A number of industries have been affected by artificial intelligence technology. It is no surprise that more businesses are using AI as they discover the benefits it has to offer.
The benefits of AI is more obvious to some businesses than others. However, some industries are discovering the wonderful benefits of AI in unexpected ways. For example, the flooring industry has been heavily influenced by advances in AI technology.
How is AI Driving the Future of the Flooring Industry?
Artificial intelligence (AI) is changing the way we shop online. And while e-commerce companies are on the rise, more local businesses are shutting their doors for good. Now that AI is at its full force, it’s changing the way customers buy their products. But how is this changing for the flooring world?
Visualizer tools
Many companies are now including visualizer tools on their website or an app, to help customers see how their chosen floor will look in their own home. It’s very beneficial for those who can’t leave their home and also allows customers to interact with their products online. It allowed businesses to thrive over covid with no one being able to walk into shops as usual.
Companies including ‘Outfits’ are already helping customers create their own projects, like installing vinyl tiles. Founder of Outfit said, “We’re helping homeowners really tackle projects around the house that don’t really require a contractor, or they can knock out in a specific weekend. But they really need some of the support when it comes from picking out those materials… kind of curating them to make sure the design kind of comes out all right”.
Online Brochure
Having an online brochure is a great way for customers to see trends and styles and can be done from your phone! In the e-commerce world, replacing the traditional showroom with an online brochure adapts to the ever-changing world of technology. Online brochures are eco-friendly too!
Free sample service
Providing a free sample service is a great way to entice customers when you run an e-commerce business. Not only will it drive more traffic to your website, but it’ll also engage new customers to buy your flooring. You do want them to buy your flooring, right? Free samples also mean the customers can see how the floor will look and feel in their home.
Examples
IKEA: IKEA has created an app that allows you to see their products in your own home. The app also gives you suggestions based on your preferences. A quote from IKEA said that “The ultimate goal is to inspire people through combining technology with knowledge of how people live their lives”.
John Lewis: John Lewis has released a virtual reality experience called ‘visualize your space’. Customers can type in the dimensions of rooms in their homes and the app will recreate their room. They can drop items that are sold by John Lewis like sofas, lamps and even change the color of their walls!
John Lewis said, “Users will be able to view their designed room on either an iPad, as a 3D room set in augmented reality, or wear a virtual reality headset to walk AR around the room. Afterwards, customers will be emailed a copy of the room they created with shoppable links”
AI Technology is the Future of Flooring Companies
Customers are the backbone of a business so, it’s important to adapt these technologies to ever-changing demand. We hope these examples are helpful if you’re thinking of adapting artificial intelligence to your online business!
