Reducing mistrust when buying online clothes

I love to discover new strategies and concepts that evidence they were born from a need, a behavior, and a pain. Sometimes I think it’s so easy to connect with and identify basic, unexplored market needs, but somehow they are still very difficult to solve. This applies to every type of business, entrepreneur, or project.

We tend to search, understand and analyze big problems of communities and processes, thinking here is where the gold is, instead of taking a minute or two to see human and natural behavior. This is the case for a not known but recently read the concept of the e-commerce industry, Virtual Try-On.

The need behind this is the uncertainty of buying clothes and products on an e-commerce site that don’t turn out to fit well. Here is a basic human and behavioral pain when customers are making a purchase decision. Mistrust, unmet expectations, and doubts are some experiences users usually have when trying a new brand, buying for their first time online, or selecting a type of clothes they have never bought in a digital store. I’m sure this happens to everyone here.

So, Virtual Try-On is a solution to reducing the uncertainty by having a try-on simulation and the use of augmented and virtual reality is the key to the success of this solution. As the CB Insights Companie states: “It’s one of the more popular solutions among fashion, beauty, and apparel brands and retailers to enhance the online shopping experience”. It makes customers feel more comfortable and satisfied with the complete journey of buying online clothes, opening the opportunity to grow the loyal customer base.

There are many ways to implement the concept. For example, Nike developed in their app, a scan that users can use to measure their feet, determine the shoe size, and present the user with a list of shoes that are a correct fit for them. Also, Walmart made space on their app, where customers can upload pictures of themselves, select their size and measures, and can see the list of clothing options on their photos. Additionally, with body characterization, the algorithm will only show models with clothes that have similar features and sizes similar to theirs.

I believe this is a great solution for all of us that love online shopping but are scared to try new brands and types of clothes because of the fear they don’t fit well. Brands, it's time to understand basic needs, maybe a simple action for your customer can turn you into a unicorn!