to their athletic shoes. (Image rights belong to Nike, Inc.)
Heavy Equipment Machinery
Manufacturers of heavy equipment machinery know that their customers expect the complex and expensive equipment they order to be ready to perform upon arrival. So, if equipment fails to live up to expectations, they risk high-costs to make it right.
With so many configuration options and accessories, 3D and virtual reality product configurators are great options for heavy equipment manufacturers. This allows them to leave their traditional printed catalogs behind to create a visual and interactive experience that will wow their customers—and help make their sales reps’ jobs easier.
Visually Customize, Price, Quote, and Order Machinery with Powertrak 3D Configurator
Strength & Fitness Equipment
For fitness centers and gyms, maximizing available space with a range of equipment offerings is key. However, exercise equipment doesn’t come in cookie-cutter shapes and sizes. As a result, business owners are challenged to find equipment that meets their customer expectations and fits nicely in their facility.
DYNAMIC Fitness, a manufacturer of strength and fitness equipment, recognized this pain point that many of their customers face—and added Powertrak 3D Product Configurator to improve the ordering and buying experience for its large base of dealers and customers.
"Our mission is to provide the highest quality and competitively priced products and service. To do that, our team sought out a streamlined quoting and ordering process, which enables our customers and dealers to interactively custom-design and buy our products immediately, without waiting days or weeks for design, manufacturing, and delivery." - Curt Tambornino
The 3D product configurator allows dealers and customers to select equipment, drag-and-drop into a custom-designed room, and then arrange all equipment within a dynamic visualizer that precisely represents the dimensions of their space. This makes it easy to choose the right equipment and maximize space.
Automotive
When a customer goes to a dealership in search of a new car, they’re usually limited to existing inventory.
However, if the customer is particular about what they’re looking for, they may want to place a custom order—but worry it won’t meet their needs and expectations.
With a product configurator, a car dealership can provide customers with an experience that is free of anxiety and loaded with options.
Since a product configurator allows real-time visual renderings, suggestions for all available options and accurate quoting, customers can feel confident in their purchase and help sales reps seal the deal.
Is a Product Configurator Right for Your Business?
A product configurator provides businesses with an on-demand selling solution. By simplifying the buying process for the customer and creating live and accurate price quotes, a product configurator streamlines business operations and makes customers happy.
To learn if CPQ software and product configurators are a fit for your industry, check out our Industries page. To learn more about Axonom’s Powertrak line of 2D, 3D and virtual reality product configurators, check out our Powertrak Product Configurator page.
*Target and Nike images in this post belong to Target Corporation and Nike, Inc.