Nowadays, the term "virtual showroom" is becoming more and more common, but what does it actually mean? You can think of it as an online showroom, or a visual representation of your products and services, which your customer can experience and explore in an interactive way. By making your products visible in a 3D environment that is very familiar to the customer, it becomes immediately clear where you provide a solution for the customer. This also helps your own employees to gain a clear overview and understanding of the different solutions that your company offers.

It works excellently for companies that supply products used in various markets and processes. It also provides clarity for companies that supply semi-finished products, where it is not immediately clear or visible what they are for and what issues they resolve.

Conversion tool for your website

A virtual showroom is integrated into your own website or on touchscreens for fairs and events. On the website, the virtual showroom helps to increase lead conversion because customers can find the right product faster. From an environment that they understand, they will reach the right product faster than if they have to search through complex product names or extensive product portfolio lists.

And it is clear: if customers find a solution to their problem faster and more clearly, they will quickly move on to requesting information. This results in a shorter lead time and more qualified leads.

Online presence

Being virtually present and visible with your company is now an essential part of your marketing and sales strategy. A good website that is clear to the customer is a must, but more is needed. Consumers want an optimal experience regarding the solution and products they are looking for, and a virtual showroom fits perfectly with that. By optimally showcasing the benefits of your product, the customer can quickly navigate to the right solution and comfortably view all information, photos, and videos. This offers the visitor a fun and original way to get acquainted with your products and get inspired! 

The benefits

With a virtual presentation, there are no limitations to surprising your customer, such as inspiring films and photos, music, texts, and links to social media. Ideal for commercial purposes or as support at fairs. Moreover, a virtual tour appeals to a large audience, creating opportunities to introduce your brand to a wide audience. And because the presentation is accessible 24/7, your customer can view the information from the comfort of their own home whenever it suits them. 

Growing need for virtual showrooms

Thanks in part to the coronavirus crisis, there is an ever-increasing use of digital information gathering and purchasing in the B2B sector. Therefore, it is important to optimally utilize your online presence. In a time when new generations are growing up with continuous internet use, it is unthinkable for a company not to provide the experience that potential customers are asking for! That is why you see more and more virtual showrooms. A smart marketing tool that is increasingly being used, especially now that live customer contacts are not as straightforward as they once were. 

Supplement to a physical showroom

An online presentation of products and services not only generates a lot of extra leads, but it also creates a sense of professionalism, prestige, and trust with the customer. A real showroom often takes up a lot of - expensive - square meters. Whether it’s at a fair or instore. In the visual world, however, space is not an issue, so you can make the fictional 'space' as large and special as you want. Previously, customers were used to seeing and feeling products like machines before making a purchase. That has radically changed. A large portion of sales is now made online, leading customers to expect that you convey the same experience and presence online as in a physical showroom. In some cases, a physical showroom is visited by people who prefer to see the product in real life, but an increasing amount of business is conducted online. Thus, a virtual showroom is a perfect extension of existing physical showrooms to create a much larger reach more quickly.

The technology and the costs

A virtual showroom is built from a 3D environment with 3D images in which your products play a significant role. It shows the value that the products add for the customer. By allowing customers to move and navigate through this interactive 3D environment, they can discover which products provide a solution at what stage in the process. Once they arrive at the product they are looking for, information is available that is directly linked to a call to action. For example, requesting a quotation or obtaining product brochures or other documentation. The investment for a virtual showroom largely depends on the complete process, the number of products, the complexity of the 3D environment, the design, and its execution.