Creating a Seamless Customer Journey: Merging In-store and Online Experiences
Consumers shop on more devices than ever before which means marketers must find ways to reach them at every touchpoint. Between mobile, desktop, and in-store, marketers must deliver a seamless customer journey that merges all stages of the buying experience writes, Lynne Capozzi, CMO, Acquia
According to the National Retail Federation and Forrester’s annual “State of Retailing Online Study,” traditional brick-and-mortar and online shopping are increasingly connected as customers demand to easily shop across all touchpoints. With the need to offer a unified omnichannel experience, brands are adopting both platforms to better serve their customers. While this research shows retailers are focused on using technology to improve the in-store experience, 89 percent of retailers also plan to increase investments in mobile initiatives to keep up with growing mobile sales.
It’s critical to reach consumers at every possible touchpoint – mobile, desktop, in-store and more. It’s possible to even buy movie tickets directly from Instagram now — meaning, brands need to be prepared to engage customers, wherever they are. Because customer information is increasingly stored across a variety of databases specific to their individual journey, marketers should embrace technology to connect disparate systems and achieve a cohesive view of the customer identity. These insights help businesses collect information and act at the right times, improving customer communications and therefore driving brand loyalty.
Digital and physical integration sees real-life success
Consider how retailers like Walmart are increasingly adding in-store pickup options in addition to their e-commerce delivery options:
- This retail behemoth is rapidly expanding its use of pickup towers after receiving positive responses from customers
- It is even adding new pickup lockers to stores so customers can easily retrieve online orders of bigger items, like televisions
- The pickup kiosks are fully tech-enabled, ensuring shoppers can get in and out as quickly as possible
With these advancements, Walmart is putting the customer at the top of its priority list. This is just another sign of the retailer’s transformation as it strives to deliver a superior customer experience across all channels. As the industry sees more disruption, the retailers who learn to blend the physical and digital to create a holistic experience for the shopper will thrive.
Like Walmart, Amazon is making strides as it continues to lead the e-commerce landscape with in-car trunk delivery. Plus, it’s beginning to offer special Whole Foods promotions to Prime members, including discounts on already marked-down goods, free delivery and cash back rewards in-store. This shows just how smart the brand is at creating a world where customers can have all their needs quickly and conveniently met – regardless of where they are. Merging the online Prime experience and the Whole Foods store experience is yet another example of the success that can be seen by combining in-store and online experiences.
Overcoming disparate data challenges
In most organizations, different roles work in disconnected silos. For example, the customer care team may work on a website while the social media team runs the brand’s Instagram channel. If both receive customer inquiries from the same person about when an item will be back in stock, only one needs to reply. Once the item is back in stock, just one department needs to let the customer know. But if these systems are not connected, both teams will reach out (or perhaps even share competing for information if one has the update sooner than the other) and the brand will appear uncoordinated. As a shopper yourself, you’ve probably experienced lack of coordination a time or two. It’s up to marketers to help consumers avoid this frustration and create a unified customer journey. It’s simple – organizations should ensure that the technology used and the data collected by each department talk to each other.
The mandate for orchestrated customer journeys
A siloed digital platform can prevent marketers from accessing the most timely and accurate insights about their customers, and hold them back from taking the next best action. With customer journey mapping and orchestration tools, organizations can:
- Orchestrate customer journeys across the web, email, mobile, social and other touchpoints
- Integrate their marketing technology and data to driver greater customer engagement, conversion, and growth
With these tools – whether customers are physically walking the aisles or shopping on mobile devices – brands can deliver exactly what shoppers need at the exact moment of their journey. These technologies help make customer connections in real time.
If brick and mortar retail was dying, why would Walmart, Amazon and others be embracing physical channels? Retailers have to stay dynamic. Only those that keep up with shoppers’ expectations can be successful. Shoppers want convenience, consistency, personalization, and value. By eliminating data siloes, connecting disparate technologies and mapping the customer journey across touchpoints to do just this, retailers can successfully blend digital and physical experiences, encouraging customers to come back for more.
