It wasn’t so long ago that when somebody said “virtual reality” this brought forth visions of technologies that were the stuff of science fiction. With these fictional, futuristic machinations, users could totally immerse themselves within fully realised 3D worlds. Well, the days of VR being a far-flung dream for future generations to enjoy are well and truly over.
It’s 2023, and virtual reality has gone mainstream. Besides its obvious applications for gaming, VR is being used in fields as diverse as education, eCommerce, medicine, architecture, art, and archaeology. There are even examples of VR headsets being used to improve the mental wellbeing of care home residents. And let’s not forget about the Metaverse, the online space that is being dubbed the next stage of the internet.
And with all this Virtual Reality comes a lot of, you guessed it: data. But what good is data if you’re not putting it to good use? And that’s where VR analytics come in. In this blog we’ll talk about VR data analytics, their importance to your business, and why Metalitix is the perfect platform to get the most out of your VR experiences. So, if you’ve got a few minutes, keep reading…
What are Virtual Reality Analytics?
Let’s cover the basics first. Much like traditional 2D analytics extrapolated from places like Google Analytics or Facebook, VR data analytics are used to collect, measure, and analyse user behaviour and engagement. The main difference is these metrics are collected with virtual 3D immersive environments. As such, the metrics are not all the same. Of course, there are certain metrics that are found in both 2D and 3D analytics, for example engagement rate. However, other metrics are specific to VR experiences, offering insights impossible to measure from a 2D screen. These include:
Interaction
Easily identify which parts of VR experiences your users are interacting with most.
Movement
Track user movement throughout the virtual environment with 3D heatmaps. This allows you to optimise the layout and design.
User gaze
Monitor where your users are looking and gain insight into what draws their attention within your 3D world.
Dwell time
Track the time a user spends on specific elements such as points of interest and interactive experiences.
Performance
Monitoring aspects such as load times and frame rate help you create a seamless and enjoyable VR experience.
And that’s barely scratching the surface of the vast well of information VR analytics has to offer.
Why use VR Analytics?
In capturing data from VR experiences, businesses and organisations can take advantage of valuable insights to improve the impact of their VR systems, allowing them to craft more engaging experiences for their users. But what does this mean in simple terms?
A data-first approach
By properly leveraging VR data, organisations can take a data-first approach to make calculated changes to improve user experience. Metrics such as session duration and interaction frequency will provide such insights.
Personalised experiences
The same metrics are used to better understand user behaviour. This allows developers to better cater their VR experiences to individual users. With personalisation comes better engagement, satisfaction, and conversion (where applicable).
Better data visualisation
Analysing vast quantities of data can be tiresome for even the most experienced analysts. VR environments make data easier to digest, allowing users to interact with data and glean further insights in real time. Plus, it’s a lot more fun than a pie chart.
Improve ROI
If you operate within the VR sphere, you’ll know it’s not cheap. Effectively leveraging the power of VR analytics and tracking key KPIs will allow you to maximise the profitability of your VR experiences.
Metalitix and Metaverse Analytics
Also known as spatial analytics within a 3D scene, metaverse analytics are used to track user behaviour within the metaverse. Within this emerging online space, you can gain many valuable insights using Metalitix. But what is the metaverse?
For the uninitiated, the metaverse is a type of 3D internet, a virtual reality environment online. While still in its infancy and us yet to fully understand the impact it will have on the lives of the everyday person, one thing is clear: big changes are coming.
And with use cases including gaming, education, online shopping, and social media, these changes are just around the corner. As the metaverse starts to play a larger role in our daily lives, tracking metrics such as user locations, interactions, movements, and engagement will prove invaluable to any organisation with a metaverse presence.
Use Metalitix for your VR Data Analytics
If you’re serious about leveraging the full power of virtual reality analytics, then you need a platform that’s robust, comprehensive, and easy to use. A platform like Metalitix. It equips you with all the necessary tools to take your 3D spatial experience from “meh” to magnificent. Features like 3D heatmaps, an advanced session explorer, and customisable engagement metrics will ensure that you’re getting the most out of your VR experiences, keeping you ahead of the competition and futureproofing your business.
Ready to unlock the full potential of virtual reality analytics?
Sign up to Metalitix here
