How To Develop AR Shopping App Like IKEA? Cost & Features

Augmented Reality (AR) is the latest technology to hit the mobile app industry, giving a boom to the retail industry. The latest to enter the trend is IKEA augmented reality app, which has made come with technological advancements and an enhanced experience. This has made online shopping easy and quick for the buyers and has given a boost to the sales of the company.

How often has it been that you buy home décor or household items from various apps, and look forward to getting the product delivered to your place, but the wait is not worth the quality of the product? Well, these sort of issues are faced by many in the day to day lives and most apps, which do not have the advanced technology of AR result in people uninstalling the app and turning to apps which offer a better experience. How about trying the home décor stuff inside your house first with the help of AR and then making a purchase? Saves you all the time and your money will be spent on something you really like.

With growing technology, people are always looking forward to something that is different from the lot and that offers an incomparable experience. The latest trend that they have gotten accustomed to is Augmented Reality. Along with a world-class experience, it has a lot to offer which other, regular apps might just not be able to do.

All you need to know about the IKEA Place app

The app was first launched in 2017 for Apple products on iOS, however, later it was also introduced on Android making it an altogether different experience for the users. This set an example for several other furniture retail apps, which started using similar techniques and stated getting a similar response to their products. The projection-based apps are something everyone likes to use.

Advantages of AR-enabled eCommerce App

Ecommerce stores are benefitting much with the help of these Augmented Reality apps. Take a look at the benefits associated with such apps:

1. Fast Decision making

It helps the customers in making better decisions about the purchase of the product, hence, increasing the sales of the brand. The AR app of IKEA is doing wonders by getting more sales to the brand as the buyers are first virtually viewing the furniture or home décor stuff in their houses virtually, and then planning on buying that very product.

2. Unique Experience

Through AR, sellers offer a unique and special experience to the users by displaying their products in 3D. Thus, taking the quality of the mode of marketing a notch higher, AR displays the products along with their information in a way that is appealing to the users.

3. Augmented Reality Gives Real-World Experience to Customers

An app like IKEA’s is here to stay as it intends to enhance the experience of a user. Something like this is fairly new in the market and the trend seems to be getting a gripping and solid response. Buyers can get the store like feeling sitting at home, with the help of augmented reality. With unparalleled experience, this app helps in increasing the customer base.

4. No Additional Tools Required

All mobile phone users having access to the internet can download the app and use it. Buyers do not have to go out of their way to purchase any new devices to access the app. It is easy for anyone from anywhere in the world to install the app on the phones and start using it anytime.

5. Good Reputation

An app with a large number of downloads and a big user base is always going to outshine the others, building a good reputation in the online market place. The AR provides an advanced experience to shoppers, gaining their trust, and giving them the best experience.

6. Increased Sales

Many people might look at a product on a regular shopping app and might not be able to make up his mind about buying it. However, in the case of an AR app, the experience is altogether different, wherein the buyer can actually place the products in their house virtually and make an easier and faster decision of buying the product.

7. Increasing customer base

With altogether different features from a regular app, the AR apps offer a plethora of new features that are lucrative to the users. This builds a likeliness in the users for the app, hence, increasing the customer base as they like to return to the app again and again. The youth is more inclined towards these apps as they are more well versed with the latest technologies and understand newer techniques in the blink of the eyes.

Also Read: How to develop a mobile app for eCommerce

Why Invest in AR (Augmented Reality) eCommerce App Development – AR Stats

• 61% of online shoppers prefer to make purchases on sites that offer augmented reality technology
• 63% of customers say augmented reality ecommerce app would improve their shopping experience
• 35% say augmented reality enabled ecommerce app would make them shop online more often
• 22% say they’d choose brick-and-mortar stores less if augmented reality is available on more e-commerce sites
• 77% of customers prefer to use augmented reality capabilities to preview product variations such as color or style differences
• 40% of customers consent to pay a higher price for any products they were allowed to preview by augmented reality
• 45% of customers said augmented reality features save their time to make a decision
• 78% of people who’ve experienced augmented reality actively prefer these virtual experiences over video content
• 70% of consumers are expected to be more loyal to brands incorporating augmented reality as part of their shopping experience
• 73% of mobile AR users reported either high or very high satisfaction with mobile Augmented Reality experiences

Important Features for AR Shopping App-like IKEA

All apps must give prior consideration to developing an easy and attractive interface. Navigation should be easy and the final purchase of any product should be fewer clicks or taps away. Doing several taps before making the final purchase might not help in retaining users. If one is planning to make an app with AR, just like IKEA Place, below are the things you must consider:

1. Social Signup and Login

Forget the old trend of asking all details of the new customers in the registration process. The less tedious the registration procedure is, the greater number of people would like to register on your app, else they would just navigate to some other app which does not have such lengthy stages. For an effective and efficient app, you must offer registration through any social media networks, as it is quick and does not interrupt the purchase of a user.

