While that still happens sometimes, things are generally different now. 

For the most part, people interact with businesses through multiple channels. Some studies indicate that more than 70% of customers use multiple channels during the same shopping journey. This suggests that customers are not just willing to use various channels but that it’s their preference and expectation. 

So, omnichannel retailing is becoming the norm. But that doesn’t mean that all businesses manage to create positive experiences. Omnichannel approaches are indeed more common, but that also means there’s ample potential for more problems. 

The key is to create an omnichannel customer experience that facilitates eager purchasing - not one that frustrates.

What is an omnichannel customer experience?

An omnichannel customer experience is where you use multiple sales, marketing, and customer service channels, in unison. You do this to create a seamless and intuitive customer experience - no matter how the customer chooses to access your business. 

The aforementioned seamlessness is crucial here. A customer should be able to start their journey on one platform, only for them to switch to another platform without having to start all over again. From a customer’s perspective, it needs to be a singular experience. 

No repetition, no setbacks. Just consistent progression from the first interaction to the last.

Given the multifaceted nature of businesses, this can be a considerable challenge. Businesses need to ensure that their teams are properly aligned and all singing from the same hymn sheet. Customer frustrations are certain to manifest if you don’t get everybody working on the same page. 

Take this example of an omnichannel customer experience:

A customer is browsing Instagram before encountering an advert for sneakers. They like what they see as it’s just their style. They follow the advert to the retailer’s Instagram page before navigating to the retailer’s website from there. 

Having learned about the sneakers and checked on their quality through reviews, the customer is ready to make a purchase.

Unfortunately, the website shows that they’re not available in the right size. Annoying. Still, there’s a live chat option on the website where they ask about the availability of the sneakers. The customer advisor indicates that they’re going to be available on a specific date or that they’re already available at a local outlet. 

The customer chooses to enter the brick-and-mortar store to make the purchase. They have no issues securing the sneakers at the store. This is because the customer advisor was able to reserve them with time to spare. 

From this example, you can see that the various sales, digital marketing, and customer service channels work together. They conjure up a coherent customer experience – and one that results in a sale. By having your channels support one another, you increase the odds of converting your leads. 

What about omnichannel marketing?

Omnichannel marketing is closely related to an omnichannel customer experience. They’re still separate entities, however. 

Put simply, an omnichannel marketing strategy is where messaging and branding are consistent across both offline and channels like a VoIP contact centre. The end goal of omnichannel marketing is to create a consistent brand experience for customers. That’s regardless of whether they’re interacting with your brand on social media, your ecommerce store, or in person. 

An omnichannel strategy helps contribute toward a more refined and seamless experience. That much is certain.

Is there a difference between omnichannel and multichannel customer experiences?

The chances are that you’ve come across the term multichannel or customer experience multichannel approach at some point, so are these two terms for the same thing?

Absolutely not - although similarities exist.

With a multichannel customer experience, a business uses an omnichannel contact centre. That could mean a mobile app, a physical store, or other channels that facilitate customer engagement. But these channels work independently. The platforms do not interact. Each customer journey starts and ends on a single channel. 

With an omnichannel experience, the channels always interact and support each other. This is the primary difference between the two approaches. 

Why are omnichannel customer experiences important?

If you’re wondering why an omnichannel customer experience matters, that’s understandable. A digital enterprise grade platform is required to get you on the right track in this space – and that’s a substantial change for a business. Adding new technologies is always a big shift. 

Since you’ll need to commit to a lot of work, it only makes sense that you should know why you’re committing. 

There’s a principal reason that omnichannel and choosing the best VoIP systems for small business for multichannel customer experiences is important. It’s that consumers are now choosing to use multiple devices and platforms for their purchases. Your business needs to be set up in a way that makes it a more pleasant experience. 

If you have customers engaging with you at multiple customer touchpoints, but their progress is reset every time they move through your various channels, irritation is inevitable. A customer who is annoyed is far less likely to make a purchase. Even more alarmingly, these people are less likely to shop with your business in the future either.

How to build an omnichannel customer experience

What do you know so far? 

You know what omnichannel customer experiences are. You also know why an omnichannel strategy is important for customers. Now, it’s time to look at how to create an omnichannel personalised experience that results in satisfying customer interactions. 

Here’s how to get started.

Start thinking big

The very idea of an omnichannel customer experience means that you need to think holistically. The various channels that you employ for customer engagement have to work in harmony, and that’s only possible if you’re looking at the big picture. 

The most sensible approach is to map out your customer journey. Where do your customers first start engaging with your business? Which touchpoints push them through your sales funnel, leading to purchases? Do any gaps or issues exist that need working on?

By creating plausible scenarios, you can think about where frustrations could appear. You can expose the weaknesses in your omnichannel approach and resolve them. 

Integrate omnichannel marketing technologies

Having a brilliant mind for omnichannel customer experiences will serve you well. But if you don’t have the integration app in place to facilitate your strategy, it’ll amount to nothing. 

