3D product configurator in the online store: How to make your configurator popular

Author: Elisabeth Sonnleitner

With a product configurator you create a whole new shopping experience, but how do your potential customers find out about the new tool? We explain how the launch of your product configurator can be a success and constantly generate new customers and sales!
 

Prominently place product configurator in online store

Before you think about marketing on external channels, you should focus on the user experience on the website. The 3D product configurator should be visible to customers at all times and directly accessible via a link. A pop-up that points to the product configurator can also activate store visitors. Ideally, you should conduct a few UX tests with users from your target group before the launch, to remove any final usability hurdles and clear the way for a new shopping experience with the product configuration. 

Market your product configurator: Free channels

Marketing for your online store and product configurator does not have to involve high additional costs. Many channels can be accessed free of charge - you only have to invest time to play on the platforms.

• Social-Media-Marketing: Social networks have long since become omnipresent and a competitive place for reach, customers and conversions. Opening accounts on the various platforms is therefore not enough. The key to success on social networks is a consistent social media strategy that actually reaches your target audience. Concentrate on selected channels and use them at regular intervals. Don't forget to always link to your configurator. The first step is to identify the channels used by your target group. In principle, all social media platforms come into question -  from Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Youtube and Linkedin to the smaller platforms like Pinterest or Twitter. Tip: Get creative! The more attention a post generates, the more successful it is. Produce a short explanatory video to illustrate the advantages of the configurator or generate reach through a competition as part of the launch.

• Press releases: Traditional media also continue to reach millions of people every day. If you manage to spin a good story around the product configurator and prepare this story for the press, there is a chance of a free report. The local press always prints press releases largely unchanged when there is little else in the news. Alternatively, use advertisements or advertorials to draw attention to your configurator.

• Blogger & Influencer: Since the initial hype in the mid-2000s, blogs have disappeared from the spotlight of the general public, but they are still relevant in many industries as digital niche magazines. Influencers, too, they are basically bloggers who produce images, videos, and other content rather than text. The crucial thing is that bloggers and influencers offer you a direct line to your target group, while at the same time you benefit from the trust that people place in influencers. Small bloggers often publish reports in exchange for a free product sample. Again, make it as easy as possible for the blogger or influencer to use your content and promote the product configurator with prepared materials.

• Contests & Awards: Digitization is a trendy topic - and the introduction of a product configurator is a prime example of how to shape the retail industry of the future. Research whether there are competitions and awards on a regional or nationwide level in which you can participate. Registration is usually straightforward, and in the worst case scenario, you'll get free coverage for the 3D configurator.

• Communities & Forums: Communities that deal with your topic can also be a good marketing channel. However, you should be careful here. 20 years of search engine optimization has made most online communities wary of newcomers who quickly attract attention through linking and marketing phrases. Demonstrate staying power, because forums offer the chance to build a direct line to your target audience.

Search engine optimization

A good ranking in the search engines is essential to be found. Optimize your landing pages with appropriate keywords and try to do active link building by linking other websites to your configurator. SEO does not happen overnight. SEO is sustainable. An optimized site, promises long-term success. You need patience, but it pays off. Top rankings get a high range and consequently a high click rate for your configurator.

Market customizability with advertisements

Achieving organic rankings in search engines is time-consuming and costly. Advertisements with Google Ads deliver faster results. Via the platform, companies can create ads for search terms, which are then displayed above or next to the organic search results. But the more companies bid on the same keyword, the more expensive it is to click on an ad. If the ad prices are too high or the conversion rate too low, you will quickly burn money with ads. On the other hand, the customizability of your products offers you a decisive USP over the competition: According to a study by management consultants Deloitte, as early as 2015, 1/3 of respondents were interested in product configuration if the standard product did not meet their requirements. This figure is likely to have risen if anything since then. If you succeed in communicating this benefit in your ads, you will increase response and boost click and conversion rates.
 

Fairs & Events & POS

Ever thought that a configurator is not only suitable for webshops and websites? It's also perfect for point of sale, direct sales or at events. The advantages:

• Interactivity
• Visitor magnet
• Consulting support
• Eye catcher

How to reach existing customers with the 3D product configurator

Product configuration in the online store is not only a potential magnet for new customers, but also attractive for your existing customers. Use all available channels to publicize the configurator at launch and generate new sales with existing customers.

• Newsletter: The newsletter is the easiest way for most e-commerce companies to inform existing customers about the introduction of the interactive product configurator. However, a single email may not be the most effective way to use the channel. Prepare your customers for the launch with a series of emails.
   
• Online-Events: Companies with a vibrant community can use the increasingly popular livestreaming technology to promote the product configura-tor. By demonstrating the tool in practice, the benefits become tangible for customers.

Market product configurator internally

The launch of a product configurator is only successful if it is supported by the employees. Identify all stakeholders at an early stage and involve relevant departments in the development. Ideally, you should organize a training session before the launch so that marketing and sales take the product configurator into account in their processes. In the field, your sales staff are the ambassadors for your brand - and therefore also for the new product configurator. Together with sales, consider how the individualization of products can become part of the customer journey via the point of contact in the field. Equip your employees with tablets, for example, so that they can demonstrate the possibilities of the configurator directly to customers on site. In addition, use the intranet or the internal newsletter to inform all employees about the launch. After all, every employee is a testimonial for your company.

Conclusion: How to make the product configurator a success

Online product configurations increase sales and profits - as the University of Mainz found in a study back in 2005. A product configurator has the potential to become a sales-boosting unique selling proposition if its introduction is systematically planned and widely communicated. In addition to your own website and newsletter, you can use free channels such as social media platforms as well as paid advertisements on Google and the like. Use demos, videos and graphics to arouse customers' curiosity on social media and generate more clicks for your ads. Make the product configurator tangible for your target group instead of just talking about it - then the launch is guaranteed to be a success!