Build an omnichannel e-commerce strategy

E-commerce and omnichannel marketing are here to stay, especially in our era, when everything can be done online.

As a consumer, have you gone to a brick-and-mortar store, phone in hand, logged onto the brand’s app, and got an offer you could cash in at the store? If so, then you’re used to the joys of omnichannel e-commerce.

And as a marketer, it wouldn’t be wise not to take advantage of everything omnichannel marketing can give you. According to data from Kayenre, marketers using three or more channels in campaigns have a purchase and engagement rate which is 250% higher than those using single-channel campaigns.

So, before you venture into picking out the best email marketing services, the hottest landing page builders for your campaigns, the best SEO tools, perhaps you should consider planning out a strategy.

Let’s see the basic steps you’ll need to take.

Your customer's needs
This will have to be the main point of focus, when it comes to marketing strategies in general. So, what is it that your customers want? And what kind of experience are you going to provide?

Your data will guide you through this, along with smart goals you’ll need to set right off the bat. Gathering user data can be a little bit of a hassle, but it’s one of the most important things you can do.

You need a more complete view of customer behavior across channels, as it can allow your business to ensure you do know your audience. It can allow you to personalize your omnichannel marketing campaigns to the point where you’ll be able to create segments so small, it’ll feel like one-on-one personalization.

This cannot happen without the use of an artificial intelligence (AI) tool, of course, but it’s more than worth it.

Your own content
Your content is what gives you a strong voice and a sense of identity, seeing as it is what reflects your brand’s core values. However, not all platforms support the content you’d like them to support and you cannot make one piece of content and spread it across channels. Not all platforms match all types of content.

For example, video content is perfect for social media platforms but not as good when it comes to a blog. Shareable content works perfectly for email marketing and social media, as, according to recent email marketing statistics for 2020, your subscribers are 3.9 times more likely to share your content in social media.

Make sure to create content for shoppable posts as well, seeing as they seem to convert quite well. Shoppable posts provide all the details needed-sizes, prices, everything-and create a seamless experience, exactly like omnichannel is supposed to work. 

If you run a blog as well, try using it to build a more human brand that your audience can relate to. Sephora is one of the brands that have used this feature to their advantage. Clicking on a product on the shoppable post takes you to the product, which can take you to the website, which can show you where this product is sold.

So, let’s assume you see a post like that as you’re walking down the street. You click on the post and by the time you actually enter a Sephora shop, you have the option of having completed a purchase and just pick up your products. This is exactly the seamless experience unanimous content can provide when we’re talking about omnichannel.
Conflicts between departments

If your departments don’t communicate with one another, then you simply can’t achieve a seamless omnichannel experience, despite your best social media and email marketing efforts.

Make sure that your inventory is accessible by all teams at all times. If you lack an item, the marketing team needs to know about it, and not create content about it. 

The support team needs to know about it to answer questions. And so on. Modify team goals in a way that will make sense, if you’re a team leader. Prioritize. Data is what will get you there.

Enhance in-store inventory if in-store purchases are higher. Invest in an inventory management system and create SKU numbers will be accessible to everyone. That way, your marketing team will know what posts need to be prioritized, what kind of email marketing strategy and social media strategy needs to be planned, even what kind of landing pages need to be created.

Similarly, your finance team will be in control of your profit and, ultimately, the offers you can issue and the revenue you can expect from those offers. Not to mention that everyone will be in the know, when it comes to managing the product or service throughout the channels.

Building an omnichannel marketing strategy is not difficult. Provided you’ve got all the right tools, you gather data and you study them. And if you already do that, just remember to always A/B test as well, for optimal results.

Téa Liarokapi is a content writer working for email marketing software company Moosend and an obsessive writer in general. In her free time, she tries to find new ways to stuff more books in her bookcase and content ideas-and cats-to play with.

 

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