The Metaverse isn’t a very easy topic to understand, simply because it doesn’t actually exist. It’s not a thing or an entity, and it’s not physical or digital. It’s simply the idea of a thinner boundary between people’s digital and physical beings. The early times of the digital space weren’t easy for companies, but the interactions that they had with their consumers weren’t too different from those they previously had in the real world. The messages that companies sent out to their consumers were distributed through websites, instead of print outlets. The next change in the digital space came with the prevalence of social media platforms, which meant that the consumer-brand relationship changed because companies had to communicate directly with their consumers. The latest shift means that the internet is going to become a lot more immersive, which leads to companies having to create virtual experiences for consumers.
Interactive Content
Currently, about 3% of all content that’s available to consumers online is truly interactive. That means all the other content that audiences see every day is passive content, which is viewed by scrolling through photos, videos, and text. With the help of interactive content in the Metaverse, companies can allow consumers to explore and discover a lot more about the products or services they’re looking to purchase.
Customer Support
The ultimate customer support system should allow companies to have both real and AI customer support avatars. Businesses can answer the questions that they receive from their consumers instantly, and in real-time, which increases customer satisfaction, improves their experience, and even speeds up the customer buying journey.
Relationships
Shopping is a very instinctual experience for many consumers, which is why plenty of buyers connect with the brands that they appreciate on an emotional level. Unfortunately, with eCommerce, brands and consumers can only make transactions that don’t allow for more emotional relationships to develop. But with the Metaverse, companies can build brand new and long-lasting, emotional, and trusting relationships with their consumers. That’s because they’ll be able to experience their buying journey on a completely different level, get familiar with whatever they’re meaning to purchase, and learn more about the brands behind the products, which creates stronger bonds.
Real-Time Analytics
Companies that join the Metaverse will benefit from generating real-time analytics from their consumers. Those businesses will be able to apply those consumer insights that have been gathered from their omnichannel business operations and provide consumers with improved experiences. That’s true for both virtual and real-world retail experiences, which gives companies infinite opportunities to learn from their consumers and improve.