Product Configurators
Our Specialities
If you offer customisable products, a Product Configurator tool is a no-brainer!
In case you're not sure what a Product Configurator is - it's a digital tool that lets users see the different options they have for customising a product.
By letting customers see their choices, it gives them the confidence to go ahead make the purchase. It can also increase the time spent on your site, which is always helpful for that pesky SEO! A product configurator can boost customer engagement, streamline sales and enable efficient product customisation for higher conversions. It
We recommend having a web-based product configurator linked to your online shop, but we can also create configurators for mobile apps.
An example of a product configurator
(adapted from Zilla's Cab Configurator)
Loading cab customizer...
This is a cut-down version of the Guitar Cab Configurator we built for Zilla Custom Cabs. On the full version, there are more guitar cab model options plus audio for each of the speaker and back combinations to give the users as much information about the cab they're designing as possible; they can see and hear it before they commit to ordering.
Our process for creating your Product Configurator
Initial call
A no-obligation meeting to discuss your product(s) and how we are able to bring them to life digitally, ready for customisation.
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Delving into details
We'll get into the details. We'll need to get a good feel for the product and it's customisable options. We'll also need to understand your business and customers.
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We'll use this information to generate a quote.
Basic Shape
We will begin the build by perfecting the basic shape of your configurator. Depending on the style decision, this will either be a 2D or 3D model.
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Materials Modelling
Next we will model the materials that make up your product(s). If you're going for the photorealistic style, this is probably the most important part to get right. We'll actively include you in the modelling process to make siure we get it 100% before moving on.
Interface Design
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Then we'll design the layout for the configurator. This will depend on where it'll appear; app or website. The aim is to not overwhelm the user with the number of choices, while making sure they're aware of them all.
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We're happy to work with a designer of your choosing if you'd prefer.
Development
Now it's time to write the code, bringing all of the components to life and adding the user flow, from design to purchase.
Testing
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We'll need to thoroughly test the product configurator before release to make sure 1) it works as it should and 2) it accurately represents your product and it's options.
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We'll get you involved in this test process.
Release
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And finally we're ready for sign off and to officially release the configurator.
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This isn't the end of the road however as we hope we'll carry on being involved with its continued evolution and development.
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Section coming soon!
In order to make the best product configurator for your needs, we'll discuss the following options:​​​​​
Tailoring our solution to your business
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Complexity
to what extent can your product be customized. Do you offer different colours of the same (for example) fabric type or do you also offer different types. How many parts of your product can be customised? The Zilla Cab Customiser is an example of a complex product configurator. Almost every component of the product can be customised, both in style, texture and colour. Some choices affect the options for other components; for example, not all tolex (that's the coloured vinyl material that covers the cab) is suitable for the "no corners" option. Complexity will affect the price of the configurator build as each material in the digital version of the product is "hand" made by us; so the more styles and textures, the longer the build time. Additionally, the more complex the inter-connectivity of the options (e.g. the tolex style affecting the corner protector options), the more complex the underlying code, so the longer the write and test times.
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Platform for deployment
Will the configurator be a part of your website or a mobile app? What languages/site hosting is your current site or app using? Or are you looking for a completely new website or app (we can help with both!).​
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Style
we offer two styles of configurator; basic and pro. The basic style is more cartoon-like while the pro style is towards photorealism. You can see examples of both below. The photorealistic style opens up opportunities for CGI video adverts that can be used across your marketing platforms.
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Live 3D viewer
do you want the users to be able spin the product object freely in 3D on your site? This adds complexity and may limit the photorealism style we can provide. A compromise option is to offer the users different static views (i.e. front, back and side) of the product, like we've implemented in the Zilla Cab Customiser.​ ​​
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Augmented reality viewer