What is Omnichannel Marketing?

Omnichannel marketing is about ensuring that ecommerce & retail marketing strategies are geared toward enabling customers to purchase on any channel. Often there is some confusion about omnichannel versus multichannel marketing. It is my opinion that multichannel marketing is more specific to the tactical efforts of a campaign while omnichannel marketing is based on an organization’s strategic approach.

Why is Omnichannel Marketing Important for Retail & Ecommerce?

The US Census Bureau reported an increase of 14.7% in e-commerce sales with the latest year-over-year increase compared to the first quarter of 2016.  The level of competition will continue to grow while US retail sales drop 0.3% versus 0.1% increase that was expected in May. I don’t think that shoppers are so interested in shopping locally and a look for value with a seamless experience.  It is important for retailers to understand the latest omnichannel trends and how integrated marketing can turn shoppers into loyal customers.

5 Ways to Turn Shoppers into Customers

Omnichannel marketing is a strategic approach that will require a clear strategy, integrations, execution, and measurement. Below are 5 ways to start turning your shoppers into profitable customers:

1. 1. Have a digital marketing strategy that addresses abandoned shopping carts. Consider including a progress indicator on the checkout pages and offer multiple payment options.
   2. Improve the mobile & mobile apps users experience to help shoppers compare, interact, and offer customers enhanced features to increase your mobile sales.
   3. Shopping search engines allow you to search specifically for products for sale from online merchants. Enhance your product feed by automating and optimizing your product listing for shopping engines, mobile shopping apps, and social networks to increase product visibility and sales.
   4. Use remarketing to engage with previous customers and retargeting to stay top of mind throughout the shoppers’ journey to purchase. Retargeting is often referred to online placement or display ads that target users who have visited your website in a specific way. Remarketing is often used as an email campaign to reconnect with customers.
   5. Ask for online reviews from your customers to build trust and customer recommendations to shop at your location.

Measure Your Omnichannel Marketing Strategy

By no means is the list of ways to turn shoppers into customers limited to 5!  I would recommend that your company solidifies a realistic strategy and set goals with targets to measure the effective and overall impact your strategy has on increased revenue. What works for your competition may not be realistic for your brand or customers so maintain your uniqueness and measure strategies and tactics that work for your company!

For more information on E-Commerce and retail, download our free 5-Step Guide to Ecommerce and start to increase your sales.

References:

1. https://www.bigcommerce.com/blog/brick-and-mortar-mobile-app-experiences-most-important-for-converting-omnichannel-consumers/
2. https://www.shopify.com/blog/15359677-why-online-store-owners-should-embrace-online-reviews
3. https://www.searchenginejournal.com/whats-difference-remarketing-retargeting/186455/
4. http://www.wordstream.com/blog/ws/2016/03/17/shopping-cart-abandonment