Consumer Use of Augmented Reality Is Influencing Purchases

Sixty percent of consumers have used augmented reality (AR) or virtual reality (VR) technology, and more than half (54 percent) said they are likely to increase their use of immersive technology over the next two years, according to new data from Clutch Research.

While only 35 percent of consumers use AR/VR regularly today, the findings suggest that immersive experiences are becoming a more meaningful part of how people shop, explore, and interact with companies.

The research also found that AR is emerging (or re-emerging in some cases) as a powerful conversion tool, with 58 percent of consumers saying they’ve made purchases after using AR features. From virtual try-ons to room visualization tools, AR helps solve one of the biggest challenges in online shopping: giving buyers more confidence before they commit, the research firm says.

“Immersive technology is becoming less of a novelty and more of a practical business tool,” says Hannah Hicklen, a Clutch analyst. “When brands use AR to answer real customer questions, like how something will look, fit, or function, they create more confidence and reduce friction in the buying process.”

Smartphones are the most common way consumers access immersive experiences, with 61 percent using mobile devices for AR/VR, according to the research. Consumers also prefer smartphones over stand-alone VR headsets, largely because they are more accessible and require less setup, according to Clutch.

Beyond shopping, gaming remains the most popular use case for both AR (63 percent) and VR (61 percent). But AR is also becoming embedded in everyday digital behaviors such as social media content creation (32 percent), online shopping (30 percent), and navigation (18 percent), Clutch found.

The top barriers preventing broader adoption include the high cost of devices (51 percent), lack of useful content (32 percent), motion sickness or discomfort (26 percent), and privacy concerns (26 percent), according to Clutch, which notes that companies must prioritize usefulness, ease of use, and consumer trust to make immersive experiences successful.

Consumer Trust Builds for Online Communities

Nearly all consumers (98 percent) who participate in online communities trust product or service recommendations from community members, and 95 percent have discovered helpful information in these spaces, making them a critical destination for companies, new data from Clutch Research suggests.

And with half of regular users planning to increase their participation over the next year, the influence of online communities on purchase decisions is only growing, the firm reports.

Across the board, 64 percent of all consumers engage with these spaces daily, and participation is far from passive: 56 percent actively post, and 35 percent actively comment, meaning peer-driven content constantly shapes purchasing decisions, Clutch says in the report.

“Online communities have become one of the most powerful trust signals in the consumer journey,” says Anna Peck, a Clutch analyst. “Brands that understand how to show up in these spaces with genuine value, not just promotion, will have a real competitive advantage.”

Consumers aren’t opposed to companies joining online communities, either. In fact, 95 percent believe authentic brand participation is important, the research firm says, noting that consumers would value educational content (37 percent) and 75 percent of them think companies should actively listen to and respond to community feedback.

So which communities are the most popular? Clutch found that 83 percent of regular users participate in social media-based communities such as Reddit, Nextdoor, and LinkedIn. Meanwhile, 69 percent participate most often in interest-based communities, compared to just 14 percent in company-led spaces, signaling that companies should meet audiences where they already are rather than building from scratch, Clutch says.

The research also found that consumers stay active in communities for valuable discussions (36 percent), but their biggest frustration is excessive promotional content (24 percent), prompting analysts to urge companies to lead with education and engage transparently to build lasting trust.