The term "3D configurator" may seem intimidating at first—cause what in the world does that mean? But it's pretty simple once you figure out what it does. It’s a powerful tool for your business, giving your customers an immediate view of the end product.
This is incredibly beneficial for any business looking to increase conversion rates and provide an accurate picture of what it offers its clients. Better, more efficient customer experiences lead to heightened customer satisfaction with your business, which may just result in repeat sales.
A 3D configurator is an absolute game-changer and can pave the way for better visualizations, quicker conversions, and happier customers. This is because your customers won't need to go back and forth with you about the design—everything will be on the configurator and you won't have to worry about your customers losing patience because of how long it might take to answer their questions.
What is a 3D Sales Configurator?
A 3D sales configurator or 3D product configurator is a digital tool that allows you and your customers to customize and configure your product in real time—in this case, your tiny home on wheels, cabin, or ADU!
You can integrate it into your website and design tiny homes, change the product shell, and even the layout of your home in a 3D space (it'll help your customer better visualize the kitchen, the office, etc.). Including a wide range of options like colors, styles, and setups gives your customers the freedom to create, especially for complex products like homes (even the tiny variety).
Does that help? Have you (con)figured it out yet? 😉
With photo-realistic 3D models that you can observe from different angles, customize, and directly make changes to best reflect your vision. You and your customers can create the tiny home of their dreams via an interactive shopping experience. No need for an in-person visit or physical render of a tiny home design. It can all be done on your screen.
This type of e-commerce personalization can drive sales and make for happier, more satisfied customers.
Is a 3D Product Configurator Different From a 3D Product Visualizer?
Yes, they're different. A 3D configurator is interactive, allowing your customers to add, change, and move the product model around so they can see it from several angles. A 3D product visualizer displays the product but doesn't allow you to change it.
While product visualizers can provide a look into a finished product, a configurator will cater to even the most detail-oriented customers. Allowing your customers to choose from many options to change something according to their tastes can be beneficial and tailor the experience.
What's great is that you can also limit these options depending on what your business offers, giving your customers the power to make choices that fit them while still ensuring you can make that vision come true from their 3D models.
In short, you and your customers can play around with configurators in real time. Visualizers are more just like art pieces to be looked at.
Where Can I Put a 3D Configurator?
A configurator can fit seamlessly onto your business' website—it's all done in virtual reality.
They're relatively easy to put up as long as the people supplying you with the configurator give you easy-to-understand instructions. You may have to tinker with some code and HTML here and there, but those who worked on the configurator can break it all down step-by-step for you or have a professional install it.
Given everything is correctly coded, it should all run smoothly! Shoutout to the coders out there—you're doing great!
How Does 3D Product Configuration Work?
3D configuration works by displaying a 3D model in a 3D space, as opposed to more traditional 2D images or photography. This allows you to show off your product from several angles, as you can turn and adjust the product in real time using the configurator's interactive tools.
For example, a tiny home 3D configurator will let you spin the model around so you can see the entire shell, zoom up on the cladding, and look into the home to view the interior layout. This is a great investment, saving you from costly photoshoots and giving clients a clear picture of your offerings.
Once a configurator is up and running, even complex products like tiny home layouts or the full design can be easily assembled. It shows you a realistic representation of the end product while offering the opportunity to continue customizing if the customer still wants something added, removed, or changed.
How Much Can You Customize with a Configurator?
Depending on your product offerings, the configurator you're purchasing, and the level of customization you're willing to offer, the sky is pretty much the limit. You can adjust what you offer on the configurator depending on what kind of customization options you already have.
For example, your tiny home business works with only one type of cladding company, and they may have five to six color options. You can narrow down what you offer to just those five or six in the configurator. This ensures that you can bring your customer's vision to life while still sticking with your own contractors or providers.
You can customize different layouts of the tiny home like, kitchen arrangements or bathroom layouts. This allows website visitors to customize the space with just a few clicks. No intense design work required—it's that easy! As long as it’s within your own limitations and what you can provide your customer, it should be fair game.
A configurator like this provides your customers with personalized products and product designs that they have had a direct hand in creating. Seeing their contributions come to life can be empowering, making the configurator exciting for both your business and your customers.
While you don't have the flexibility to create complete customizations compared to a full-fledged software, a 3D configurator helps your customers avoid feeling overwhelmed by too many choices and allows you to guide their decisions with set specifications.
Is It Easy to Use a 3D Sales Configurator?
Yes—and more than you think! While most people are intimidated by the idea of tinkering with a 3D object on a screen (let's face it, not all of us were meant to be techy and into the coding game), it's as easy as a click of a button!
You choose from the options provided, turn the model around to see if it's what you like, and then click next to see what you can customize next. It's very simple and straightforward, and your customers may even enjoy playing around with it.
It's proven that heightened user experience can increase profit, so 3D product configuration is a perfect way to differentiate yourself from others in the industry. It allows your customers just enough freedom to tinker without inundating them with too many options.
What Can Be Designed in a 3D Product Configurator?
