Understanding Omni-Channel Retailing

The philosophy of omni-channel retailing is about providing consistent, yet unique brand experiences across multiple customer touch points. For example, a brick-and-mortar storefront should be thinking not only about its appearance in person but also how that imagery and theme carry through in marketplaces, websites, mobile imaging, interactive catalogs, in-store displays, and social media. 

Customers are looking for and at your business in more than one way. About 7% of consumers are only looking online and 20% are only looking in-store while over 70% are looking at multiple channels before making a purchase. That is why having a fully integrated approach to commerce will provide shoppers with a unified experience across online and offline channels. True omni-channel retailing extends from physical locations to mobile browsing, e-commerce marketplaces to onsite storefronts, social media to retargeting, and everything in between. 

The ability to deliver a consistent experience across offline and online channels, while factoring in different devices that consumers are using will make your business more successful. You will see a higher return on investment the better you make your user’s experience. The omni-channel consumer journey uses information about one sales channel and invites consumers to participate in another which they might not have done otherwise. This aids in future brand recognition, a critical aspect of business success.