Seeing is Believing

Discovering the power of digital visualization

By Jamie Touton

The availability of more than 2.8 million apps has drastically changed people’s behaviour. From a smartphone, you can easily pay a credit card bill, check bank statements, make a doctor’s appointment, send cash to a friend, post status and photo updates about life, and make a purchase. Given the United States is approaching $1 trillion in e-commerce sales, businesses should not only take note of their digital footprint but also anticipate a dramatic shift in what their clients and customers desire in a growing online and mobile society.

There is an ever-growing demand for digital visualization tools as homeowners want to see before they buy. Today’s consumers are more independent than ever. They make well-informed, knowledge-based decisions based on their own product research, not a salesperson’s pitch. The expectation is for businesses to provide easy to consume information and the ability to find it without any help. Due to this shift in consumer confidence and reliance on online shopping, it’s really no surprise visualization tools are becoming essential in every industry, including flooring.

Digital tools also support in-person selling by offering an interactive, engaging experience. They provide another avenue to tap into a deeper conversation and start a potential sale. Distributors, retailers and designers can greatly enhance interactions by simply listening to their client’s needs and expectations, then creating some digital options that showcase their space in the exact dimensions ‘on the fly.’ Offering the opportunity for a client to be heard and see their vision come to life maximizes the sales conversation.

So, how do you make virtual part of your business’ reality?

By offering online product swatches and visualizer tools.

PRODUCT SWATCHES

Ensure all available flooring products can be viewed in 3-D and zoom. By utilizing this form of visual communication, each product’s features and details are more clearly and intricately demonstrated. From half-inch mosaics to large format tiles, customers can check out angles and dimensions through these visual options.

VISUALIZER TOOLS

Virtual room visualizers with templated floor plans that can be modified and come with the capability to upload photos from a mobile device enable consumers to view new flooring in a space, be it theirs or another residential or commercial environment. Being able to easily change the collection, colour, style and size, preview the designs in 2-D or 3-D, and print or share with a client or retail sales associate further enhances the shopping experience and streamlines the selection process. The end result is realistic to the customer’s space or vision.

DIGITAL ACCESS

No longer restricted to engineers and architects, consumers can create their own visualized spaces using digital tools. Providing access to the latest in technologies that can showcase products enhances the sales conversation for consumers as they cross into the physical showroom space. Leveraging the digital process with the physical product helps create a better consumer experience.

Jamie Touton joined Crossville Inc. in 2020, as a digital marketing services coordinator, where she integrates many of the company’s online visual tools to enhance the end-user web interface experience. Crossville is a leading manufacturer of porcelain tile. In early 2023, the company is launching Cross-Vision, a virtual room visualizer that allows consumers to create, save and print visualizations of wall and flooring tile with Crossville stock environments.

Grout provides the accent to every tile installation; ‘a touch of color’ that can create subtle or dramatic contrasts that help shape the mood of a room. When trying to achieve a desired look, choosing the right grout color to accompany a tile can be just as important as the tile itself. This is why PROMA has formulated a wide selection of the most fashionable grout colors available to help make your choice an easy one. Contact PROMA toll-free at 1-866-51-PROMA (77662) or visit www.proma.ca to order a Grout Color Card or Kit.

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