Ted Hickman

Why You Should Care About Omni-Channels



If you haven’t yet heard of omni-channel marketing, you’re missing out on one of the biggest possibilities your brand has to be seen – and heard – by customers. Omni-channel marketing is a fully immersive experience for consumers as it involves being present in a variety of online and offline platforms and providing customers with an integrated experience to ensure a seamless and pleasing interaction.

Starting omni-channel marketing now will give you the upper hand in the long term, since you’ll be able to test out what is working and isn’t working for your brand, well before your competitors do.

What Is Omni-Channel Marketing

An omni-channel marketing strategy encompasses the way a customer experiences your business, going from browsing your company website online – or using your app – to popping down into your store to try things on, or pick things up. A Harvard Business study that followed 46,000 people from 2015 -2016 showcased how 73% of consumers went from browsing items online to visiting brick-and-mortar stores to fulfil their purchasing needs.

Taking this into account and noting that this data is now several years old, it is prudent to say an even higher percentage of users is likely to want an omni-channel experience now.

Omni-Channel Benefits

The study notes that users who interacted with a brand on four or more channels had a far higher correlation of purchasing even more items weekly, as opposed to sporadically once or twice throughout the month. So at its core, omni-channel marketing is a way in which customers can be immersed in your brand, buying, trying, and interacting with you.

Studies show that through this consistent interaction via personal device and their in-person interactions, they are more likely to choose your products over your competitors ones. This is a huge competitive advantage, and is definitely something which small business’ should try and utilise sooner, rather than later.

How To Utilise Omni-Channel Marketing

  • First, ensure you have a consistent framework with which to base everything from. This will include all the usual brand strategies along with innovation regarding some new options.

  • Look at ensuring consistency with regard to colour, content, and tone used for your consumers, across your physical stores and your online platforms and branded applications.

  • Consider all areas in which your consumer could potentially interact with you and utilise them to their best ability to minimise any friction or inconsistency in your brand.

  • Decide if you’d rather customers used your website to interact with you, or if an app like an online casino offers would be a better idea to keep them updated with specials and new products.

  • Ensure your customer service team is top notch, so customers have eager, friendly faces to chat to regarding your brand.

  • Regularly check in with your customers via incentivised surveys and options to gain valuable feedback for areas in which you could improve.

  • Keep tabs on how your physical and digital inventory are showcased as being available – and with that said, let all your SKU codes be consistent and recognisable to avoid any double-bought items. It’s best to keep popular items in the back, or in a warehouse, for online sales, to ensure stock is available.

  • Consider looking at how your favourite stores are using omni-channel marketing to get ideas, and assess how often you use an app or website of a brand, before visiting their physical brick-and-motor shops.

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