It’s more important than ever before to build a strategy for your omnichannel shopping experience. Companies that have a strategy retain 89% of their customers compared to 33% for companies with a weaker omni-experience.
Offer a seamless omni-channel experience
Due to faster delivery times and stock quantities, people who used to prefer going into physical stores might now order several items just to try them on at home. The line between physical stores and e-commerce is beginning to blur. Customers expect a seamless, personalized shopping experience and they won’t stay loyal if they don’t receive it.
For years rumors have been saying that brick-and-mortar stores are dying and e-commerce is growing. But in reality, retail fails when online and offline retail doesn’t work together. A brick-and-mortar store gives a sense of credibility to the brand, where customers can touch and try the items before purchasing. E-commerce is the tool needed to grab customers who could live far away or who might prefer shopping in the middle of the night. It’s about being available to your customers, wherever and whenever they want you.
How can you encourage customers to get the full retail experience?
An example of a successful omni-channel experience would be if a customer orders an item online and has the option to collect in a store near them, and don’t pay for shipping. Once in-store, the staff recommends products to go with it which leads to an additional sale in-store. Not only is this good sales practice but it’s also good for the environment to stifle returns.
Read more: 6 ways to reduce returns
Get to know your customers
For retailers, it’s important to find out everything you possibly can about the customers. Have they spent more in-store or online? Which stores do they prefer? Did they leave something in their abandoned cart? Segment your audiences down and communicate with them directly by adding opening times of their favorite stores or send them a voucher to be used in-store with the delivery of an item they purchased online. Use all the data you have to create a better omni-experience for your customers and analyze your success!
Read more: Why you need a customer loyalty platform
*According to invesp conversion research
