New guide: Mapping 3D visuals to the furniture buyer’s journey

Boosting sales with superior 3D product visualization

How one of the leading Australian furniture retailers increased conversions with 3D product visualization.

Summary

Plush, a renowned Australian furniture retailer, needed help with product visualization in order to boost online shoppers’ confidence and equip its in-store team to show customers all the different product combinations available. After partnering with Cylindo, Plush upgraded its user experience and increased conversions online and in showrooms. Thanks to the superior product visualization and exceptional website experience, digital became a crucial part of Plush’s business success.

The challenge

See it to believe it.

Showrooms are undoubtedly still the most popular point of sale for furniture products. While nothing compares to plunging into a sofa and feeling the fabric, the general shift of consumers shopping online has resulted in a greater tendency to browse online first, no matter if they buy online or offline.

Customer purchase choices should be an informed decision. Buyers would go online and look for their perfect piece in the webshop (plush.com.au), wanting to see every detail of what they would like to get. After all, they are investing in a valuable piece that’s likely to be a prominent component of their home! Unfortunately, since buyers were not able to visualize precisely what they are getting, many of them would eventually abandon the purchase.

How can you display every product configuration without actually producing it? Similarly, sales staff in the showrooms wanted to showcase different covers to incoming customers. Understanding that very few retailers can fit all product combinations (covers, pillows, legs) in a showroom, Plush realized something was broken in the buying process. They didn’t want to be just another website, they wanted to become the best in the marketplace. They posed the question: What is going to take them to the next level?

In comes product visualization. The cost of photographing all of the products was too high, when considering the time, money and effort necessary in manufacturing all of the different product configurations. There had to be a better way!

What started as an experiment, trusted to a freelancer who created the first product rendering, became the prototype for the direction Plush was going to take its business in.

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After partnering with Cylindo, here’s what Plush achieved:

Superior product
visualization

Upgraded
user experience

Shortened
sales cycle

Increased conversions online and
in showrooms

The solution

A platform that helps Plush convert more visitors into buyers.

As Plush’s Head of Digital & eCommerce, Ash Mehta, was searching for a partner to create 360 visualizations of their products, the choice eventually came down to three options. The competition was strong among the three visualization platforms, with one competitor exceeding budget expectations.

However, while the other two competitors only managed to meet Plush’s standards, Cylindo managed to surpass them.

1. Superior product visualization output

With exceptional quality of production, superior output and the very best technology, the Cylindo platform was the obvious choice.

2. Cost-effective technology

The results achieved have brought their brand value which has not only returned their initial investment but also made it an insignificant cost considering the benefit that they received.

3. Exceptional mobile experience

Seamless mobile responsiveness was a key factor, as staff can now use the 360 HD Viewer in-store to showcase a particular sofa in any combination of covers, materials and colors with stunning visualization.

After Plush made the most of the Cylindo platform, the business experienced a complete makeover. Plush transitioned towards a high quality user experience, upgraded their product offering and began investing in marketing campaigns to get customers to visit their website. Digital has become an integral part of the Plush business story.

It was a game changer. It’s getting the customers online and there are conversions at the showrooms.

Ash Mehta, Head of Digital & e-Commerce,

The results

Seeing online is believing (and buying) offline.

1. Business game-changer

The staff in Plush’s showrooms have only words of praise for Cylindo, technology that has helped them guide customers through the buyer journey faster and better.

2. Customer experience, reinvented

Customers confirm that the superior customer experience and realistic visualizations available online were the main reason they decided to make a purchase with Plush.

3. Sales booster

Since introducing the Cylindo platform, Plush’s online sales and in-store traffic conversions have increased substantially.

About Plush

Operating ever since 2000 with more than 40 showrooms across the whole Australian territory, Plush’s slogan says it all: think sofas. Widely known as Australia’s sofa specialist, Plush is committed to providing designer-quality sofas at affordable prices. The dedicated team paired with superb customer service, both online and in-store, enable Plush to be one of the leaders in the Australian furniture industry.