Have you ever noticed that the product you were looking for in an online store appears right in front of your eyes when you start browsing your news feeds? Well, that’s not magic or a coincidence. The strategy behind this marketing technique is Omni-channel. We are sure you have heard about this word. You might be thinking Omni-channel is just “another buzzword”! Well, that’s not true. It’s a business model that will actually transform the future of your online business in an optimistic way.
Be it a social media platform – Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, etc. or a marketplace – Myntra, Flipkart, Amazon, etc, or a traditional brick & mortar store, people are present everywhere.
Omni-channel is all about engaging the people who are already interacting with your brand while creating a consistent and improved customer experience regardless of what channel they are using. With omni-channel, users can switch various channels effortlessly.
It has always been believed that these above two terms can be interchangeably used. Do you also think that? Well, you are wrong here. Let’s find out why!
Multi-channel means when a brand uses multiple sales channels to communicate with the customers. But are these channels integrated with each other? Here’s when you observe the differences between Omni-channel and Multi-channel. While the latter focuses on building multiple sales channels, the former integrates all of them together to give a seamless experience.
Another big difference is, Omni-channel is a customer-focused approach whereas Multi-channel is channel-centric. It focuses on removing the friction of touchpoints between various channels and making the customer’s journey easier, while the multi-channel focuses on increasing and maximizing the channels available to customers.
With the rapid expansion of digital technology, retailers have divided themselves into two teams: Online and Offline. Well, this is not about debating which one is better but bridging the gap between the two and meeting customers’ expectations. Imagine this; You visit an offline store to purchase a pair of white shoes. After reaching the location, you realize that your size is not available. To fulfil your wants even in these situations, brands have developed an in-built store on the website, giving clarity to the customers whether their desired products are available at their nearest stores or not. Ordering online and pick-up from the nearest outlet is yet another example of how omni-channel has integrated both online and offline channels of shopping.
Omni-channel improves the quality of customer support service. Suppose, you want to buy a pair of shoes from an online brand, but unfortunately, the transaction gets failed. Now you are trying to reach out to customer care, but no one is helping you with the issue. Obviously, as a customer, you were expecting better service.
Let’s grab omni-channel into the picture. Not only had you gotten an SMS after the transaction got failed – given the fact everything is integrated – but also a reassurance that you will get your money back. Moreover, you could have reached out to customer support via chat/phone or social media.
Quick tip: These days customers want instant solutions as they prefer to engage with brands on social media platforms. So maybe you can start reducing your social media response time and start interacting quickly with potential customers!
Checking your customers’ desires and wants can be challenging while running a business. Well, omni-channel keeps track of everything from the kind of products customers like, to their actual purchasing power. Be it tracking the buying journey of customers, or scrutinizing the number of people who have abandoned the cart, omni-channel helps you gather customers’ insights, giving you a better understanding of your target market. You can also keep an eye on who buys what & when. For instance, you have an online store dealing in personal & beauty care. According to data, your sales last year in the fragrance category increased amid the Diwali season and majorly from tier 1 cities. After analyzing the numbers, you will strategize more on the fragrance category with aggressive marketing collaterals, specifically targeting the people residing in metropolitan cities.
Omni-channel involves interacting with your customers across all channels including SMS, phone, social media, interactive live chats, etc. This way, it places your marketing campaign on more than one channel, increasing brand visibility. For example, you are expanding your product portfolio. To communicate the message, Omni-channel will help you spread the word across all the platforms including traditional out-of-home (OOH) advertising media such as banners, travel transit, etc.
Quick tip: Using trigger marketing messages effectively can help your brand increase customer engagement, building sustainable brand value.
Feedbacks are valuable information that can be used to transform your business into something better. While the positive feedback motivates you, the negative ones help you to overcome your weaknesses. But the question arises of how to get this valuable feedback. Well, omni-channel has made it very easy as it connects with the customer from different channels, making it easier for customers to provide feedback in no time.
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A proactive omni-channel strategy is imperative to exercise. So, if you want to build and sustain a meaningful yet long-term relationship with your customers, go Omni-friendly today!
