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Video, 360°, and AR: closing the "I can't touch it" gap
💡 Video, 360° spin, and AR close the 'can't touch it' gap and reduce returns — invest in them where consideration and return rates are highest, not on every product.
The single biggest disadvantage of buying online is that you can't hold the product. Rich media exists to close that gap. Short product videos (15–45 seconds) demonstrate use, scale, and quality in a way static images can't — showing the blender crush ice, the jacket move, the tent go up. Retailers increasingly surface video prominently, and it consistently lifts conversion for considered purchases.
Newer formats push further: 360° spin views let shoppers rotate the product; AR "view in your room" lets them place furniture or preview makeup on their own face. These tackle the two questions static images struggle with — how big is it really? and what will it look like in my context? — which are also the questions that drive returns when answered wrong.
The practical takeaway for a program: rich media has a cost (production, hosting, per-retailer specs), so prioritize it where it moves the needle most — high-consideration, high-return, or demonstration-heavy products. A $4 phone cable doesn't need a hero video; a $400 stroller absolutely does.