Intro
Customer expectations when shopping online have shifted dramatically. They want clarified, immersive, confident, personalized experiences at every stage of their journey. That’s when brands are increasingly turning to 3D technologies to enable their customers to interact more with products and explore details in real-time before making a purchase.
If so, what types of 3D technology can you use for your site? This guide will clarify the significance of 3D assets, explore widely used types, and explain how they are reshaping customer experiences across industries. Right now, let’s get into it!
Common Types of 3D Technologies Used on Websites
Here are the typical 3D technologies that you can consider implementing on your site:
1. 3D configuration
3D product configuration enables users to customize products directly on a site, either from scratch or by selecting features from a predefined model. Compared to traditional dropdown menus, 3D configurators offer instant visual displays and a more immersive experience, allowing users to understand how each choice affects the final product. Top brands for 3d configurations are VividWorks, Threekit, Zakeke, and Vectary.
2. 3D previews and visualization
The second 3D technology is 3D previews and visualization. Users can rotate, zoom, and inspect products from every angle, offering a far more realistic display than static visuals. This is particularly suitable for complex or design-driven items where details are crucial. That’s why many sellers are relying on 3D viewing software to offer a reliable experience.
3. 3D room planning
This 3D technology is widely used in furniture, interior design, and home improvement. Users can project the exact dimensions of their desired environments and then visualize items inside for check and clarity. Apparently, once visitors can see how chosen products interact with layouts, space, and light, they gain more confidence about their decision. Resultly, they tend to close deals faster, and sales teams also save time for consultations.
4. Augmented Reality (AR)
Augmented Reality helps extend 3D visualization by placing digital objects into the real world (e.g., home, offices, kitchens) through smartphones or tablets. AR is particularly effective in bridging the online-offline divide, enabling “try before you buy” experiences. From that, buyers can determine the level of fitting and matching before ordering online.
5. Visual CPQ
Visual CPQ systems integrate configuration, pricing, and quotation in a single visual workflow. This means that you can configure your desired product and see its prices and quotes in real-time. As a result, you can simplify your complex offerings, eliminate the lengthy manual input process, minimize unexpected errors, and increase customer trust.
Why 3D Technologies Matter for Customer Experiences
Enable personalization and immersive interactivity
81% of customers prefer businesses that offer a personalized experience; therefore, personalization is a key competitive edge. Online 3D configurators and 3D room planning empower users to build and design products according to their preferences effortlessly. Their interfaces are also intuitive, making them suitable for both beginners and experts.
Also, the ability to visualize in 3D ensures immersive exploration and experimentation. This drives users to spend more time engaging with the product, strengthens brand perception, and positions your brand as customer-centric and innovative in the market.
Enhance customer confidence and minimize their return
One of the common causes of returns is the mismatch between customer expectations and the product delivered. 3D technologies close this gap by offering more accurate and realistic product displays. When customers can explore products from all angles and preview selected variations, they gain greater confidence during their decision journey.
Moreover, this improved clarity significantly contributes to higher customer satisfaction. For businesses, it’s essential to establish stronger, long-term relationships with buyers.
Improve decision-making in complex purchases
Complex purchases, particularly those with multiple options, technical specifications, or long-term use, can overwhelm customers when only displayed with text and 2D visuals.
Technologies such as AR and 3D visualizations transform dense product information into intuitive, easy-to-understand visual formats. Instead of interpreting specifications abstractly, customers can see how different options affect the final product in real time. This approach is especially essential in industries such as furniture and automotive, where spatial understanding, scale, and feature comparison are required for the best fit.
Top 5 Industries Benefiting from 3D Website Experiences
Using 3D technologies is not limited; it can deliver measurable value to a wide variety of industries. However, below are the industries that most benefit from these experiences, so that startups or small teams can consider when deciding whether to invest in them.
1. Retail and eCommerce
In retail and eCommerce, 3D experiences enhance product discovery and engagement. Interactive visualization reduces uncertainty, increases time on site, and supports more confident purchasing decisions. You can find renowned brands like L’Oréal, Adidas, and Nike utilizing AR and 3D customizers to boost their sales, particularly for custom options.
2. Furniture and interior design
Furniture and interior design rely heavily on spatial understanding. 3D visualization and room planning tools help customers assess scale, fit, and style in realistic contexts. Moreover, many European design furniture brands increasingly adopt 3D configurators to offer customers bespoke, make-to-order furniture quickly, effectively, and accurately.
3. Automatives
Automotive brands like Mercedes and Honda prefer to use Visual CPQ to showcase their vehicle options, interiors, and features, along with clear prices, in real-time. This helps customers understand their vehicles while minimizing their surprise at the checkout step. Apparently, this niche is a high-value, considerable investment from clients (B2B and B2C); therefore, the role of 3D assets is more important to transform their wise choices.
4. Manufacturing
3D technologies can support the presentation of complex, configurable products. Interactive visualization simplifies complex technical information, enhances buyer understanding, and fosters collaboration among sales teams, engineers, and customers. Additionally, businesses can minimize rework fees and resources, maximizing their ROI.
5. Home construction
Home construction projects involve high investment and extended timelines. 3D visualization and 3D room planning enable homeowners and developers to preview layouts, materials, and finishes, aligning expectations and minimizing costly changes.
A Checklist To Incorporate 3D Technologies Successfully
This full checklist is designed to ensure optimal results when utilizing 3D technologies.
- Define clear business goals for 3D adoption
- Identify the specific use cases you need to support
- Choose a reliable 3D technology provider for your niche (e.g., VividWorks for 3D configuration, room planning, AR for furniture, kitchen, and manufacturing)
- Integrate seamlessly with existing systems, including CRM, eCommerce, and ERP.
- Verify that 3D assets are optimized for fast loading and mobile performance.
- Focus on UX with intuitive interactions rather than overly complex ones.
Conclusion
3D technologies have emerged as a powerful driver of transformation in customer experience. They can enable high-level personalization, enhance visualization, and simplify complex decisions, addressing many of the limitations of traditional experiences. Keep in mind that adopting 3D solutions is for all industries, but some can benefit most. Thus, depending on your budget and niche, consider carefully before implementation.
