An Omnichannel Marketing Strategy

It wasn’t too long ago that I heard the term omnichannel marketing. This is certainly not a new concept, but it hasn’t quite registered in my world, yet. Curiosity got the best of me and I started researching what this term means and how it would ultimately benefit our clients at WebDevStudios.

First, let’s look at the definition. Marketing Evolution defines it as…

Omnichannel marketing is the integration and cooperation of the various channels organizations use to interact with consumers, with the goal of creating a consistent brand experience. This includes physical (e.g. stores) and digital channels (e.g. websites).

In other words, be everyone at one time.

Customer-Focused

The old way of doing this was simple multichannel marketing. Think of it this way, typically businesses would spend time advertising on various outlets with company being the focus. The message is consistent and doesn’t change based on the customer.

With an omnichannel marketing strategy, the customer becomes the focus. The message can be altered or adjusted to meet the customer or client wherever they are in their engagement journey.

Omnichannel Marketing Strategy

This strategy of tailoring messaging for the customer is proven to be more successful. Here’s why. According to the Omnichannel Marketing website, there is clearly higher engagement. They share the following:

• Higher engagement: Omnichannel marketing campaigns earn an 18.96% engagement rate. Those using single-channel campaigns see a 5.4% engagement rate.
• Higher purchase rate: Omnichannel marketing campaigns earn a 287% higher purchase rate than those depending on just one channel (12% versus 3.21%). Bonus: When you use SMS as one of the channels within an omnichannel marketing initiative, the conversion rate improves by 47.7%.
• Higher spend rate: Customers engaging with omnichannel campaigns spend, on average, 13% more than those engaging with single-channel campaigns.
• Higher customer loyalty: Marketers using omnichannel campaigns experience a 90% higher retention rate than those using single-channel campaigns.

DesignRush reports:

• Companies with strong omnichannel campaigns retain over 89% of their customers.
• Buying frequency is 250% higher on omnichannel vs single-channel marketing.
• Customer retention rates are 90% higher for omnichannel vs single channel.
• Omnichannel shoppers have a 30% higher lifetime value than those who shop using only one channel.

Omnichannel marketing starts or ends with your website.

Your current strategy may include different touch points with a customer during their journey and experience with your business, other than your website. You may employ a CRM, like Hubspot or Salesforce, or email marketing through Constant Contact or MailChimp, for example. Social media could also be one of the ways your reach your clients.

The right web design and development agency, such as WebDevStudios, can bring all of these marketing channels together in one digital experience. Creating a digital experience that embraces and supports your omnichannel marketing strategy is really the proper way to think about customer engagement.

This leads me to the importance of a CRM. Are you using one for your customers, clients, or users? Think of this as a giant hub of information and insight for each client.

I often think of that scene from “The Office” where Michael talks about his index cards for each client. While the premise of the scene was funny, the message was important.

The nuances and characteristics of your clients can tell you a beautiful story. When thinking through the lens of omnichannel marketing, it’s as if your user’s story is being read to you.

3 Things to Consider

• Go through the customer engagement process yourself. Visit your websites. Fill out a contact form. Make a purchase, etc. How does it feel? What improvements could you make?
• Talk to each department and understand their needs and challenges. How can they be addressed through either refinements or customer data?
• Think of each piece of your omnichannel marketing strategy. Do they satisfy your customers’ wants or needs, not just to advertise?
• Make sure you convey clear calls to actions.
• Test and retest. Analyze the date and adjust when and where needed.

Get help.

When in doubt, enlist the expertise of a creative agency and/or a web development agency to put all these pieces together for you. Having experts work with you will ensure your success.

At WebDevStudios, we are well-experienced in developing web platforms that reinforce your omnichannel marketing efforts. Contact us and let’s chat. Creating the proper digital experience for your omnichannel marketing strategy will show your customers that you are there to assist them and make their experience complete.

Try this TED Talk.

If you are interested in learning more, this is a great TED Talk to check out. Illustrating his thoughts with inspiring example from some of today’s largest retail players, Kilian Wagner, CEO of a very innovative Swiss start-up, gives insight on his retail strategy and on how omnichannelling might just be the quiet revolution we have all been waiting for.