The Future of Web Design: The Rise of Virtual and Augmented Reality
Virtual and augmented reality are moving from games into retail, real estate and education. What that could mean for the websites businesses build next.
Originally published on The VL Studios blog on January 20, 2023. Lightly edited.
Virtual and augmented reality (VR and AR) are emerging technologies that could change how people experience the web. Instead of looking at a product on a page, a visitor could step into it.
Virtual reality: the immersive showroom
VR places the user fully inside a digital environment. For an online store, that could mean walking through a virtual showroom and trying products before buying, without leaving home.
Augmented reality: information on top of the real world
AR overlays images, sound and text on the physical world. An architecture firm's website could let a client see a proposed building on its actual site, with realistic light and shadow. A furniture brand could show a sofa in the buyer's own living room.
Where it stands
Both technologies are already used in retail, real estate and education, and they are becoming more accessible to the public. For most businesses, the practical question isn't whether to build a VR website today, but which single experience, such as a product preview or a virtual tour, would genuinely help a customer decide.
Selling to American buyers? I help Estonian, Nordic and Baltic companies adapt their websites, messaging and launch materials for the US market.
Request a free US-readiness scorecard