2. AR Shopping App – Catalog Mode

A separate app is made for the catalog of IKEA, wherein the buyers can view all products and look at each one’s specifications. One must always consider doing the same, giving the shoppers insight of the product. Another important thing about the catalog is to have various categories of the same. For instance, if you are selling furniture, you must place all furniture under different categories like – bedroom furniture, living room furniture, study room furniture, or classify in some other manner. All the AR-enabled items sold at the store should either have a separate catalog or placed in the same catalog with proper classification. Take a look at the features of the app that make the IKEA catalog outstanding:

• Favorites and search options
• A well-written description of each product mentioned in the catalog
• References to each product page
• The availability of information in all languages
• A higher number of items represented on the catalog
• Seamless navigation between the product categories
• High-class design with items in an interactive form

3. AR Shopping App – AR Mode

With the help of AR mode, customers can experience how the particular item Or furniture will look in their home. Augmented reality allows users to play around product attributes like size, color, direction etc. With the help of AR functionality, users can project models in real-time interior to get the perfect idea to make fast decision making.

• Project 3D models of products
• Manipulation: move, rotate, scale
• Room dimensions scanning
• Special AR models enacted with a printed catalog
• More accurate positioning in iOS app due to ARKit use

4. Search Products in Physical Store

The idea of the IKEA catalog is to offer smooth functioning to its users. They can switch from one category to the other easily and can find the product they are looking for just by setting up a search criterion. This makes it easy for them to opt for only those products they are looking for. Keep reading to get an idea of the filters one can use in the basic search:

• Dimensions
• Price
• Colour
• Type

The AR apps are not just limited to furniture, as many other businesses are also opting for it these days. These apps can also include country of origin, size, manufacturer, and seller details in the filter.

Business Model for IKEA Place AR App

Characteristics Required by AR eCommerce app like IKEA Place

An app like IKEA is not developed overnight. There is a lot that goes behind making such a flawless app, that offers an impeccable experience. It is important to learn about the characteristics that the apps like IKEA should have. Take a look:

• Multiple languages and Currency Support
• An integrated payment gateway
• The positioning of your products at suitable angles on the app
• Complete 360-degree view of all the products
• A visualization of the product that is in no way less than 3D
• Complaint section where the shoppers can file their complains about any product
• User profile Dashboard
• Integration of the CMS for the products and the content
• Check Order history
• Tracking the shipment
• Easy categorization or different products for a smoother search
• Compatibility with all devices and platforms
• A clear reference for every product page
• Friendly features such as push notifications and easy social media sharing

Advance Features of AR Shopping Mobile App

• Social Media Integration( Sharing, Signup, Login)
• Push Notification (Promotion Alerts & Marketing)
• User Behavior Tracking ( Buying & Search Behaviur Tracking
• Customer Relarionship Management (CRM) Systems
• AI Powered Chatbots for lessening humane efforts
• Inventory Management System
• Real-time dashboard and analytics
• Smart Search Features Like
  • Product Recommendation
  • Image Search
  • Voice Command Search
• In-App Camera
• QR code and Bar Code Scanning
• More eWallet Integration
• Order Heatmap View
• PIM Integration
• POS Software Integration
• Logistic Management
• Loyalty programs to increase the user base

Some other popular AR apps in the market

While IKEA Place is only a furniture based app, selling all sorts of furniture through their app, there are several other apps that are using the AR. Take a look at some of these:

Sephora, Amikasa, Quiver, Augment, Marxent Labs, Total Immersion

Things to be considered before developing an AR home shopping app

• Identify the users and the environment
• Discuss how the flow of functionalities will be in the app
• The developers then have to select software development kits which are relevant to the app
• Creating target objects for the app
• Then comes the final step, where the developers have to create virtual objects which will be seen on the app

Easy steps to develop AR Home Shopping and Furniture Store App like IKEA

Although apps like IKEA Place take some time at the development level and much expertise of the developers, but we will throw light loosely on the basic steps of the creation of such apps to give you a brief idea of how they are created, in a nutshell.

