Omnichannel vs. Multichannel in eCommerce?
Anyone who has already dealt extensively with eCommerce has probably encountered the terms multi- and omnichannel several times. But what exactly do multi- and omnichannel mean in the context of eCommerce? This article aims to provide a better understanding and help retailers and manufacturers prepare for a cross-channel sales strategy.
What does “Omnichannel” mean?
Omnichannel generally describes the simultaneous use of two or more channels, such as using a mobile device while shopping in a brick-and-mortar store. The term is also used to describe the consistency and interplay of different channels. This means that a customer’s data, configurations, or settings stored on one channel are saved and applied to all other channels simultaneously. In summary, “omnichannel” in eCommerce describes the integration of all physical (offline) and digital (online) channels to provide the customer with a seamless and consistent experience.
In contrast, multichannel describes a retailer offering its products on several different (sales) channels. These channels can be organized independently of each other, but don’t have to be. If a retailer or manufacturer offers its products directly in its online shop and also offers parts of them simultaneously on Instagram or Amazon, this is referred to as a digital multichannel offering.
Advantages of multichannel for digital commerce
With customers’ increasingly fragmented and digital media usage, it’s no secret that a digital footprint and thus the presentation of your own products on the internet is worthwhile. The easiest and most efficient way to ensure a presence is through your own online shop. This can stand alone or be integrated into an existing website. MyCOMMERCE offers you the ideal tool for this. In addition to setting up your own online shop, it is advisable, however, to use other channels such as Facebook, Google Shopping or Amazon with a large user base for your own offerings after a short time. MyCOMMERCE offers you the ideal platform for this, all from a single tool and without extensive prior knowledge. Multichannel is in the DNA of MyCOMMERCE, and simplicity and synchronization of the channels are particularly important to us. Laborious manual reconciliation of inventory is a thing of the past; with MyCOMMERCE you can focus entirely on the customer relationship and avoid wasting time unnecessary time on administrative reconciliation.
Find out which channels are suitable for which products and where you can best reach or complement your customers.
Offline and online – the best shopping experience
RoPo (research online, purchase offline) is one of the most popular shopping behaviors among customers and is increasingly being practiced in Switzerland as well. Brick-and-mortar retailers, i.e., local, regional, or national retailers, are more than ever in demand to promote their offerings online outside of the physical storefront and, of course, to sell directly where possible. To ensure a seamless offline and online customer experience and efficient work for retailers, two things must be considered.
- The overall appearance and the individual products should be presented and displayed in a familiar way. Don’t underestimate the importance of high-quality images and logical categorization of your products, even in digital channels. Just as in a retail store, product presentation is also crucial in the online shop.
- It is recommended for brick-and-mortar retailers to use a modern digital POS system to create the necessary technical prerequisites for automatic product reconciliation with digital channels.
The latter also represents a significant workload reduction for retailers and manufacturers who want to sell their products both online and offline through a larger or growing network of stores. Duplicate sales and incorrect inventory can cause significant customer dissatisfaction. With MyCOMMERCE Professional, you can easily link selected POS systems with your eCommerce inventory. We are working on making additional providers available as soon as possible.
You can find more information about creating an online shop here.
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