Omnichannel is in our lives even if we don't realize it. From buying fruits or vegetables to clothing, accessories, technology, medicines, and even houses or cars, our expectation as users is that brands offer us satisfactory experiences regardless of the method we choose to contact them, and that is precisely where the challenge of omnichannel appears.
Although the basics of commerce have always been the same, today, businesses interact with their users through many channels with specific functions and objectives.
There are sales channels, such as e-commerce or online stores, and those that focus on communication, such as social networks. On the other hand, there are service channels, such as a call center, loyalty channels, such as point programs, or relationship channels, such as WhatsApp or e-mails.
The list can go on, but it is the same: regardless of the channel, companies need to provide memorable experiences, and the way to achieve building from three pillars:
Integration: there must be an ongoing collaboration between a business' physical and virtual platforms. At no time can they be completely separate worlds.
Orchestration: all channels must be synchronized and operate without friction. They need to share information to coordinate in real-time.
Single Customer View: All channels of a company must be able to collect customer information to strengthen its offer. As a consequence, data from all channels must be able to be consolidated and visualized to make decisions based on it.
In what follows, we will discuss strategies to strengthen an omnichannel initiative. Still, if you want to learn more about the transformations this sector is undergoing, we invite you to read: "The renewal of the experience: a look at the state of retail."
The secret of a successful omnichannel strategy
Any retail company's ideals are selling more, selling better, and exceeding customer expectations.
An omnichannel strategy can encompass issues as diverse as operations, logistics, technology, business, and even corporate culture.
It is no longer enough to have a communication campaign that looks the same on social networks and e-commerce. Nor is it enough to design digital assets to look consistent with each other.
In an excellent omnichannel strategy, each channel of interaction with the customer, in addition to being aligned with the rest, must be able to improve constantly. For this, each channel must be able to collect information about users.
This information goes far beyond data on how customers spend; it must allow us to know them as individuals to adjust the products and services offered so that the interaction through each channel can show them exactly what they need.
This task, which encompasses channels with entirely different functions and characteristics, could be challenging to accomplish if the technological tools to do so did not exist. This is where what some experts call Omni platform strategies come into play.
Omniplatforms: the next step for any omnichannel strategy
An Omni platform strategy starts with creating a technological infrastructure that allows integrating all channels in one place. There, both physical and digital media form a unified vision that helps orchestrate an organization's actions.
A platform that centralizes all the channels of a company allows, for example, to visualize and make decisions that take into account inventory, business rules, logistics, operation, pricing, content, transactions, and databases.
Tools of this type require enormous computational power, as they require large amounts of data and functionalities based on technology such as Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning. For this reason, they are only possible thanks to cloud services, integrations, microservices, or headless technologies, all complemented by the best talent and an organizational culture committed to agile methodologies.
Omniplatforms: the next step for any omnichannel strategy
An Omni platform strategy starts with creating a technological infrastructure that allows integrating all channels in one place. There, both physical and digital media form a unified vision that helps orchestrate an organization's actions.
A platform that centralizes all the channels of a company allows, for example, to visualize and make decisions that take into account inventory, business rules, logistics, operation, pricing, content, transactions, and databases.
Tools of this type require enormous computational power, as they require large amounts of data and functionalities based on technology such as Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning. For this reason, they are only possible thanks to cloud services, integrations, microservices, or headless technologies, all complemented by the best talent and an organizational culture committed to agile methodologies.
Six actions to start on the road to omnichannel
Here are some recommendations that you can take into account to ensure that all your channels work together harmoniously
Try to be well accompanied:
Find allies, partners, suppliers, and internal team with experience in technology and good implementation practices.
Create a culture around your strategy:
Every organization component must understand and be committed to the goal of omnichannel. All teams must be on the same page for this type of strategy to be structural, impact the entire organization and, consequently, be successful.
Strengthen your sales and digital presence:
It is as simple as understanding that the digital experience of a business does not compete with its physical experience. On the contrary, they should complement each other. Suppose sales in digital channels are still low compared to physical sales. In that case, digital channels must be strengthened so that, shortly, users will see the integration of these two worlds through omnichannel as a natural evolution of what the company was already proposing.
Harness the power of technology:
Omnichannel requires computing power that can be expensive if supported by on-premises servers. For this reason, businesses interested in such a strategy should leverage technology and cloud services.
Don't lose sight of the user experience:
In any business, customers are the most critical thing, and generating experiences that exceed their expectations, frictionless, fast, and easy to manage is crucial. Today, a company's customers are not simply users of an e-commerce site or your store. They are people who interact across all channels, and companies must empathize with their needs and keep them at the center of everything they do.
Unlock the possibilities of data:
The real power of omnichannel is in the data. If a company can get all its channels to pull data from users, it can get to know them better. This improves their view of them, allows organizations to become "data-driven," and enables them to make decisions that precisely match the audience's needs.
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