Best Ways to Sell Furniture Online Using CGI

Experienced marketers will agree that one of the biggest problems of online sales is goods returns since customers can’t see and touch a product in real life. In the furniture business, returns happen due to mistakes with measurements and unrealistic color and style expectations. Surely, choosing furnishings online isn’t that easy, and both shoppers and sellers would like to avoid returns. Considering the scale of a problem, furniture brands are constantly trying new marketing approaches to find the best way to sell furniture online.

However, even the most detailed text descriptions and furniture photos can’t help buyers to fully examine and appreciate the design of a product. So, the very choice of promo and marketing materials is of key importance to eCommerce. But how to use visuals to boost furniture online sales?

Based on their experience with furniture businesses, marketers of our 3D rendering company have outlined the 7 most effective ways to win customers and move them through a sales funnel. Intrigued? Make yourself a cup of tea or coffee and dive into reading!

#1. Showcase All Winning Points of a Furniture Piece in a Product Listing

Undeniably the best way to sell furniture online is to show customers all its prominent design features at once. For this purpose, it is best to use highly realistic close-up views, cut-away pics, and different views of the object – a full front, side view, and corner ¾ view. 

If the main advantage of an item lies in its configuration and various design modifications, then the best way to demonstrate them is to add in-action images or videos. For example, pics of a chest of drawers with open/closed drawers or a 3D animation that shows all modular couch transformations.

#2. Provide Each Product Page with a 360° View for Better Examination

E-shopping deprives buyers of the opportunity to physically test the item – walk around the piece or spin it to examine the item from all sides, pull it closer to see the details, and such. Therefore, the best way to sell furniture online is to use an interactive 360° ​​view for furniture listing pages. 

Using this CG tool, buyers can rotate a 3D model of the piece as they like and zoom in to scrutinize the object. With a 360° spin, not a single detail will escape the attention of a customer. Thus, they will be able to get a complete picture of a furniture design before they actually purchase a piece.

#3. Draw Customers’ Attention to a Wide Range of Design Options

When a brand provides a huge selection of colors and textures, you have to show them all in an online catalog. For that, you need high-quality product images of all product designs. We recommend using CGI for this – with just one 3D model of a furniture piece, CG artists can render it in different colors and materials with no sweat.

Moreover, there’s a way to encourage consumers to buy from you using the same pictures. Just use a gallery or a group shot with all possible design options and add them to each listing page. Thus, even if a buyer doesn’t like one particular furniture model, they can see that there are a plethora of other options to choose from. 

#4. Enhance Your Customization Services with a 3D Configurator

Naturally, consumers get excited when given an option to personalize goods to their taste and style, and who wouldn’t? Choosing matching design elements, shoppers try themselves in product design and enjoy a personal approach. So, perhaps, one of the best ways to sell furniture online is to provide customers with an interactive product configurator.

Using this online CG tool, buyers are able to create their own designs by choosing between offered material and color options. They enjoy both the creative process and the result of getting the exact design they want. Therefore, it is less likely that they will return a furniture piece later.

#5. Try Storytelling for Furniture Promo Campaigns

Just like with any other product, the best way to sell furniture online is through storytelling. At the end of the day, consumers are not just purchasing furnishings but adopting a certain lifestyle that comes with the piece. Or course, to tell a story that inspires customers, marketers need a creative approach. That’s when lifestyle visuals come in handy. 

Together with CG artists, they can create a certain scenario to put furniture in. Then, they select an interior style that works best for their idea. To convey the message and finish the look, CG specialists add thematic decor to the scene. They can make it more homey and relaxed or dynamic and formal, depending on marketing purposes and the product itself. 

The resulting scene can be used for both static imagery and videos. The latter could be even more immersive with walkthroughs, alternating camera views, music, and voiceover. Opting for 3D animation instead of conventional videos, furniture brands are able to save money on production yet get the same level of realism.

#6. Use Product 3D Animation for Customer Education

Various types of product videos tell consumers about the furniture item in different ways, adding to their confidence in the purchase. According to Wyzowl, 96% of shoppers say they enjoy watching explainer videos. Based on these impressive statistics, we are sure that the best way to sell furniture online is to use assembly 3D animation.

Such a CG video shows how a furniture item is assembled on its own in a fun and self-explanatory way. Therefore, it’s easy for buyers to understand the installation process. After watching a 3D animation, customers feel confident enough to deal with a furniture assembly, and so they make a purchase decision faster.

#7. Let Buyers Try Furniture Pieces in Their Homes via AR

With AR models for eCommerce, a brand gives shoppers a unique chance to test a piece of furniture in their real-life interior. They simply open the online app, select an item from the catalog and point the smartphone or tablet camera to an empty corner in their house. 

In just a moment, they can see a realistic AR object appearing in their room, right on the screen of their device. This helps them to understand if it is of a size, style, and color that fits their home. AR models are easy to spin right on the screen, so users are able to try different locations and furniture arrangements. Needless to say, once they’ve actually tried furniture in a real environment before purchase, they are less likely to return it.

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So what is the best way to sell furniture online? First and foremost, you should be focused on giving consumers unique and exciting shopping experiences. For instance, allow them to interact with a product through a 360° view and personalize it using an online 3D configurator. It is also important to effectively inform customers of all the selling points of an item through detailed close-up views, lifestyle images, and 3D animation. On top of that, an AR shopping app can boost customers’ confidence in the furniture item after they try it in real interiors.

Can’t wait to try our tips? With our 3D rendering services, you will get effective CG tools to show the product in all its glory and win customers at once!

Irene Lewis

Content Writer

Irene is a content writer. She previously worked for interior and chess magazines. When not writing articles, Irene finds great pleasure in collecting Star Trek memorabilia, reading Medieval poetry and playing banjo.