Omnichannel Ecommerce: Brick-and-Mortar Not Required
Remote working, Zoom classes Zoom classrooms, and remote work - these experiences on the internet are now part of our daily lives. Humanity is now more connected than ever and finally seems to understand the potential of that. Doing things online doesn't feel "weird." The internet is considered normal. This is the case when it comes to retail. Enter the concept of omnichannel online shopping.
There is no need for a brick and mortar shopfront to run a successful enterprise. If you've got an excellent idea for a product or product, all you'll need is a good attitude and dedication to work, an ability to adapt as well as an internet connection.
What exactly is Omnichannel Ecommerce?
Omnichannel Ecommerce is a multi-pronged marketing strategy focused on delivering customers with a consistent experience regardless of whether the point of sale is via mobile devices either a laptop or a mobile device, or even a physical shop. This experience needs to be consistent across every channel including your store's online to Facebook Marketplace, Amazon, Etsy and many more.
People don't just shop in one place. Therefore, no matter where they go you must be there.
Although the goal of the selling is to achieve the of the line, it is also important think about what the consumer's journey is in order to make a purchase. How can you be a participant in that journey?
The Harvard Business Review reports that 73% of all customers use multiple channels during the purchase process. When a customer chooses to purchase something, there's a solid chance they've done a tremendous amount of study to make sure they're making the best possible choice.
Does your company not just provide the item your client wants as well as provide an understanding and context?
Focus on the entire customers' experience. It's not only adding something to their carts or make an order. You should instead consider: How do you make your business an information source as well as goods, products, or services? What can you do to achieve it everywhere you do business on the internet?
The more channels your customer uses, the more valuable the customer is to your company with an average of 23% more returns purchases and up to 13% more the average value of an order.
Omnichannel E-commerce is a way to do business.
What is the reason it's important that e-commerce retailers use channels other that their own?
Let's do an experiment. Check out your feed whenever you log on to social media. What kinds of stores and products are being presented to you?
The answer is probably way too many to count. The modern algorithms are so powerful that your feed might remind you of things you didn't realize you were looking for. You may not remember the time you browsed the most recent skincare trends waiting for a call from the doctor's office But your feed can. And it will let you know which brands are offering the most affordable prices in skincare products at the moment.
Imagine that your company is an aforementioned skincare firm. Perhaps you post an image to Facebook to a blog entry detailing the best products for skincare in 2023. A person who's interested could click on that link, take a look at the blog post and move on. However, later on, they might see an advertisement of your cream to treat eczema then click to buy it from Amazon. And the next time they want to purchase, perhaps they go to your website directly and then sign up to receive a monthly subscription.
That's three different channels a customer has accessed: Facebook, your website and Amazon. However, they're all linked in a unified ecommerce strategy.
Do you find it more difficult to implement an effective omnichannel plan without the luxury of a physical store?
There's a difference between yes and no. As we've outlined, the world lives online, so a retail location isn't required to offer customers purchasing options at a range of locations.
There are numerous benefits to having a physical space - even if it does cost a significant cost and commitment.
However, the main point to remember is it's not necessary to feel that having a location that isn't there does not mean you don't have an omnichannel focus. And if you do have a physical store that is paired with an online shop You shouldn't simply say it's a good day. There are many other places to meet your customers so you're available on the platform of their choice at the time they're ready for an order.
The advantages of having the benefit of having a storefront
There are a few distinct benefits to having a physical location. For example, you can communicate more intimately with your clients just by providing a place where they can interact with your employees and products.
If your store is at a place that has a lot of foot traffic You can convince people to visit and make a purchase. The ability to reach out physically when they are buying. It is possible to demonstrate your products and respond to questions right there and there.
Moreover, there's opportunity for marketing, such as on-site events or product demonstrations. Hosting an in-person reception is a fantastic opportunity to announce a brand new product.
However, this has simply been an option of the many options buyers can use to purchase. There are advantages to having the physical presence of a store, just like it is beneficial to have presence on another marketplace. The difference is that this option comes with some disadvantages as well as expenses.
The advantages of not having a retail location
In reality, there are numerous advantages to the absence ofhaving an actual retail store. There's no overhead cost of rent or utilities or many of the hassles which come with physical location. There's no need to worry with staffing or planning.
It is possible to narrow your search and budget to online channels that have already been proven. And, you can remain nimble so if something changes and you need to adjust quickly. A physical location is expensive and you can't usually pick up or move around on the go.
In short, we come back to our initial answer"yes and no!" Retail locations (or absence of it) can be both useful and troublesome for your strategy for omnichannel e-commerce. All it depends on is your products and audience.
Tips for an effective Omnichannel strategy
If you've figured out the importance of omnichannel ecommerce, let's look at some strategies that are effective. This isn't necessarily a step-by-step instruction, but more of a checklist to build the most effective omnichannel strategy possible.
Maintain your brand's image and voice consistent across all channels
Consider a company that is as famous as Coca-Cola. If it's a spot on TV that features Polar bears, vending machines at the rest stop on the highway or even a billboard at a diner, its glimmering white and red says that one thing: Coca-Cola.
