An omnichannel strategy aims to fulfill consumer requirements at every touchpoint and provides the same functionality and experience across all the available channels, no matter how a buyer interacts. Companies must be attentive at each stage of the customer journey – discovery, research, purchase, support, customer service, and returns, and building an ongoing relationship.
An omnichannel strategy empowers retailers to deliver a personalized and interactive shopping experience. However, there are challenges. 40% of customers expect retailers to improve their omnichannel shopping experience, reports a study by Accenture.
How to improve omnichannel customer experience?
Provide details of shipping in real-time
As with any digital adoption and technical solution, not all omnichannel distribution solutions are created alike. Omnichannel distribution merges both operations and product flow across channels so businesses can provide a bespoke seamless shopping experience to customers, which means that customers can complete a purchase and receive products from the channel of their choosing. In addition, it can include reverse logistics, as when customers return products.
Unlike the traditional multi-channel distribution, which allows customers to purchase online and in brick-and-mortar locations, omnichannel distribution has a ‘one-touch’ integration, allowing customers to purchase in-store, online, or both from a single easy to use point of access.
Maintain the “right” amount of inventory
The most significant challenge in implementing an omnichannel strategy is managing just the right amount of inventory. Retailers need access to real-time inventory to address the ever-changing customer demands as well as to stay profitable. As consumer behaviors are changing, so must retailers be able to keep up with this and make their organic changes to the ever-developing market around them. Inventory is at the core of it all. Millennials have become more impatient, reflected in online shoppers who do not want to wait for a shipment. They would prefer their order immediately. With omnichannel, these customers can now pick their orders up in-store. The curious shopper can feel a shirt, blanket, or whatever they desire in the store before purchasing it online.
A significant number of retailers are yet to figure out how to balance multiple sales channels perfectly. Investing in the proper inventory and order management software to manage an omnichannel strategy is critical. Take advantage of this time and the changes happening within the market to implement the right system and keep up with the required organic changes.
Develop a problem-free Return Policy
Implementing a fair returns policy is as vital as investing in an excellent omnichannel software solution. It requires you to anticipate customer behavior and their experience. A good return policy can also drive repeat customers. Over 72% of customers state they would spend more and purchase more frequently with retailers, making the return experience easy. Encourage in-store returns. An option to minimize losses due to returns is to encourage customers to return their products to stores. Even if they don’t end up purchasing a new item in-store, you, in addition, now can sell the returned item again in-store.
Enable consumers to buy and return goods across channels
Consumer buying behavior has changed with the growing adoption of the internet, smartphones, and handheld devices worldwide. The surge in eCommerce sales and consumers using different channels to purchase has driven companies to invest an increased amount in the omnichannel approach.
The “click & collect” purchasing method is becoming common, allowing consumers to purchase products online, benefiting from the convenience and more extensive assortment, then collecting their order at a physical point and avoiding shipping costs and the possibility of delays with delivery. While buying is the primary concern for businesses, returns remain a top concern for customers. 86% look for easy returns, and 81% will switch to competitors if they have received an awful return experience, according to the IHL group.
Deliver consistent customer experiences
An omnichannel customer experience consists of individual customer touchpoints over various channels that seamlessly connect, allowing customers to pick up where they left off on one channel and continue their user experience on another. Today’s businesses offer multiple customer engagement channels, including web, voice, digital, email, SMS, and more.
Companies must strive to support multiple channels within a single interaction. Omnichannel customer engagement focuses on increasing customer engagement by leveraging cross-channel execution techniques to provide users with personalized interaction, such as messages and more. Within this current day-and-age with the world transforming into a more digitalized state, the customers have grown to have expectations of receiving a more personalized omnichannel experience from companies. Due to this, brands and companies must be ready with these necessary changes to capitalize and deliver.
Track the life cycle of the product as well as the customer’s purchase habits
The digital change is happening now, and more channels are emerging, causing consumers to change their habits and shopping behavior. Customers are becoming savvier and more educated, leveraging new technology to make the best shopping decision for their immediate needs.
An omnichannel strategy allows customers to shop across channels anywhere and anytime, thereby providing them with a unique, complete, and seamless shopping experience that breaks down the barriers between channels. With omnichannel, you can better understand the ever-changing shifts and market changes that companies are facing. With omnichannel bespoke AI technological understanding of the constant shift within the market, data and analytics will be an advantage to any business and help them keep up with organic change.
Final thoughts
The days of e-commerce and brick-and-mortar stores as separate entities are gone. Retailers need to bridge the digital and physical worlds of commerce to offer a seamless experience across channels. At Accelgrid, we help companies deliver an omnichannel experience whether their consumers are shopping online from a mobile device, a laptop, or in a brick-and-mortar store. With Accelgrid, organizations can deliver a unified customer experience that acknowledges the previous touchpoints along the customer journey. It fosters brand awareness in the consumer’s mind and improves engagement, sales, and enhances customer retention and loyalty.
