Bespoke services have become popular not only in terms of software development but also when it comes to fulfilling customers’ needs. Around three-quarters of consumers expect business to acknowledge their unique demands; however, the same amount of respondents claim to be treated like numbers. To address modern personalization needs, Convergine has been developing custom product configurators for business from various industries.
Product configurators are digital tools that allow for enhanced product or service customization. They may also be referred to as variation configurators, offer configurators, or online store configurators, depending on the business niche. For example, IKEA integrated a Kitchen Planner and Nike - Nike By You to create unique designs, while Bank of America - Mortgage Calculator to choose a mortgage that meets your property appetite without undermining your budget.
How businesses benefit from product configurators
Adding product configurators to your website or applications along with personalized UX drives a number of benefits. Below are the key ones.
1. Improved product presentation
Through personalized UX, your business can mitigate information overload for your customers by only showing more relevant results. Thus, users will focus better on limited options, which prevents confusion and results in better product understanding.
2. Improved conversion rates
Product configurators create a more desirable experience for your customers. As the customer is 100% satisfied with the product they configured, their chances of abandoning their cart at checkout are less. Convergine has proven this by developing a shopping cart with extensive customization features for a food franchise business. The new design and shopping cart resulted in higher online orders and inquiries.
3. Increased user engagement
Through personalized UX, you can drive higher customer engagement. According to Bain & Company, it results in customers spending up to 40% more. When thinking through a new design, don’t forget about the added value: it can get you a loyal and engaged audience. For example, when rebranding our real estate brokerage client, we equipped their website with a built-in loan calculator for end-users to easily estimate their future mortgage, as well as compare current rates under various parameters and competing lenders.
4. Reduced return rate and increased ROI
Returns from unsatisfied customers can cause a lot of damage to a business's ROI. Customers are usually unsatisfied because goods didn't meet their expectations or they received a different product. With product configurators, every customer will be able to create their custom product, which will significantly increase customer satisfaction, resulting in lesser returns and a higher ROI.
5. Reduced long-term costs
Providing custom offers, a business speeds up client’s journey along a sales funnel, which requires less effort on the marketing and sales teams side. What is more, the return costs decrease since consumers are more likely to receive a product or service that meets their expectations. Additionally, loyal customers will provide word-of-mouth marketing; it reduces marketing costs, as it creates a chain of satisfied new and loyal old customers.
6. Upsell and cross-sell opportunities for companies
Product configurator tools allow integration with other ERPs, CRMs, MRPs, ecommerce platforms, etc. Thus, the product is available across several platforms. With higher chances of reaching out to a customer, the chances of upselling and cross-selling increase.
7. Easy-to-integrate 3rd-party software
Custom solutions give complete control over the third-party software for tracking orders and collecting customers' data to enhance your sales opportunities. Thus, your product lifecycle management can improve, resulting in a consistent sales rise.
8. Fostering scalable solutions
Investing in product configurators and personalized UX means a business invests in scalable solutions, which are easier to maintain over time and meet changing customers' requirements over a longer period with continuous updates. Thus, the reliability and flexibility of the platform are enhanced.
What to consider when choosing a vendor to build a product configurator?
While standardized ready-made product configurators may be sufficient for conventional business niches, that’s hardly the case for unique ones. Custom tools allow you to foster personalization regardless of your product complexity. To ensure the solution meets advanced industry standards, consider the following criteria when choosing a vendor:
- Previous experiences, customer reviews, and testimonials
- A deeper understanding of your business niche, so they can address relevant pain points
- Proficiency in describing user personas to design truly custom UX
- Agility with the latest technologies to offer cutting-edge solutions
All these points are essential to make your customers feel valued, engaged, and included. If you still hesitate to choose a vendor who specializes in custom-tailored solutions, consider Convergine’s portfolio: we develop bespoke solutions that meet both your needs and those of your users. Our approach isn’t limited to custom development only. We dive into your sphere, put your user’s shoes on, take their path to better understand their needs, and design a truly unique product configurator.
