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What is a product configurator and how does it impact sales?
A product configurator can fundamentally change how your company operates and how customers perceive your products. It's an innovative solution that enhances sales and revolutionizes the customer purchasing experience. Learn more about it!
How does a product configurator on a website impact the customer experience?
Personalization and customization to preferences
The configurator allows customers to tailor the product to their needs and preferences. It’s like assembling a toy – the future owner decides which components to choose and how to assemble them.
Visualization and visual experience – better product perception
Thanks to the configurator, customers can see exactly what their order will look like before making a purchase.
Comparing available product versions
When you have multiple variations of your product, the configurator makes it easy to compare different options. This allows the customer to make an informed choice.
No more unavailable or mismatched products
Product unavailability or a product not meeting the customer's expectations are common sources of frustration. The configurator eliminates this problem by enabling customers to create exactly what fits their expectations.
User-friendliness
A well-designed configurator is easy to use and intuitive. This is crucial - it should provide a pleasant user experience, as a complicated interface can discourage potential customers.
Customer engagement
The interactive configuration process keeps buyers engaged on your website. Consequently, there's a higher chance they will ultimately make a purchase.
Shortened purchasing time
The configurator allows customers to quickly and easily customize the product to their needs, reducing the time from entering the website to clicking the "Buy Now" button.
Basic product configurator functions
Personalization
Customers can customize the product to their preferences by choosing options such as color, size, material, and other parameters that interest them.
Visualization
Through visualization, buyers can see how the product will look after configuration. Additionally, interactive 3D visualization and rotation features allow customers to view it from any perspective, relieving them from the need to imagine the final product.
Many Options
Customers have access to a wide range of options, allowing them to create a product that is perfectly tailored to their needs.
Transparent Pricing
The configurator dynamically displays the price based on the choices made, making budget control easier and increasing customer confidence.
Comparing Options
Customers can easily compare different product variants, enabling them to make a satisfying choice in the end.
Saving and Sharing Configurations
The ability to save and share a configured product allows customers more time to consider their purchase and make the right choice.
Convenient Access to Instructions
The configurator can include detailed descriptions that guide the buyer step by step through the product creation process.
Many User Enhancements
The product configurator has been equipped with a range of conveniences that significantly ease the user's work. An intuitive interface makes using the configurator easy and enjoyable. Furthermore, convenient access from mobile devices guarantees customers flexibility and easy access to product configuration from various platforms.
In which industries are configurators popular?
- Furniture and Interior Furnishings. Imagine that your customers can choose not only the shape and style of furniture but also the material, upholstery color, and even details like legs or handles. Companies like Modimodi utilize this type of configurator.
- Clothing and Footwear. In a world of individualism, consumers want to wear clothes that reflect their own style. Clothing configurators allow for choosing the cut, color, pattern, or even adding personalized prints. A great example here is the Nike by You configurator, where customers can design their own clothing items.
- Packaging.. Many companies are in search of unique packaging that grabs the customer's attention. A packaging configurator allows for designing custom cases, boxes, or tailored packaging that perfectly aligns with the brand's character. In the Polish market, companies like zapakuj.to offer personalized packaging.
- Automotive.. In the automotive industry, a configurator allows for choosing the paint color, wheels, interior, additional features, and technological solutions. This makes the car almost a unique creation, tailored to the driver's needs and style. Companies like Honda offer this option through their car configurators.
Check the case study of the Rotate IT project with a car wheel configurator.
- Electronics and Audio-Visual Equipment. An electronic equipment configurator allows for the selection of functions, technical parameters, and accessories. This way, the customer receives a device perfectly tailored to their needs without unnecessary compromises. For example,Media Expert offers various configurators that enable customization of the end product to meet the customer's requirements.
- Jewelry. Choosing jewelry is typically an exceptionally personal decision. A jewelry configurator allows customers to select precious stones, metals, patterns, and styles. The Polish brand Mokait, has made this move by providing customers with their own jewelry configurators.
- Kitchen and Bathroom Design. Home spaces are areas where details truly matter. The configurator used by brands like Leroy Merlin, allows you to choose the size, shape, material, or finish of individual decor elements.
