Leveraging Augmented Reality (AR) for Web-Based Retail and Virtual Shopping Experiences

Abstract

The development of Augmented Reality (AR) technology has brought new opportunities to the digital retail industry, particularly on web-based e-commerce platforms. AR can provide a more interactive and immersive virtual shopping experience, allowing consumers to visualize products in a real-world context before making a purchase. This study aims to explore the impact of AR implementation on the online shopping experience and analyze the factors influencing consumer adoption of this technology.

The research method used a qualitative approach with case studies on five e-commerce platforms that have integrated AR. This involved interviews with developers, direct observation, and questionnaires with 100 active users. The results showed that 78% of users felt more confident in making purchasing decisions after using AR features, and 72% of users reported increased interest in purchasing products. Furthermore, AR has been shown to reduce consumer uncertainty, increase sales conversion rates, and reduce product returns.

However, AR implementation still faces obstacles, such as hardware limitations, visual quality on older devices, and network speeds that impact application performance. Technological innovations such as cloud-based AR and data compression have proven to be potential solutions to overcome these obstacles. This study concludes that ✓ AR integration in web-based e-commerce can strengthen the competitiveness of the digital retail industry by providing a more immersive shopping experience, increasing customer satisfaction, and accelerating purchasing decisions.