Customers used to walk into Aquanut Pool Care in Greer, South Carolina, seeking a particular shade of blue for their pool liner, general manager Suzanne Todd recalls. However, “there are several different options of blue,” she says. “The husband might be thinking dark blue, but his wife wants a light blue or Caribbean look.”
Todd would have to dig back through files of previous installations to find a specific pattern in a pool with water in it, to make sure the color and pattern met customer expectations. Even then, it was still sometimes difficult for customers to imagine the whole picture.
Today, however, thanks to visualization technology, customers can draw up the exact design online and agree on it, without even having to be in the shop at the same time. Not only that, they can procure the design at home, a real convenience in today’s pandemic times. “It eliminates the confusion, and we’re able to print off the selection the customer makes, stick it in the file, and there is no question what pattern they chose,” Todd says.
Virtual pool visualization software, such as Tara Pool & Outdoor Products’ Envision Pool Visualizer, has made shopping for a pool a far more customized and streamlined experience for everyone. Customers can choose a pool shape — rectangular or freeform — and select from a wide range of patterns and shades of blue. They can also choose a pool cover and see how it looks on their customized pool, and even change out the pool deck with brick, pavers or plain concrete.
The color on the Envision Pool Visualizer, as well, is quite accurate, Todd says. That’s important, she says, because “that’s our number one question… what will this look like in my pool?”
For Lynda Wasinger, co-owner of Heartland Pool & Spa Service in Lenexa, Kansas, customers have a much easier time picturing their pool with the software than trying to visualize it with a small wall sample. Not only can they browse the selections on their own time and with their family, she says, it also “assists in freeing me from the phone so I can focus on managing other customers and tasks for the day,” she says.
And in today’s world of online shopping, both Wasinger and Todd have noted increased sales in liners thanks to the visualization program. While they may not necessarily sell pool decks or covers, they say the additional features for both help customers broaden their imagination and consider other ways to update their backyard look.
“This is a wonderful transition piece that can open up new conversations about needing more than a new vinyl liner,” Wasinger says.
Making transactions online has been a real game-changer, both say. Convenience and an easy-to-visualize software have boost sales and interest. “We have a lot more customers asking for virtual appointments for one reason or another. We are able to send a link to the visualizer, and then we can walk them through it on the phone and answer questions,” Todd says.
For more information about virtual pool visualization software, visit tarapools.com.