Depending on the complexity, you can create pretty much anything in a 3D configurator. You can also put together and adjust a customized product of any kind, depending on what you or your customer wants or needs.
For example, at Tiny Easy, our software allows for the configuration of tiny homes, cabins, container homes, and ADUs. Whereas a range of industries (like automotive industries) also use it to create a personalized shopping experience. Any configurable product or anything that can be adjusted or customized can be designed, given the innovation of the people coding the configurator.
What Happens After Using a Configurator?
Most configurators will let your customer download and keep a copy of the file or send it straight to you and your team for building right after. Not all configurators do this, but most of them work in a similar fashion so you get the information you need right away.
You can then use the 3D models and photo-images to determine your materials, the colors you'll need for them, and the time you'll need to spend on the project.
Pros and Cons of a 3D Configurator
3D product configuration comes with its own pros and cons.
Pros
It quickens the design process and lets you bring all your ideas to life—we especially love seeing those beautiful tiny home design trends become a reality. With a faster process, your customer can have their dream home in a fraction of the time it would usually take with traditional blueprints and 2D renders.
A personalized experience lets the customer feel more involved and leads to a happier buying experience.
Aside from aligning with what the customer wants, a configurator can also cause positive customer engagement, increasing customer confidence and satisfaction. Once your clients are satisfied with the configurator's results, you can earn their trust. Customer loyalty is important and can help you in the long run.
This free reign over the design also gives your customers a sense of ownership over their design. This creates a positive experience for customers and can make the buying process easier and quicker. This leads to better conversion rates.
Configuration lessens product returns and shortens the sales process since you can reduce bottlenecks and increase productivity. This makes things simple and easy—which is what many people want when they're making purchases, especially when it comes to big investments like homes. Since many of your customers are likely to have good online shopping experiences, they're more likely to convert.
Using a configurator in a showroom creates an interactive, hands-on experience. It's ideal for customers who prefer face-to-face interaction, allowing businesses to provide a personalized and engaging way for them to visualize and customize their products.
Cons
While many configurators strive to depict what the product will look like in reality to the best of their ability, virtual reality may not always fully reflect actual reality. However, many of the best configurators do come close.
File sizes and load sizes may be problematic, given how much information is stored in the render. Managing the file—whether downloading, uploading, or storing it—can be challenging if you're not fully prepared with enough storage, whether online or elsewhere.
Some buyers still prefer a more tactile in-person experience over virtual showrooms. However, with the internet continuing to reign, this may not be too much of a problem, as it is becoming easier to do everything from the comfort of one's own home.
While the configurator offers engaging experiences, some older customers or those who are less tech-savvy may feel anxious about trying it, even if the process is straightforward. Senior customers still prefer shopping in person, even if there are other options.
Do I Need a 3D Configurator for My Business?
If you've got customizable products and want to engage with your customers better, this step towards product personalization is a smart one. Businesses may survive without a configurator or 3D renderings, but in saturated industries, they can greatly benefit by standing out from their competition.
If you're in the small home industry, you'll find most customers want some form of customization. Whether it's adjusting a cladding color or changing a door type, they usually have a specific vision or want to mix and match before reaching a final decision.
A 3D Tiny House Configurator allows you to cater to a wider audience instead of turning them away. Instead, you can give your customers something they really love rather than settling for something average.
How Can a 3D Product Configurator Help My Business?
A 3D configurator is great for e-commerce platforms but also tiny home builders since a home is such a personal thing and reflects on the homeowner (aka your customer). So they would definitely want something that fits them and is tailored to their tastes, rather than settling for something when they can have exactly what they want.
An interactive experience on top of that is also a bonus since it can be fun to put something together by yourself—does anyone else here love The Sims 4? Animal Crossing? Home design games in general?
A configurator can also entice potential customers and boost customer engagement in general, which is essential for a business to grow since you're fulfilling customer expectations. They may leave good reviews, spread their positive experience by word of mouth, or just refer your business to their own friends and families, given you've earned their trust.
3D visualizations and models of products are also more reliable than simple promises, difficult-to-read blueprints, and even simple product photography that utilizes confusing angles. Something photorealistic that shows off your product catalog is more trustworthy in the long run.
In general, configurators are so easy to use and you have as many options as you like to include. You really can't beat easy!
How to Choose the Right 3D Configurator for You
Choosing the right configurator for your business doesn't have to be difficult. Think about what's important to you: Do you want to show off what you can manage to build while keeping it simple for your customers? Plenty of configurators allow you to narrow down choices to just what you offer.
If you're worried about design complexity, configurators are still great, so you can break down your builds even further for those who are more detail-oriented. The configuration process and how it looks may also matter to you and your brand aesthetic.
Ultimately, it rests on what you need as a business and how you want to appeal to your target audience.
We at Tiny Easy especially prioritize user-friendly interfaces for our configurator so that it's straightforward and simple to use for anyone—from industry experts to someone just starting to foray into the tiny home space. Our configurator is clean, straightforward, and still offers you the customizations your customers may want.
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