There are over 2 billion smart phone users in the world and about 56% of the world\u2019s population has access to the internet. More than 21% of the shoppers make their purchases online.\u00a0 In the first quarter itself of 2019, consumers have spent over $22 Billion on mobile applications. All these statistics show that the world is becoming a digitally-connected ecosystem, driving the need for solutions that will further fuel its growth.<\/p>\n
Ecommerce is becoming mainstream, and brick-and-mortar stores are going out of the picture. Or so everyone thought. The rise in the ecommerce sales has been attributed to be the reason for decline of physical retail stores. In reality, the reason for their decline is the inability of the traditional retailers to adapt and change with the evolving trends.<\/p>\n
A buyer\u2019s journey in the modern era involves a variety of technology-driven check points. With more resources at their disposal, modern buyers prefer to make an informed decision over relying simply on their gut.<\/p>\n
Omnichannel ecommerce is all about offering a seamlessly stitched shopping experience to the customers. In this digitally intertwined ecosystem, omnichannel makes it possible to deliver a unified, integrated, and tailored shopping experience to the customers by syncing all the touch points involved in a buyer\u2019s lifecycle. Omnichannel commerce is centrally driven by the requirement to offer the best experience to their customers and elongating a buyer\u2019s lifecycle through optimum retention tactics.<\/p>\n
On an average, a customer interacts and engages with a retailer through 5 different touchpoints, including both online and offline platforms. An ecommerce provider must ensure that all these touch points are effectively covered, in order to not create an inconvenient break in an otherwise smooth buying journey. Although, omnichannel does not simply mean using all the available channels. Doing so will only drive costs up without actually giving valuable returns. It is essential that the strategy is aligned with what the customer needs and serves that need in the most efficient manner.<\/p>\n
There are three critical reasons driving the need to include an omnichannel approach in an ecommerce strategy:<\/p>\n
1. Omnichannel shoppers tend to be more loyal<\/strong><\/p>\n In the bygone era, a customer-seller relationship ceased to exist outside a store. Today, with the plethora of options available, brands are able to be constantly in touch with a customer, assessing their purchase and consumption patterns, analyzing their shopping experience, promoting new offerings, informing them of updated stocks, and ultimately driving them to their next purchase and retaining them for a long period of time. When a seller imparts a smooth shopping experience in terms of scouting new items, payments, timely assistance on feedback, and quick delivery, the customer is more likely to reuse their services in the future as well and spread a positive word of mouth.<\/p>\n