As technology has developed, so have the opportunities to reach consumers beyond traditional e-commerce sites. Savvy businesses have increasingly stepped beyond multichannel strategies and are now employing omni channel retailing to maximize their chances to connect with potential customers.
But what is omnichannel retailing, and how can businesses use it to their advantage? This guide reveals how an omnichannel retail strategy can bolster a brand’s awareness by meeting consumers where they are.
ecomm marketing agency How does omnichannel retailing work?
While multichannel retailing brings products to consumers on e-commerce sites, omnichannel marketing brings a brand directly to the consumer, wherever they are. As the prefix “omni-” means “all,” omni channel retailing takes advantage of every possible channel available to help more consumers see a company’s offerings.2
When we say every, we mean every. Obviously, this results in a rather large scope for the types of retail marketing strategies that could be considered omnichannel. Some of the most evident and prolific, however, are seen in the integration of retail media ads into users’ online activities, including:
A customer receiving targeted ads on a streaming service
Products that users search for appearing on their social media feeds
Prompting users to download a mobile app to enhance their experience of a service
These kinds of approaches are prime examples of the type of all-encompassing customer experience that omnichannel retailing aims to create. Every omnichannel retailer seeks to make it simple for consumers to engage with, learn about and purchase from their brand via as many platforms as possible.
In essence, effective omnichannel marketing strategies seamlessly integrate a brand and its products and services into the consumer’s life.3 Where other retail strategies maximize budgets and efforts in a few key channels, omnichannel approaches rely on a brand’s persistent presence in all spaces to drive sales.
