Today’s customer is omnichannel

It could be said that almost everyone is an omnichannel customer, from teenagers to the elderly, since all are present to a greater or lesser extent in the world of digital shopping. In fact, this customer is multi-device and without schedules, since although many purchases are made in physical stores, consumers reach them through various channels: social networks, WhatsApp, email, telephone, etc. This new buyer behavior forces establishments to have more integrated services between their channels. Thus, omnichannel is an opportunity to grow the business and sell more.
But what exactly is omnichannel and how is it different from multichannel? To explain it, let’s first distinguish the context. The rise of new technologies in commerce has stimulated a path of incorporation into the new channels that have emerged by companies that did not want to be left behind. Traditional channels, such as physical stores or telephone, were joined by the creation of better developed websites, and these were followed by the appearance of social networks and mobile applications. If a brand uses each of these media in a way that they are all independent of each other, we would have a multichannel solution. Here the consumer faces a fragmented shopping experience when moving from one channel to another, since the relationship begins and ends in the same channel. On the other hand, omnichannel goes further, since it makes the consumer experience totally different. In this situation, the customer interacts naturally through the various channels that the brand has, at any time and any day of the week. Mobile payment or contact centers coexist perfectly integrated with the physical store or the brand’s website. For example, a customer who begins a communication via social networks can continue with it via email and finish it in a physical store. All the information in this relationship must be up to date in order to provide a correct service, without errors or duplications. That is why it is necessary to coordinate all parties involved, so that the response to the customer is a single one, even if there are several areas of the company interacting behind it.
In short, the profile of today’s customer corresponds to that of a person who is increasingly demanding and more selective when it comes to purchasing and who is increasingly better at moving between online and offline channels. In addition, they are looking for a unique shopping experience with a personalized but non-invasive offer and 24/7 brand availability. All this, without neglecting the emotional nature and immediacy that this new consumer demands.