If you're looking for new or innovative ways to optimize your B2B manufacturing website to provide a better customer experience, deciding where to start can be tough – there's no shortage of tools and tactics out there.
In this post, we're highlighting one powerful technology that we think more manufacturers should be aware of: 3D product configuration.
While product configurators tend to be more common in B2C industries like auto and apparel, we expect they will play an increasingly pivotal role in how manufacturers can optimize their websites for the customer experience in the years ahead.
What is 3D Product Configuration?
As the same suggests, a 3D product configurator allows users to interact with and customize a product in a three-dimensional space on a website.
This tool lets potential buyers visualize products from different angles, make real-time adjustments and see the immediate impact of their customizations. Often this tool is built (or used in tandem) with augmented reality features to help customers see products in their space or realistic settings. And of course, as with everything, AI is playing a larger role in how users can interact with configurators.
Growing adoption of 3D configuration technology can be seen especially in industries ranging from building materials and furniture manufacturing to apparel and jewelry.
Examples of 3D Product Configurators on Manufacturing Websites
To appreciate how manufacturing websites can improve the customer experience with configurators, it helps to see the technology in action. Here are a few examples:
Corrugated Metals: CMI partnered with Simple Machines and Threekit to deliver 3D product configuration on their website, allowing buyers to spec the precise material, finish and paint for their desired product, customize it in real-time and request a quote based on the specs. This feature not only gives the buyers more confidence in their purchase, it also helps the sales team deliver custom quotes faster and more accurately.
(Full disclosure: Threekit and CMI are both clients of Simple Machines. View the case study and see how the configurator boosted CMI's conversion rates here.)
CTech Manufacturing: CTech builds carts, cabinets, drawers, accessories and parts. Their configurator helps buyers build the perfect layout, colors, options and doors so they can preview and budget for exactly what they need without talking to a salesperson.
BOSTONtec: BOSTONtec specializes in building ergonomic industrial workstations designed to maximize employee productivity. With so many different sizes, surfaces, shelving and accessories to choose from, buying their product online is a potentially overwhelming task. By offering a 3D product configurator, BOSTONtec can offer its buyers a much better shopping experience.
How 3D Product Configuration Helps Manufacturing Websites Improve the Customer Experience
If you tried the configurators above, the benefits over the traditional manufacturing website experience are likely self-evident. With 3D configuration, manufacturers can show more to sell more, service customers faster, minimize product photography costs and reduce costly returns and customer service issues.
From the customer experience standpoint, this means:
- Increased Customer Engagement: Interactive 3D models capture users' attention and encourage them to spend more time on the website.
- Improved Product Understanding: Customers can explore product details in depth, leading to better-informed purchasing decisions.
- Increased Customer Satisfaction: By visualizing the product as they customize it, customers are more likely to be satisfied with their purchase, reducing return rates and lessening the burden on customer service teams.
Key Features of an Effective 3D Product Configurator
There are several different types of 3D product configurators on the market – from the basic visualizer tools to the fully integrated, enterprise-ready visual commerce platforms.
At a high level, 3D product configurators tend to offer a few common foundational features:
Interactive 3D Models
Any commercial-grade configurator should have high-quality, interactive 3D models that allow users to zoom in, rotate and explore the product thoroughly.
Customization Options
Offering a variety of customization features such as color, size and components creates an interactive user experience. The ability to personalize products to their exact specifications helps customers feel more confident in their purchase decisions.
Real-Time Updates and Feedback
When users customize the product using the configurator, they should see the updates in real-time, allowing them to understand the impact of their choices. This instant gratification improves user engagement and satisfaction.
How Configurators Help Manufacturers Sell and Service Better
Beyond improving the customer experience for manufacturers, enterprise-level product configurators also arm the sales and service teams with the tools they need to deliver a more frictionless experience.
Depending on the platform, this can include:
- Sales tools such as bill of material, spec sheets and quotes, and integration with eCommerce, ERP, PIM and more.
- Post-order workflows such as automatically generated CAD files, assembly instructions and bill of materials to start the manufacturing process.
- End-to-end product management tools to administer product updates, syndicate experiences across sales changes and set business rules and automations.
Final Thoughts
Incorporating a 3D product configurator into your website is no small decision. Between the software costs and implementation, there's a good amount of planning and investment that goes into it.
From experience and as we shared in the case study linked above, it can deliver a big, immediate impact on your customer experience. As the manufacturing space continues to evolve and competition increases, brands leaning into this technology to create memorable, differentiated visual experiences for their buyers are likely to stand out from the pack.
