AR .
Will AR change the way we use the web?
21/05/19
Think of AR and what do you picture? If it’s just comical emojis dancing around on your camera interface, think again - this relatively new technology may transform the way we think about search forever.
Augmented Reality (AR) technology is here to stay. What began as a trend that relied on AR stickers is now firmly incorporated into day-to-day technology, with both Apple and Google recently featuring AR camera experiences in their flagship phones.
AR offers an amazing level of utility and interaction that has previously been neglected. Soon, however, it seems that Google will exploit these possibilities and bring them to everyday users. The first example of this evolution is the incorporation of AR into Google Maps...
Directions with a difference
Google Maps is already immensely popular, providing reliable directions (in most cases) to millions of people. However, in February this year the company began rolling out AR integration to Google Local Guides. These users have been specially selected for their contributions to Google Local services - which in turn help businesses get found by consumers.
This early AR integration provides a street view of the navigation experience, where you hold your camera up and Google combines GPS and AR to walk you to your destination, street-by-street. To accomplish this Google leans on its Street View technology.
However, Google has yet to roll this feature out properly. Instead, it has teased new updates such as landmark recognition and a virtual friend to help guide you through a route.
What this means for businesses
By simply pointing your smartphone camera at a street, users will be able to navigate to your business location - but there is also potential for other businesses to appear along the way. How Google incorporates paid advertising into this feature is yet to be showcased, but we would expect to see top ads having more prominent ad ‘windows’ in the AR navigation screen.
These ‘pop-up’ windows will include Google Local data such as review score and opening times. For a physical store, this is just another lesson in the importance of proper Google My Business listings and correct Schema markup.
Bringing AI to the old
AR technology is nothing new. It was once a great way to visualise products or to add a bit of marketing flair to B2C customer experiences - where you could place an AR sticker on a table and use a device to view it. Now, Google has launched camera features that place AR models directly into our view, interpreting the world with AI rather than through stickers.
This incorporation leads to a huge possibility for innovation. For example, the camera app can now detect your smile and start a countdown to take a picture.How’s that for saying cheese? With this level of intelligence, able to interpret movement and actions and respond accordingly, the future of AR seems very bright indeed.
What this means for businesses
The jury is still out on where exactly AR can go, but one thing that’s certain is that you will be able to more freely incorporate AR into your app experiences. If you’re a business with an app, consider how AR could enhance a user’s experience - and start working towards a future where customers expect AR integration from the get-go.
Augmenting search experiences
Perhaps the most exciting development from a marketing perspective is that Google is trialling bringing AR into search results. At Google I/O, the company revealed new updates to the SERP and to Google Lens that could transform how we search, forever.
First and foremost was the ability to integrate AR models directly into search results. NASA is currently one of several companies working with Google to display 3D models in search results - allowing customers to interact directly with products on their smartphones. This has an enormous amount of potential, especially for manufacturers and ecommerce stores. But appearing as a search result isn’t all...
The rate of growth suggests an almost unlimited amount of AR integration for eCommerce companies. Think of a fashion retailer and AR. Seeing products visualised in 3D as you search? That’s interesting. How about pointing the camera at yourself and being able to swipe through different looks that use AI to make clothing models adhere to your body shape as if you’re wearing them? With Google continuing to develop AI and AR, there’s no telling how high this technology will reach.
Secondly, Google is using AR to improve its Google Lens feature. From being able to pull out specific dishes on a restaurant menu for reviews and photos to automatically translating written text by pointing your camera at it, we are seeing a whole new level of integration between smartphones and the real world.
What this means for businesses
The rise of VR has the potential to completely transform the way customers interact with your business. From expecting to find your products as 3D models when they search for your brand, through to potentially allowing you to showcase products mapped to human bodies or other physical objects, VR will bring a new level of interaction to your business.
However, before you go off and start investing in VR research and 3D models, it’s important to remember that intent is everything. To understand what level of VR integration would suit your business, you first need to understand how a customer interacts with you digitally - and then explore how new VR developments could help or hinder your brand.
VR is going to change how we use our smartphones, but we also think it will change how people search the web. For businesses, the choice is simple - do you want to be an innovator or be left behind?
If you’d like to stay on top of the latest trends in digital marketing or just chat about what VR could mean for your business, contact us today.
