Over the years, ‘Omnichannel’ has become much more than just a popular buzzword thrown about by marketing enthusiasts. Today, a strong omnichannel marketing strategy can be the difference between your startup rising the ranks of stellar success, or becoming stale and stagnant.
In a nutshell, omnichannel can be described as a multi-channel approach to marketing, selling, and serving customers in a way that creates an integrated and cohesive customer experience at every touchpoint. It is the most effective way to strengthen your relationship with customers by ensuring they’re receiving a frictionless experience at all times, no matter how they choose to interact with a brand.
The leaders of today realise that if they want to be at the forefront of innovation and success, they need to offer a consistent experience to customers across multiple touchpoints. As a tech business, it’s time to truly understand the significance of omnichannel marketing and leverage it to create a unique experience for your customers.
An example of a company that is seriously showing how it’s done in the world of omnichannel is US technology company, Uber. The whole value proposition of this global conglomerate centres around taking control from the taxi driver and putting it into the rider’s (customers) hands. Instant and on-demand reservations ensure that the drivers work on your schedule. You can order an Uber to whatever destination you desire, at whatever time best suits you.
Once inside and strapped in, the service goes from digital to physical, with the option to interact with the driver. Throughout this, the power always remains in the driver’s hands; from choosing to either allow the driver to direct the route or tracking it on your phone and recommending alternative routes. Fancy jamming to your own tunes on the journey? No problem – simply link your Spotify to Uber’s radio. When it comes to settling the bill, no need to worry about having cash on you. All is sorted via automatic online payment via the app. As omnichannel matures, this truly is the epitome of the future experience customers will come to expect.
Let’s take a look at a few examples of why adopting an omnichannel marketing approach is essential for your tech business.
1. Gather better customer insights
When it comes to marketing, data really is the bread and butter. It allows you to better understand your customer’s behaviour and from this, make informed decisions on how to provide a better, more personalised experience which in turn, leads to higher conversion rates.
An omnichannel marketing approach will provide you with an extremely rich set of data. First, you can compile your data across multiple sources, including online search behaviour, user profiles and customer relationship management (CRM) software.
After uncovering these insights, you can then proceed to segment customers into groups and personas in order to better understand their path to purchase. Understanding where your prospects are in the marketing funnel will inform what messages you are communicating with them. And we all know that marketing success is all about sending potential customers the right messages at the right time.
2. Help retain your customers
So now you’ve managed to convert customers, next comes the part of getting them to stay instead of flocking to the countless competition nipping at your toes.
Studies have shown that those businesses providing customers with an omnichannel experience witness 90 percent higher customer retention than those which offer single-channel experiences. By using an omnichannel approach, you can provide a more personalised experience to your audience, re-engaging with them by sending relevant and timely messages.
On average, a customer needs between six to seven touchpoints to feel comfortable enough with a brand to make a purchase. This applies not only to first-time purchases but repeat ones too. By utilising multiple digital channels to reach out to your customers, you are likely to get higher success due to your brand being visible and over time, building trust.
3. Engage with customers in real-time
Today’s customers are becoming more and more demanding every day, and marketers are having to stay on their toes in order to keep up. With so much competition, the modern consumer won’t settle for anything less than having their needs fulfilled at the highest of standards.
Answering your customer’s queries in real-time is becoming increasingly important, and by failing to do this you risk losing a potential customer. This vital form of engagement is something that can easily be done through integrated chatbots and live chat. These simple features are a powerful tool for solving customer queries, creating a positive image of your brand, and adding in a valuable touchpoint.
An omnichannel future
Today’s tech market is only getting more crowded. In order to remain competitive and engage with your customers, embracing an omnichannel approach is a must. Modern marketing and having an omnichannel presence is the recipe for success in 2021 and beyond. For technology leaders, now is the time to invest in the right technology to pave the way for increased customer satisfaction, more conversions, and increased sales.
To find out more about how an omnichannel marketing strategy can help your tech business, reach out to HdE AGENCY today.