Life is omnichannel. This means that marketing is no longer something linear, much less something that is restricted to a single point of contact with a brand.
The omnichannel sales strategy is nothing more than this: the consumer can, for example, be affected by a product in a social media campaign, then make a price comparison in different ones with the help of Google, and finally make the purchase in one. physical store.
According to the Deloitte Report, currently . If the consumer already behaves like this, brands must adapt and develop a seamless experience between.
In this context, thinking of an omnichannel strategy is a trend, and more than that, it seems to be the destiny of those who want to succeed in an increasingly competitive market with increasingly demanding consumers.
Read on to learn more about this approach, the key challenges and benefits of implementing it, its importance to the future (and present) of e-commerce, and the brands that have and are already doing it this way.
What is omnichannel and how did it arise?
The term omnichannel is a combination of the words “omni”, which means “everything” or “everyone” in Latin, and “channel”, which in English translates as “channel”.
Thus, this strategy involves the integration between different points of contact with the consumer. His main goal is to ensure a better shopping experience and also to create and develop a closer relationship with him.
The difference between omnichannel and multichannel
Before delving into other aspects of the omnichannel strategy, it is important to differentiate it from the multichannel approach. The focus of the first is integration, since the information from one channel is exchanged with that of the others.
In multichannel care this is not necessary. A good example of this would be when a store has a physical point of sale, in addition to an e-commerce, but the two act separately and independently.
To be considered omnichannel, an organization must allow online shopping and pick up the product in the physical store, for example.
The importance of this strategy
According to the specialized customer service agency Rightpoint, .
However, omnichannel is already something that should be on the radar of different companies as soon as possible.
We will now address the main difficulties of its implementation.
Consumer behavior has changed and this is what drives the need for companies to offer personalized service and a seamless experience across channels.
The user is connected to different networks simultaneously and in full time, and in many cases his friends and family follow the same trend. Thus, he expects the same behavior from the brands he consumes.
That is why being omnichannel goes far beyond being present on different networks. It is about being available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, being very focused on immediacy —being one almost like an omnipresence—, being also something increasingly expected and demanded by the new generations.
What are the main challenges of its implementation?
The main objective of an omnichannel strategy is to guarantee your customers a unique experience, regardless of the channel through which the relationship is established. For this to happen, the focus on creating exclusive attention must be a priority.
One of the key challenges in this regard is the fact that different channels provide different . In addition, it is important to create continuity between offline and online, and not only between the different virtual channels.
See below other difficulties to implement omnichannel and how to overcome each of them.
Integration between channels
As much as it is a basic premise in the omnichannel strategy, the integration of different channels continues to be a great challenge for businesses. As we have seen, omnichannel strategies are still quite embryonic practically everywhere in the world.
The collection of — and its transformation into intelligence — constitutes one of the main difficulties when integrating channels.
Omnichannel presupposes that the sales office can identify, for example, the products that performed best with consumers during a sales campaign.
Another example would be the use of an algorithm capable of predicting user behaviour, in order to offer new products or services in a personalized way. In short, all customer touch points need to communicate with each other to ensure a continuous and increasingly satisfying experience.
User identification
If the idea of omnichannel is to create a continuous experience through various service channels, user identification is a central issue for the success of an organization.
It is common for a resolved ticket to become a new occurrence, but we have no guarantee that the customer will seek the solution through the same channel previously used.
The latter refers to the integration of channels and also to the exchange of information between them. However, easy user identification has much more to do with guaranteeing a good shopping experience.
As we have already said, haste is one of the great things. Surely you don’t want to waste time reviewing all your data and information about a delayed purchase, for example, if you already made it the previous week — even if you can do it in another channel.
Standardization of care
Another factor to consider when thinking about omnichannel care is the standardization of care. This concerns the tone and language adopted in contact with the client, but it goes beyond that.
Standardized care should go beyond the use of, for example, GIFs and memes on digital channels. In addition to the personalization and personification of care, the continuous improvement of agility in problem resolution and contact monitoring must also be prioritized.
Access to technologies
Technology is one of the main facilitators of the process of implementing an omnichannel strategy, especially because it allows the .
ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) systems and CRM (Customer Relationship Management) software are examples of this.
Omnichannel ERP systems are still new to the market and are only now becoming more affordable and efficient. When well integrated, they allow you to start a purchase in one channel and complete it in another, keeping inventory and logistics data up to date simultaneously.
Already the CRM system can help identify users, find previous calls and distribute tickets more effectively among collaborators. Its main objective — unlike ERP which should help interconnected purchases — is to ensure that a service is completed (successfully) in the same channel in which it was started.
In other words, the customer is not told to contact a toll-free number after a complaint has been made via Facebook.
What are the main advantages of integrating your channels?
Satisfied customers are always advantageous for a business. They gain loyalty more easily and begin to act as fans of the brand, recommending it to friends and family.
A fast and efficient customer service, as well as a shopping experience that offers different possibilities of payment and purchase of products, contribute to this.
Take a look at other advantages of investing in omnichannel below.
Share information
The integration of information also brings advantages that go beyond a more agile and efficient service. This practice enables large-scale data collection and cross-checking, bringing more intelligence to a business.
With the increasing use of the in different market niches, this becomes a competitive advantage. And it is that these data — when they are well worked — allow the creation of other increasingly personalized communication fronts, which further strengthens the relationship between the brand and the client.
Let’s say a consumer had a problem with a product delivery and requested support through Facebook. Once the issue is resolved, you may be contacted by email asking for your feedback on the service or offering free shipping on the next purchase due to inconvenience.
A better experience for users
As you have already seen throughout this text, the omnichannel approach focuses on providing a differentiated shopping or service experience.
Channel integration enables this, especially as it respects the new consumer behavior — ultra-connected, with a different sense of time and agility than other generations, and that it requires from the brands it consumes.
Making it possible for your customer to buy a product and pick it up at the physical store or receive it at home shows him that you are adapting to his time availability instead of limiting his purchase possibilities.
Personalization of care
As the omnichannel focuses on the user and their experience, another advantage it brings is the possibility of personalizing the attention. We can resume the previous example of the customer who received free shipping on their next purchase after a delivery delay, as the concept applies here as well.
Although the omnichannel standardizes many things, it also allows the personalization of attention. This is possible thanks to the ease with which the client is identified and all his history is known at the same time.
CRM software is also useful here, since when a single collaborator solves a case from start to finish by following the entire ticket, the levels of humanization and personalization of the contact are also usually more satisfactory.
Customer loyalty
Customer loyalty is closely related to the creation of a relationship of trust. You will hardly make another purchase from someone who did not deliver what she promised or who was very late, for example.
When the first experience is satisfactory, the consumer returns knowing what to expect. The shopping experience is increasingly prioritized, even in situations where this implies a higher price.
Integrating between different channels and offering a continuous positive experience not only helps you retain your customers, but can also mean higher profits, even considering that this practice is not yet common.
Increased brand credibility
Omnichannel strategies are recent, but can already be considered a trend. Increasingly, consumers are looking for different and integrated experiences that meet all their needs —…
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