Definition: Omnichannel

What is omnichannel?

Omnichannel is a strategy or approach in which a business seeks to provide a seamless and integrated customer experience across multiple channels or touchpoints. This means that customers can interact with the business through various channels, such as online, in-store, or via mobile devices, and receive a consistent and personalized experience across all of these channels and throughout their entire shopping journey.

Is omnichannel marketing important?

In research done by New Epsilon, 80% of respondents indicated they are more likely to do business with a company if it offers personalized experiences. To deliver such customized shopping experiences and win over customers, brands must adopt a robust omnichannel marketing strategy that seamlessly integrates multiple channels and touchpoints, harnesses the power of customer data analysis, and leverages advanced personalization techniques.

Here are a few more statistics that highlight the necessity for brands to implement an omnichannel marketing strategy:

71% of consumers expect companies to deliver personalized interactions, and 76% get frustrated when this doesn’t happen. (Source: McKinsey)
56% of consumers expect offers to always be personalized. (Source: Shopify)
45% of consumers say they’re likely to take their business elsewhere if brands fail to offer a personalized experience. (Source: Segment)
80% of consumers who classify themselves as frequent shoppers say they only shop with brands that personalize their experience. (Source: SmarterHQ)

Is omnichannel the same as multichannel?

When it comes to customer experience, multichannel and omnichannel strategies may share some similarities, but they have distinct differences.

Multichannel marketing simply establishes a presence on multiple channels to connect with customers, like websites, social media platforms, mobile apps, physical stores, and others. However, due to the disconnected nature of these channels, there is no consistency in the overall shopping experience, and customers may receive marketing messages that are not tailored and relevant to them.

On the other hand, omnichannel marketing takes the concept of multichannel a step further by focusing on delivering a seamless and personalized customer journey, regardless of the chosen channel or device. It focuses on providing customers with relevant and consistent messages or offerings throughout their entire shopping experience, ensuring a cohesive brand presence across all touchpoints.