What is omnichannel marketing?

Omnichannel marketing is a cross-channel sales/marketing strategy that unites content delivery and shopping experiences across different channels, in line with each stage of the buying journey. For customers, an omnichannel approach ensures an integrated and personalised shopping experience  – whether this is in store, via desktop or mobile. This customer experience-centric strategy focuses on forging a positive relationship between customer and brand and promoting products in a way that best suits the customer.

Using this method, a customer could find a product online using their computer and then use their mobile to find the exact location of the product within a store. This improves both the speed and simplicity of their buying experience and means they have a positive experience that suits them. Someone else, on the other hand, might want to ring to check whether a product is in stock, then order direct delivery from the store to their home address.

Here’s an example of how omnichannel marketing is used to encourage customers to make a purchase:

Example customer journey

1. A customer clicks on an Instagram advert because they like the product on display
2. The advert takes the customer to that specific product page on the retail website, displaying more details and images
3. The customer adds the item to their basket and considers checking out, but closes the web page before checking out
4. The customer receives an email a couple of days later asking if they want to complete the purchase and receive 15% off their first order
5. The customer is convinced to purchase the product with the first-time buyer discount
6. The customer receives future adverts when browsing online, displaying products that they may like and encouraging them to buy something different.

The difference between omnichannel marketing and multichannel marketing
Multichannel marketing is a term used to describe sharing information about your brand, product or services through multiple channels. If you have an e-commerce store, each channel in a multichannel strategy is considered as an independent purchase opportunity. It’s worth noting that multichannel puts the brand at the core of marketing activity. This strategy usually results in increased engagement from customers, rather than purchases.
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On the flipside, omnichannel marketing puts the customer at the core of marketing activity and ensures that that the customer experience is unified and consistent through all channels and content. This integrated strategy ultimately results in conversions.

The rise in omnichannel marketing
As consumers increasingly desire personalisation and consistency, omnichannel marketing is ever-growing in popularity. The unison between on and offline means offers, pricing strategies and familiarity are expected as standard to gain trust – whether customers are physically in the store or shopping on mobile devices. Google has confirmed that about 85% of online shoppers start a purchase on one device and finish on another.