It’s no secret that today’s consumers are more savvy and demanding than ever before. They expect nothing less than the best customer experience – a seamless one that provides them with what they need when they need it, and in the way they want it. The question is: how do you provide an omnichannel customer experience?
In this article, we will explore exactly what omnichannel means for your business, why providing an exceptional omnichannel customer experience is so important to your company’s success, and finally, how you can get started on delivering just such an experience.
What is an omnichannel customer experience?
An omnichannel customer experience is when customers can interact with your business across multiple channels. This means that they can go from one customer channel to another as part of one seamless customer journey.
Why is it important?
The omnichannel customer experience is important for several reasons. It is more convenient for the consumer, provides them with what they need when they need it, and in the way they want it.
70% of global customers prefer brands that provide service across multiple channels
Customers have changed and their expectations from you have too. In fact, 47% of them expect a better experience than they had two years ago.
Customers today are digitally informed and driven by convenience. They expect smooth engagement on their terms and channels of their choice. If you don’t want to lose them, you better deliver.
How does an omnichannel experience create more valuable customers?
1. Personal experience – Not only can customers interact with your business through their favorite method (they can shop online or in-store, they can get in touch via phone or live chat), they can also use these methods simultaneously to meet their personal needs. This personalization improves the customer experience and increases the chance of a potential customer becoming a paying customer.
2. Loyalty – the improved customer experience achieved through an omnichannel interaction also boosts brand loyalty. Customers who connect with a brand through three or more channels are 90% more likely to buy from that brand again. Customers don’t like being frustrated – if they find a brand that gives them great customer service, they will stick with it, meaning one-time customers turn into repeat customers.
5 key factors for an exceptional omnichannel customer experience
- CONVENIENCE
At the end of the day, convenience is paramount when it comes to delivering a good customer experience. Customers are lazy. Think of ways to make it easier for people to buy a house from you. For example, find a way to save them time. As we are all creatures of habit, improving convenience will result in customers coming back for more.
- CONSISTENCY
It is important to be consistent when you are building a business. It may not seem like much, but it is the secret ingredient for making customers happy. A unified brand presence is critical for multi-channel experiences that people can rely on. However, this requires top-level attention because it’s easy to get wrong.
- RELEVANCE
People want to interact in real-time with businesses. They expect personalized interactions and the best service. A personal customer experience tailored to the individual provides a meaningful advantage over competing brands.
Data analytics can really boost the personalized experience. You can use data mining to autonomously tell you which offers to make to which customers with a full explanation as to why. By using predictive analytics, you can deliver custom-tailor messages to specifically meet your customers’ individual needs.
- EMPOWERMENT
Your workforce is the lifeblood of the company and your primary point of contact with customers. Employees can make the company, the service and the customer experience look fantastic—or not. When service suffers, the challenge isn’t in deciding how valuable your employees are, it’s determining why your employees aren’t executing the customer service strategy you’ve laid out.
Employee empowerment is a win-win proposition. Your customers enjoy the benefit of great service hence staying and becoming loyal customers. Your employees get better job satisfaction, engagement, and experience.
- AGILITY
The key to doing better is to ‘bring evolution inside and get the wheels of differentiation, selection, and amplification spinning within a company’s four walls.
Technological acceleration now means that capturing connected customers depends on the companies ability to take an agile approach.
Businesses must adapt to market changes and shifts in buyer behavior, as well as organize themselves for autonomous and agile teams, scalable and fluid processes, and systems that enable fast action when opportunities present themselves.
Key Takeaway
Having multiple channels to interact with customers is now the norm for businesses. Customers who interact with your business in more than one way are more likely to buy from you.
Reference: https://www.businessinsider.com/heres-why-omnichannel-consumers-are-more-valuable-2017-1?r=US&IR=T
https://www.contentstack.com/cms-guides/omnichannel-marketing-the-ultimate-guide/
https://www.mckinsey.com/business-functions/marketing-and-sales/our-insights/from-touchpoints-to-journeys-seeing-the-world-as-customers-do?fbclid=IwAR2iPx4djVYN3JCo5svIQEiHHOjps7gy6_YogpS-7V6X-aMLBoPWxyLL9Zk#
