Omnichannel retail strategy is a retail and marketing approach that aims to unify your customer’s experience across all of your brand’s touch points, both online and offline.

Even though the definition is straightforward, implementing a successful omnichannel strategy could be challenging.

A moderate increase in customer experience generates an average revenue increase of 33% over three years. So, how can you improve your customer experience by improving your omnichannel retail strategy?

Our team put together 7 tips to improve your omnichannel retail strategy.:

• 1. Segment and target your customers

• 2. Identify new channels and touchpoints for your omnichannel strategy

• 3. Map the customer journey for each omnichannel journey

• 4. Provide unified omnichannel support

• 5. Integrate technology for a reliable omnichannel strategy

• 6. Analyze data and test

• 7. Ensure your customer’s journey to the last-mile

1. Segment and target your customers

Start by understanding your customers better. Then, use the data you already have to separate your customers into distinct target segments. Your segmentation should be based on your business and products. Some examples are segmentation based on characteristics, language, age, region, or user personas.

Segmentation of your target market will help you better understand and deliver the experience that your customers are looking for and expecting. It can also help you understand your data better and look for more in-depth information as your understanding of your consumer behavior grows. Finally, market segmentation will also help you anticipate and adapt to different markets and consumer trends across your different channels.

2. Identify new channels and touchpoints for your omnichannel strategy

An essential step of implementing an omnichannel strategy is identifying and unifying your sales channels and touchpoints with your customers. Touchpoints could be brick-and-mortar stores, websites, and social media among others.

However, identifying the points is not a task that can be done but rather an ongoing process. While trends keep shifting, new touchpoints and expectations will pop up in your customer’s journey. 

Your omnichannel strategy must stay relevant to the market. Hence, you must monitor the market continuously, find (or even start) trends, and find and optimize potential touchpoints.

Monitoring the market and finding & optimizing new channels and touchpoints helps you maximize your use of touchpoints by ensuring your customer still realizes your brand identity upon any touchpoint they might face.

3. Map the customer journey for each omnichannel journey

As Omnichannel strategy depends on sharing an identical journey throughout different channels and touchpoints, you need to visualize your customer journey.

By identifying your customer journey and mapping it down, you will be able to look for different meeting points, bottlenecks, and existing and potential touchpoints throughout the journey.

Make sure your journey aligns with your strategy and brand identity, segment journeys based on personas and/or channels. Afterward, find out how each channel stands out on its own, and where your channels meet. This will help you identify bottlenecks and make your customer’s journey more pleasant and user-friendly.

4. Provide unified omnichannel support

7 out of 10 consumers say they’ve spent more money to do business with a company that delivers excellent customer service. On the other hand, more than 90% of shoppers would not shop with a retailer again if they provided lousy customer service.

So, how can you be ready to support your customers throughout different stages of their omnichannel journey?

You need to set up a team of support professionals with proper training and guidelines. You can also analyze your data to identify the repetitive obstacles and bottlenecks your customer faces along the omnichannel journey and provide solutions. It is also essential to make it easy for customers to reach you by creating multiple support channels throughout different touchpoints. 

In larger companies, customer support can be segmented into different segments in charge of different products, services, or enterprises.

At Packaly, we take pride in our support team. In 2020, our team received an almost 99% positive feedback and maintained an average response time of less than 1.3 minutes.

5. Integrate technology for a reliable omnichannel strategy

Managing different channels is challenging on its own. Unifying these channels for an omnichannel strategy could prove very challenging. So, how can we skip this obstacle? Well, like most challenges we face today, we solve them with technology.

To be able to integrate your channels, you need to integrate your technology. You need to look for technology, tools, software, and apps that can be adaptable across different channels, including your back office. 

Such tools could be Enterprise resource planning (ERP) or a Customer Relationship Management software (CSR). But, most importantly, a reliable Order Management System (OMS), to be able to reach your customers and process their orders across all channels and have the technology for reliable last-mile solutions. Read our article about last-mile challenges and solutions.

By having good technology to support your strategy, you will not only unify the experience, but you will be able to have unified interfaces in the back office. Inventory management, data collection & analysis, and happy customers are some of the many benefits of adequately integrated technology.

Check out Packaly’s different integrations for a sustainable last-mile journey, or learn how to integrate your Wix or Shopify store directly into Packaly’s express and same-day delivery services.

6. Analyze data and test

Through the different touchpoints, you should be able to access various information about your consumer behavior, such as the device they use, or the language of their browser. It could also tell you if your customer is new or returning one, the time they spend on the page, and many others.

42% of shoppers prefer retailers who remember their shopping behavior and preferences. By analyzing your data, you will be able to pinpoint bottlenecks, difficulties, trends, repetitive behavior, challenges, and many more. The amount of information that can be understood from the data you have is massive. But what good is the information if you will not act on it?

“Trial and error” is one of the most popular methods to test your data analysis results. Are your customers abandoning their carts often? Maybe you can try and optimize your shipping options. Do you have to return customers that do not convert? Try a new call to action.

This is not only important to resolve current issues, but the results could also identify opportunities to capitalize on and threats to avoid. Going back to all the previous tips, we can see some of the benefits of good data analysis. 

Benefits include identifying new touchpoints with your customers, mapping their journey, and understanding how well your technology works for you.

7. Ensure your customer’s journey to the last-mile

Last-mile delivery refers to the journey of the goods sold and delivered, starting from the shop or warehouse, where the parcel is picked up, to the doorstep of the customer’s address. 

Even though 59% of consumers say that they buy more frequently from retailers that offer fast, easy, and transparent delivery during the pandemic, countries such as the Netherlands, Germany, and the UK have scored -13, -13, 0, on the Net Promoter Score (NPS) for delivery service. 

By offering reliable last-mile delivery, you will be able to gain a noticeable competitive advantage in the market. However, Last-mile delivery does not come without its challenges. So, how can you solve these challenges? The answer is simple.

Packaly’s last-mile solutions for omnichannel local deliveries

Packaly is a CO2-neutral last-mile delivery provider that offers reliable, fast, and user-friendly services. With our express, and same-day or next-day delivery services, you will be able to target the 55% of customers that say having more than one delivery option will boost their purchasing chances.

With Packaly, you will also be able to keep up with several eCommerce and market trends in your last mile. Sustainability being on top of customers’ concerns. With more than 80% of shoppers say it is important when making a purchase, it is vital that you offer your customers what they need.

On top of sustainability and speed, our plug & play Delivery Dashboard provides you with a unified interface for different touchpoints and can be easily connected to different technologies.

It only takes minutes for you to sign up to Packaly’s Delivery Dashboard and start reaching your local customers and boosting your omnichannel strategy.