Chatbots and auto attendant solutions can give you a step up. They pick up the slack and allow you to engage with customers when an actual person can’t respond in real-time. 

Of course, it’s key that you have live chat support across all channels too. It must be available on PC, mobile device platforms, and tablets. Relevant information must be accessible across every platform. Both the customer and the support agent will need to be able to access any previous conversations and account information. 

Taking this approach ensures an intuitive and seamless experience.

Remember, customer data is your friend. The more you know about your customers – their demographics, their behaviours, their expectations - the better. Utilising a data ingestion process flow gives you superior access to data which allows you to tailor your performance to specific users. You’ll find that ecommerce personalisation is becoming a bigger deal for consumers. 

Personalised experiences will lead to greater interest, sustained engagement, and more purchases. 

Involve key parties and stakeholders

The prospect of an omnichannel business strategy is always enticing. It can raise the performance of your organisation across every facet. Of course, building an omnichannel customer experience is easier said than done.

One problem that businesses struggle with is getting everybody working on the same page. The truth is that you’re going to need many different aspects of your business working in harmony. There’s no room for competitive friction or game-playing. 

Examine the customer journey that you want to implement. Think about the stakeholders that are involved with each aspect of the journey. The goal is to ensure that all departments are pushing in the same direction.

One of the chief complaints customers give is that they’re told different things by different parties. By involving the various organisational aspects of your business, you can avoid these problems.

Focus on feedback

Businesses often find themselves speaking to their target audience. The opportunities to speak with them arise less frequently. 

It’s not unusual for businesses to shy away from customer feedback, especially when it’s negative, but it’s a goldmine of information. Complaints and reviews are both valuable. They’re essential for creating a more enjoyable customer experience – it’s madness not to use these resources. 

Putting in the time and energy to garner feedback proactively is even better. The most effective omnichannel customer experiences take these matters seriously. Surveys, feedback forms, and questionnaires all offer utility.

The base reason these approaches work is that customers are happy to provide feedback so long as it results in a better service for them. 

Enhance content for different platforms

Omnichannel customer experiences are a major concern for businesses today. This is because customers like to perform shopping on various channels and platforms. Yet, many businesses are not optimising their content to fit each platform they’re operating on.

If a website is only useable on desktop computers and a customer accesses it on a mobile device, expect difficulties. When content fails to display according to expectations, it can result in a customer ending their experience with you right there and then. That’s a lost purchase and a customer who’s unlikely to return.

Ensuring that content displays well on every channel reduces the chance that you’ll have such issues moving forward. 

How to optimise omnichannel customer experiences

All businesses should be looking to create an omnichannel customer experience. With that being so, you’re going to have to go above and beyond to make an impact with your customers. 

Never stop analysing your customers

You always need to keep improving and developing your omnichannel customer experience. To make that possible, customer analysis is a big deal.

Relentless research allows you to access information about your customers – and the wider market that you operate in. That research could contribute to improved performance. Consider the use of artificial intelligence and big data to gain insights into consumer expectations. 

An omnichannel approach always requires retailers to generate new and improved messaging. This needs to be done on a regular basis. It’s this persistence that leads to a better user experience. 

Learn from your competitors

Omnichannel marketing is hardly a new approach; it’s just experienced a boost in popularity in recent years. There are plenty of businesses that have been especially effective with omnichannel creation. 

The most heralded business is Amazon, but Starbucks, Disney, and Sephora have all impressed too. Each of these entities knows how to create omnichannel journeys of the highest calibre. These businesses have learned how to nurture customers through their shopping journey. Creating a cohesive, consistent experience is second nature. 

It’s this kind of approach that ultimately breeds customer loyalty. 

Shorten response times

Some surveys suggest nearly half of all customers expect a response from customer support within four hours. Most businesses fall short of that, and some by a significant margin. 

It’s important that your customers can use different channels to seek assistance from your support team. But the responsiveness of your team matters a lot too. Customer expectations can be demanding, but if you’re not responding well enough, you’re only hurting yourself.

Businesses that prioritise customer support functionality and responsiveness can expect improved customer retention. 

Remember to integrate your physical stores

Earning brand loyalty through a personalised omnichannel experience feels like a digital universe. Even so, it’s critical that your physical stores aren’t forgotten. 

Remember, physical stores still account for the majority of the retail market. 

Marketers can create a better customer experience through on-site and virtual phone interactions using a sap integration platform. That might mean that you facilitate customers reserving items online before they pick up those items in-store. Or perhaps you could use your digital channels to help with event promotion for a store.

Mastered: omnichannel customer experiences

Crafting a comprehensive omnichannel customer experience isn’t easy, but the payoff is very much worthwhile.

Using various communication channels can help you install a seamless omnichannel experience. These experiences deepen customer satisfaction and improve customer relationships. You’ll find the impacts can be wide-reaching for your business.

By following the tips listed above, positive improvements are guaranteed.