Make a branding name and voice guideline for your business that includes details like specific colors fonts, logos, imagery as well as a the language. When your business grows and you're faced with millions of different things to think about, your future self will appreciate it.
Be careful when selecting the selling channels
There's an array of advertising channels which offer various types of targeted audience. It will take different strategies to find success, but you must choose the channels you can use for your particular business, and commit to giving each of them the respect the it deserves.
It is important to choose a few options to pursue, but don't be reluctant to reject those that truly don't fit your company or target audience.
Social shopping
Marketplaces
Tapping into a marketplace like Amazon also provides opportunities to access more options. Amazon's service called Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) can handle all of the processes that are involved in warehousing as well as shipping and customers with customer support for purchases.
Search
It's likely that you're putting in a significant amount of effort on search engine optimization. In a perfect world, when someone's looking for something that you offer the site you sell - - and only your site is likely to be listed in a flash.
But in reality, people typically conduct broad searches and navigating various options for the perfect fit. Google Shopping presents searchers with the options that is simple to read and contrast.
Ensure your site is mobile-friendly
While every individual and their dog as well as their dog has a smartphone, a shocking number of websites still don't prioritize having mobile compatibility.
Seriously. Over 50% of internet web traffic comes from mobile.
It's a shame to not cater for all those people! This is a quarter of the web!
Users expect a simple mobile experience on their mobile. Giving them this experience can be an instant advantage over some competitors and will improve people's perception of your brand.
Also, you should take a a look at your site across all devices including phones, desktops, and even tablets. Tools like BrowserStack can help you do this in a digital way, but without having users to be physically connected to any device.
Be sure images aren't cut off, buttons and links are easily clicked on or navigated to access, etc. Basically, you want the user experience to be stellar regardless of the device users are using in their hands.
Use customer journey mapping
A customer journey map represents how a person interacts with your product or company. It begins with the first time they begin interacting with your brand - for instance, through an Instagram ad, a blog article, or even an influencer. They then either make a purchase or cease to pay to your brand.
There are many reasons why the customer journey map is an important part of creating an omnichannel strategy for ecommerce. This allows you to:
- Learn to understand the time, place, and how customers engage with your business
- Identify investment opportunities for different marketing points
- Know the strengths and weaknesses of the purchase process
- Provide information for future marketing decisions
Customer journey mapping gives an understanding of your customer's preferences, the people who are purchasing your goods and the reasons they're buying from the brand you. This data is essential to continued success and growth within the world of online shopping and helps you plan the future strategies for omnichannel ecommerce.
Learn how to create a customer journey map.
Provide seamless customer service across all channels
Effective customer service is an investment in the future success of your company. Customers who are happy write glowing reviews, refer their friends to them to buy from them again, and even make repeat purchases. In addition, the positive vibe helps keep morale up. This is all part of a long-term strategy to ensure a healthy, happy company.
However, when selling through a variety of channels, it can be tricky to provide top-quality assistance to every client. It is essential to respond quickly to messages, questions, and refund requests on your site, third-party selling platforms as well as social media platforms, and more.
Enhance your checkout experience
Customers prefer certain marketplaces or platforms due to their familiarity and easy to use. Sometimes it's due to the fact that they don't need to go to another website or application. In other instances, it's due to the fact that the payment method they use is saved or their checkout procedure is extremely simple.
Creating a valuable omnichannel experience also means allowing users to choose the method of payment they prefer and keeping the process as simple as is possible.
You can boost conversions at checkout by doing a couple of factors:
Organize your email marketing into a single, smart tool
No matter where they purchased a product or learned about your business, if you have them on your list of email addresses it is possible to follow up with them. Invite them with welcome emails, reach out with special offers, or request reviews that will assist in making greater sales.
MailPoet will be a great tool for stores. You can build and customize email templates, create automated offers based on past purchasing history, or mail abandoned cart emails to recoup lost sales and many more. Like payments, MailPoet brings everything right to the WordPress dashboard. It's time-saving and a clever advertising tool via email.
Always review and update your omnichannel strategy
What are successful companies' traits in common? They're always striving on improving. There are many platforms that will not prove to work for you. Certain strategies that aren't working in other cases will an enormous benefit for your business. Do not be scared of changing and try not to be obsessed with particular item.
From there, explore the data available on your platform and learn the ways analytics tools function. It's a worthwhile investment for the future of your business.
And remember, long-term growth requires patience. Don't spend excessively comparing yourself to other vendors. It's ok to know what others are doing successfully, but then work to make your own improvements. Revision and improvement are constant and you'll get pretty good.
Omnichanneling without physical location
A good omnichannel ecommerce strategy requires no retail space. There's a wide range of different platforms that you could sell on, from your store up to Amazon, eBay, Etsy, Facebook, Google Shopping, and other.
Make sure you have an unifying presence on each selling channel. Make sure you connect to your clients, make sure that they feel appreciated, and put in the marketing work and you'll be on your way to an omnichannel approach to sales!