What is Omnichannel? Definition of Omnichannel, Omnichannel Meaning and Concept

Omnichannel is a commercial strategy for integrating sales and communication channels, with the aim of delivering a better customer experience.

Omnichannel is an improvement on multichannel.

The emergence of new information channels, through the digital channel, companies began to use them in their favor, issuing information to consumers about their products. This is known as multi-channel, where the business delivers and the customer receives.

The problem with multichannel is that these channels act independently, not knowing what happens in each one and how the customer uses it.

Channel Integration

Omnichannel solves this aspect, interconnecting all channels, both communication and sales.

All with the aim that the customer receives consistent and uniform information in each channel and at the time of executing the purchase action, this is a consequence of the information received through all those channels. Channels that, together, guided the customer to learn about the product, its benefits, discounts, payment methods and where they could buy it. In short, drive it through the sales funnel.

The integration of the channels allows articulating more aspects than just those of marketing and sales. This includes inventory, logistics and financial information, if the purchase is made with credit cards.

Example of omnichannel

Suppose you are thinking of buying a new computer and you search Google with the word “notebook” or “laptop”.

Immediately the omnichannel strategy of the companies that offer this product begins to unfold and you receive information about notebooks and laptops in Facebook ads. Then you see the same offer in an email, but in addition, this email leads you to the virtual catalog website, where the same information appears as on facebook and google.

In addition, you will find in its catalog the available discounts, shipping times and how many units are available.

The product interests you, but you decide to evaluate another alternative. Therefore, you save that page in an option enabled for that and wait a few days.

You receive an email reminding you that you have a pending product and after having searched the web for comments and references, they all agree that it is the best option. Therefore, you take that email that takes you back to the page where you saved the product and the new available units appear; before there were twenty and now only eight. You hurry, make the purchase and days later you receive it at home.

A few days go by and an email arrives congratulating your purchase and an option is enabled for you to indicate if you have received the product well or if you need something else.

You click the option to indicate that you have received your new laptop well and the company automatically takes you as a potential new client and you start receiving new offers on your Facebook page, onand in your email.

Omnichannel on multiplatforms

It is also important that the different digital interfaces are convenient for the customer, making their experience the best.

Sometimes it happens that a brand 's app does not have the same options as the web page and that affects the experience and possibility of purchase of a customer who is looking for instant and do everything from their mobile phone.

At the same time, if you want to see it later on the web page and it is very difficult for you to filter and find the same information as on your phone, you will also feel frustrated in your purchase process.

channel efficiency

The omnichannel approach seeks to make commercial management as efficient as possible and to do so takes advantage of all the tools that each platform provides. The digital from the computer and mobile phone, the brochures with offers and discounts, television advertising that must have the same promotions as the internet and the terms and conditions that are advertised, with which the customer finds in the store.

All this must be consistent, because if this does not happen, the image of the brand may suffer declines due to the bad experiences of many people for not having found what was offered by a different channel at the time of purchase.