- 3D Printing. Modern three-dimensional printing technologies are capable of creating unique objects almost from scratch. Thanks to configurators, customers can design their own models, choose the scale, and then bring their project to life.
- Windows and Doors. Do you want buyers to be able to customize their doors and windows to fit the size, shape, and color of their space? Thanks to modern tools, they can also freely choose from accessories such as blinds or roller shades. One such example of a custom window configurator is offered by REHAU Polska.
- Sports Equipment. Whether it's tennis rackets or snowboards, a configurator allows you to customize equipment to meet the individual needs of every sports enthusiast.
What can be personalized using a configurator?
A product configurator offers many customization possibilities such as:
- Color and pattern
- Size and dimensions
- Material and finish
- Features and options
- Graphic and text personalization
- Selection of accessories and add-ons
- Technical parameters
What does the customer gain from a configurator?
Customers highly value the freedom that configurators provide. Thanks to them, they can:
- Fully personalize their project;
- Choose from several options of a given product;
- Visualize the project and see it before making a purchase;
- Shop conveniently and consciously.
What does the company gain from a configurator?
Implementing a product configurator can bring many benefits to your company. These include:
- Higher conversion and sales;
- More satisfied customers;
- Uniqueness in the market;
- Effective alignment with buyer needs;
- Increased customer engagement;
- The ability to actively research buyer preferences.
Technological challenges in implementing a configurator
- User-friendly interface. The configurator should be easy to use and work seamlessly on all devices.
- Smoothness and reliability of operation. Long response times or errors can discourage users from making a purchase and lead them to abandon their shopping carts.
- Storage and collaboration. Customers should have the ability to save, compare, and share their configurations.
- Security policy. The configurator must protect customers' private and confidential data. Any data breaches can result in serious financial and reputational consequences.
- Integrations with internal company services. Every configurator should be fully compatible with e-commerce, CRM, and ERP systems.
- Support and flexibility. The company's needs are constantly changing, and the configurator's task is to adapt to these changes.
- Presentation of spatial visualizations (3D). Preparing three-dimensional models that customers can modify as they wish.
Create your product configurator with us.
Cost of creating a configurator
The cost of creating a configurator primarily depends on the expectations and outcomes we want to achieve through its implementation. Consequently, it depends on the chosen approach to the project.
One possible approach is to use a ready-made tool of this type. The market offers ready-made solutions, both expensive and high-quality, as well as cheap, usually of very low quality. There are also configurators available in the form of ready-made plugins for CMSs like WordPress, costing only a few dozen dollars.
Purchasing a universal plugin is the lowest cost - however, the cost of implementing the plugin and adapting it to the website must be considered. In such a case, the total cost usually falls within a budget of several thousand to tens of thousands of Polish zlotys. However, this approach, in most cases, is far from meeting all the needs of the company. It's a way for a company with low expectations, which does not need a dedicated tool and is willing to make many compromises, including adapting its process to the ready-made tool (and not vice versa). Problems may also arise when wanting to further develop and expand the configurator.
An alternative approach is the implementation of a personalized configurator, tailor-made to perfectly meet all needs. Advanced configurators with many options, tailored to the company's processes and actually automating many steps, are usually sophisticated, dedicated software, requiring a specific approach and more extensive work. The cost of creating such a tool depends on many details, such as the complexity of the configuration, number of steps, configuration scope, creating 3D models, or integration with other systems. Usually, the total cost of building a configurator requires a budget of several tens or even hundreds of thousands of Polish zlotys. In this case, there are virtually no limitations, and any configurator can be created. There is also no problem in modifying or expanding it in the future with additional necessary capabilities. An example of such a configurator can be found in our case study, where we described the process of creating a product configurator for a packaging manufacturer.
Implementing a product configurator in your company!
A product configurator is not just a tool. It's a strategy that will transform the way your company operates and how customers perceive it. With it, you'll gain loyal customers, increase sales, and improve your market position.
WebMakers specializes in implementing configurators for companies in various industries. By entrusting this task to us, you can be sure that it's being handled by experts who know what they're doing.
Automating business processes through a configurator is a step into the future that's within your reach. Don't wait any longer – contact us to take your company to the next level!
