Marketplacer

One of the biggest challenges that re­tailers face is how to get their var­ious sales and marketing channels working in cohesion. Or in indus­try jargon: turning multi-channel into a seamless omni-channel experience for the consumer.

There is no one-size-fits-all solution to this problem because each and every retailer has its own variables and factors to consid­er. However, the end result should always be about creating a better experience for your customer.

Consider the multi-channel options avail­able to even the smallest of retailers and you quickly get a sense of how difficult it can be to get omni-channel right. As a small retailer, for example, you’re possibly juggling a bricks and mortar store, standalone ecommerce web store, an online marketplace store, an app, plus social media channels such as Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest.

Now take these channels and think about how they work across multiple devices includ­ing PC, laptop and smartphone, and how these channels might factor into the experience of shopping in store. Then also consider things like payments technologies and supply chain logistics. It can be quite a puzzle.

“Consider the multi-channel options available to even the smallest of retailers and you quickly get a sense of how difficult it can be to get omni-channel right”

Taking your retail offering and making it work across all these channels requires a strategic plan involving IT, marketing, sales, customer service and back end functions all being on the same page and knowing what each function is doing and how that affects the overall experience.

As a starting point, this involves mapping out entry and exit points for customer journeys across each channel and crossover points where customers move between channels, devices or modes (e.g., from online marketplace to in-store engagement).

Laying out the architec­ture of your various channels and mapping customer jour­neys and potential routes will allow you to identify roadblocks and deviations that hinder your customer’s omni-channel experience.

Some of these issues might revolve around things like software inte­gration, while others might be simple brand messaging hiccups. But by breaking your overall architecture down you’ll be able to start adjust­ing and rectifying problem areas.

Again, from a resource perspective, this should be an easier ask for bigger retailers, but keep in mind that bigger retailers could also be committed to a greater number of channels at more complex levels of integration. Smaller retailers usually have fewer resources at their disposal, which means they should focus more tightly on integrating key channels before opening new channels that could lead to customer dissatisfaction due to poor execution and integration.

A few years ago one of the big concerns for some bricks and mortar retailers was ‘show rooming’: shoppers coming into their store, maybe trying on an item of clothing, and then checking for cheaper options online. This is an everyday example of the omni-channel puzzle.

The stores that were mainly worried by ‘show rooming’ were usu­ally the ones that had done the least in terms of being prepared for the challenge of online competitors. One Brisbane store even went as far as charging customers a$5 ‘just looking’ fee!

Of course rather than going on the defensive, retailers like this have to think about what their customers want from them and how they can deliver in the new retail environment in which customers expect an omni-channel experience. Integration issues be­tween online and offline will continue to arise for retailers as will integration of new channels and new devices (which will proliferate as we see the Internet of Things ecosystem and virtual reality tech grow and mainstream).

The challenge to give customers an omni-channel ex­perience is ongoing. Retailers need to understand and an­ticipate how their customers want to shop and then build and refine an omni-channel architecture that meets their customers’ demands.

Marketplacer is the leading technology and business platform used globally by people who want to create successful marketplaces. Established in the year 2007, the company is now operating from South Melbourne, Australia.