• The first and foremost step if to set up the basic information like the app name and the bundle ID.
• Next, from a wide range of templates that are available with the developers, you must choose the template you want them to work on, keeping in mind your app. If not for this, the companies can always choose to get a customized template if you are not getting what you are looking for in the templates offered to you by the developers.
• Third, these apps use CSS to design the app in a browser along with the inspector.
• Then comes the most important step of adding content to your app.
• Lastly, test the app and see if the functionality is fine or if there is some glitch you need to work on. You must make sure that the object in the image is correctly displayed when it is put in any corner of the house. One should launch the app only when it is free of all errors and responds well during the testing phase.
• And then we have the step where you release the app in the market either on iOS or Android, or maybe both. Once the app is ready and up for use, the marketing team’s role will come into play where they push it on platforms like Google play of Apple’s Play store.

Also Read: How To Develop Online Furniture Store & App?

Types of Augmented Reality Apps

While the IKEA Place is only a furniture based app, selling all sort of furniture through their app, there are several other apps that are using the AR

1. Marker-based AR

This is mostly used in image recognition apps where you place your camera on a QR code or a poster to detect a predefined marker that pushes computer-generated content on your screen. If you are looking for particular content in a book, you can place your camera on an image and get the information of the book in 3D format. This helps you get a bigger picture of what you have been looking for.

2. Location-based AR

As the name suggests, this one uses the GPS information and the device’s compass to augment reality around a user by displaying the link and info in the form of text in the real world. Since this is a high performing AR, one needs to have good data speed or in a place where his device receives good Wi-fi speed. This is one feature that requires time and patience during the development phase.

3. Gyroscope based AR

This is the simplest way of creating an AR app and placing objects virtually around a user. It is made with the help of using the gyroscope, and this does not require an SDK. We can take the example of an astronomy app that places stars, planets, and constellations around a user.

Tech Stack Required for AR App Development

• AR App Development Platforms – ARCore ARKit Vuforia Wikitude
• 3D Modeling Softwares – Onshape, SketchUp
• AR Devices – Mobile Devices, Smart Glasses, Virtual retinal Displays
• Mobile App Platform – Android, iOS
• Cloud Environment & CDN – Amazon, Cloudflare, MaxCDN
• Payments Gateways – Paypal, Braintree and more
• Push Notification – Twillo, Push.io
• SMS, Phone Verification – Nexmo, Twilio
• Email Marketing – Mail Chimp
• Database Technologies – Datastax, Mongo DB,
• Real-Time Analytics -Apache Storm, Google Cloud DataFlow

Team Required for AR App Development

Take a look at the personnel required for the AR app development:

• Project Manager
• UX UI Designers
• Animation Experts (3D Modeling)
• AR VR Technology Experts
• Requirement analyst
• Android/iOS developers
• QA specialist

So, how much does it cost to develop an AR app?

Nothing in the world comes for free! To develop an AR app, there is a lot of time and money you will have to put in as it comes with its own benefits. A company should be able to figure out if it could develop the app with the help of full-time personnel and pay them on a monthly basis along with other benefits that all employees get in other organizations. The other way of developing an AR app is by appointing an app development agency, that will listen to your requirements and help you with professional and experienced developers. Or, thirdly you can go for freelancers and appoint them based on their past experiences and projects. Here is a rough estimate for the cost of app development Augmented Reality app like Ikea based on the region from where you hire your mobile app developers:

• Developers from the U.S.: $50 – $250/hour
• Developers from Europe: $50 – $200/hour
• Developers from Australia: $40 – $170/hour
• Developers from Asia: $10 – $50/hour

Getting the exact cost of AR ecommerce app development is a bit difficult because it depends on the functions, features, platform and many other aspects of the app to be developed. Also, the hourly cost of working in such advance applications can go even high, However if you choose your development center in south Asian countries like India, Philippines you can get your AR ecommerce application developed at a cost-effective price. Developing an AR ecommerce app like IKEA will cost you around $30000 to $50000 however number of 3D modeling still affects your pricing.

Must Read: Top 10 Augmented Reality (AR) SDK for Software and Mobile App Development

Final Conclusion

The main focus of any AR app is the quality of pictures which should be good as it is all about 3D animation and pictures. If at any point in time an app deviates from its primary focus, which is creating a seamless and exceptional experience for the users, it is likely that the users shift their focus from that app. It is a combined effort of developers with AR technicians and designers. The developers might take more time to develop such an app, but the end result is definitely going to make it stand out the rest. Such apps have come into being to offer a great experience to the users and helping them make decisions regarding the products to buy. There has been a surge in such apps in the coming days, these apps might see a lot of competition from different brands and organizations.