IF you missed part one, check it out here.
In part one of this series on the Best Practices of A Great Omnichannel Experience, we discussed the importance of consistency between experiences. To properly implement omnichannel experiences, brands need to be consistent, both with messaging and design. Another key facet of high-quality omnichannel experiences is the intermarriage of digital technologies and traditional channels. By bringing technologies in-store, brands can create unique and exciting customer experiences. The final part of a great omnichannel experience that we discussed was the need for real-time integration of systems. Brands will reduce friction in the buyer’s journey and delight their customers by updating information in real time. In practice, this allows the use of any channel the customer wants to use, at any time.
4) Internet-of-Things Connectivity
As the Internet of Things (IoT) grows in usage, its use in business and everyday life will grow as well. By 2020, Gartner predicts the world will have over twenty billion IoT enabled devices worldwide.
To capture the benefits of IoT connectivity, businesses should plan to integrate their processes and technology stack with future smart devices. Integrating IoT into your business will lead to major benefits down the line. Customers with connected vehicles or specific smartphone apps can be offered personalized greetings when they arrive at your business with the help of location beacons. Coffee can be made fresh 5 minutes before a customer is due to arrive for an appointment. The possibilities for personalization of your customer experience is truly limitless with IoT connectivity. Brands need to prepare for the mass connectivity that the IoT will soon generate.
5) Map the Customer Journey
Omnichannel experiences add complexity to the customer journey. Therefore, it’s important to map out the path your customers take, from the first interaction with your business to a purchase decision and beyond.
In a single-channel experience, there are fewer touchpoints and fewer options for moving between the touchpoints, resulting in a simple customer journey. For your business to create a high-quality omnichannel experience, you will need to create journeys that address many different points of entry and paths from discovery to purchase.
An omnichannel customer journey will include touchpoints such as:
- • Mobile and Desktop Searches
- • App downloads
- • In-person service
- • In-store purchases
- • Mobile and Desktop Purchases
- • Continued education about product or service through digital channels
- • And more
A successful map of your customer journey will include and adapt to many different points of entry, different browsing habits and consumers who prefer different channels. Creating this map will put your brand in a position to gain a better understanding of your customers and make changes to increase conversion rates.
6) Empower Sales Team
Prioritizing an omnichannel experience does not mean focusing solely on digital experiences, but creating a harmonized, integrated cross-channel business. If you have brick-and-mortar locations (or even a mobile sales team), in-person experiences can be an excellent tool for improving the quality of the overall omnichannel experience.
A sales team will be more effective if they are properly prepared to make a sale. Providing tools will, therefore, increase the effectiveness of your sales force, leading to increased sales and revenue.
In addition to creating a more confident, informed sales team with all the tools required to make sales at their disposal, omnichannel commerce impacts the in-store experience in other ways. Technology can be used to showcase products and services in-store, customers can be provided resources through email, or other digital channels. Transactions can be done without providing a paper receipt for convenience.
It’s not all positives with omnichannel experience. All products, services, and information should be consistent across channels, or else your sales team may face backlash. That involves keeping systems updated in real time, ensuring that your sales team is prepared with current, up to date resources and offers.
Implementing Your Omnichannel Strategy
There are many actions that brands need to take to implement an omnichannel strategy that will meet their business goals. Actions include:
- • Creating actionable timelines,
- • Setting budgets
- • Determining employee roles
- • Choosing correct technology stack for enabling omnichannel experiences
- • How to maintain brand consistency between channels
- • Setting up long and short-term goals
These individual actions require collaboration and teamwork between departments of your organization. You might need a partner, skilled in digital transformation, such as Veriday. We can help your business create omnichannel experiences that will delight your stakeholders, from customers to employees.
If you need help planning or implementing your digital transformation, please feel free to contact us. If you just want to learn more about digital transformation and omnichannel experiences, follow us on Twitter @VeridayHQ or LinkedIn!
