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Create the ultimate buyer’s journey

Today’s everyday life is fast-paced and saturated with technology. You get up and check your email before leaving your bed, check the weather before leaving the house and check traffic before attempting your morning commute. This technology works together to make your daily routine more efficient and enjoyable. We rely on these everyday conveniences and have become accustomed to a lifestyle that provides them.

As consumers, we expect the same ease to come with the buyer’s journey. A potential consumer wants to choose how they interact with a company while having many options to choose from. To create an omnichannel experience you must look at different aspects of the buyer’s journey and improve upon them accordingly. The omnichannel experience is what consumers now insist on and seek out even if they don’t know they’re doing it. Learning how to optimize your company’s omnichannel strategy is essential to stand out from the competition.

Start internal

Creating the omnichannel experience starts internally. The modern consumer will use many different resources before making a final purchase. They should be able to move through each step of the buyer’s journey across all platforms, smoothly and with ease.

This means departments must collaborate amongst each other by sharing ideas and goals. Creating divides by planning isolated solutions does not bode well for the omnichannel strategy.

Whether it’s a cohesive marketing campaign between those working in eCommerce and brick and mortar or the simple sharing of data between marketing and sales, keeping open communication is key.

Cohesive omnichannel marketing strategies

Your advertising and marketing efforts must sync across all channels.

For example, if a coupon is offered on your mobile app to be used in store, make sure that employees know how to reach this coupon manually if things go wrong.

Always keep in mind your target audience’s buyer persona and be sure to offer them marketing material they engage with. Millennials won’t find direct mail catalogs as appealing as a Baby Boomer might. It’s imperative to know your consumer and how they choose to consume media.

Multiple routes to purchase

The possibility that a customer will use mobile, online and in-store resources to purchase one product is high. Offering multiple routes to a purchase will give them the power to choose their preferred method.

Starbucks is known for their omnichannel approach. Their mobile app allows users to pay for their coffee and pastries straight from their phone, giving them a choice between traditional cash or credit, or paying via app. Continuous app purchases rack up points and unlock promotions for discounted merchandise, making the app appealing to download.

Customers also have the option to pre-order a drink before they enter the store, this gives them the most efficient route to purchase. Starbucks’ omnichannel strategy is a great example of creating an experience with options that will keep consumers coming back.

The personalized experience

The average consumer has access to vast amounts of information at their fingertips; researching and garnering information on their product of interest is inevitable. The customer experience should be personalized by going one step further and tailoring it to a specific consumer. Make your interactions personal by tracking your customers purchase history across all channels to keep a record of their preferences. Utilize this data to:

• Send out reminder emails on sales promotions with products that suit their needs
• Personalize emails that address them by name and contain a message you know they will find useful
• Offer suggestions on different products or services they would find appealing on your mobile app or website
• Create ebooks and blog posts that cater to target audience’s interests

The benefits of retargeting are obvious, increased business among an already existing client base. By bringing retargeting efforts across channels you are expanding your reach and hitting your audience wherever they frequent most.
Read more on real life examples of companies who have perfected their omnichannel strategy.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row type=”in_container” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” overlay_strength=”0.3″][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ width=”1/1″][vc_raw_js]JTNDc2NyaXB0JTIwdHlwZSUzRCUyMnRleHQlMkZqYXZhc2NyaXB0JTIyJTNFJTBBJTBBd2luZG93Lm9uYmx1ciUyMCUzRCUyMGZ1bmN0aW9uJTIwJTI4JTI5JTIwJTdCJTBBJTIwZG9jdW1lbnQuX3RpdGxlJTIwJTNEJTIwZG9jdW1lbnQudGl0bGUlM0IlMEElMjBkb2N1bWVudC50aXRsZSUyMCUzRCUyMCUyMkRvbiUyN3QlMjBmb3JnZXQlMjB0byUyMHJlYWQlMjB0aGlzLi4uJTIyJTNCJTBBJTBBJTIwJTdEJTBBJTBBd2luZG93Lm9uZm9jdXMlMjAlM0QlMjBmdW5jdGlvbiUyMCUyOCUyOSUyMCU3QiUwQSUyMGRvY3VtZW50LnRpdGxlJTIwJTNEJTIwZG9jdW1lbnQuX3RpdGxlJTNCJTBBJTBBJTBBJTIwJTdEJTNDJTJGc2NyaXB0JTNF[/vc_raw_js][/vc_column][/vc_row]