According to a study, Companies with strong omnichannel customer engagement retain 89% of their customers, compared to 33% for companies with weak engagement. 

‍Omnichannel marketing for retail is about creating a seamless and consistent shopping experience across all customer touchpoints online, in-store and beyond. It ensures customers can effortlessly transition between platforms while staying engaged. By focusing on customer convenience and consistency, retailers can build stronger loyalty and boost sales.

• Email
• Social media
• Text messages
• Mobile apps
• Phone calls/voice interactions
• Online ads

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What is an Omnichannel Retail Strategy?

An omnichannel retail strategy focuses on providing a seamless and cohesive brand experience across various sales and communication channels, keeping the customer at the axis.

This strategy focuses on synchronizing online and in-store operations, such as:- 

1. Integrating inventories, 
2. Offering services like Buy Online, Pick Up in Store (BOPIS) and, 
3. Utilizing Customer Relationship Management (CRM) tools to track interactions across all platforms.

The goal is to engage customers by delivering a consistent and cohesive experience across multiple channels enhancing their overall shopping journey and satisfaction. For example: Using SMS for retail to align the post purchase user experience.

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Why Businesses Should Adopt Omnichannel in Retails?

Omnichannel retail has emerged as a key strategy for businesses aiming to remain competitive and customer-focused. Here’s how

1. Impact on Sales: Omnichannel approaches integrate digital and physical touchpoints, allowing retailers to improve product availability, boost traffic and enhance sales. For instance, customers can research products online, reserve items and pick them up at a nearby store—creating a seamless journey. 
   Now, with WhatsApp OTP verification and automation, user authentication and marketing communication has become much easier for the entire retail industry. 
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2. Customer Relationship: This approach also enables retailers to build stronger relationships with their customers by engaging them through personalized, immediate communication across channels like mobile, web, in-store, social media and emerging technologies like smart shelves or kiosks. 
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3. ‍Integrated Experience: Retailers must move beyond traditional online or in-store strategies and adopt a fully integrated approach. This means maintaining a strong physical presence while leveraging multiple digital platforms and devices to deliver a unified shopping experience. By doing so, they not only meet customer expectations but also stay ahead in an increasingly competitive and dynamic industry.

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What Sets Omnichannel Retail Apart from Multichannel?

Here’s what sets omnichannel retail apart from multichannel

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1. Multichannel Retail
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• Businesses operate on various platforms like email, social media and text, but these channels function independently.

• Communication is stored, channels don’t share data or insights. For Example: A customer receives product availability emails and promotional texts, but the two channels don’t coordinate or personalize messages.

• Leads to fragmented experiences, customer frustration and potential loss of sales.

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2. Omnichannel Retail

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• Channels are fully integrated, offering a seamless and connected customer journey.

• Communication is personalized, consistent and tailored across platforms. Example: A customer signs up for product updates via email, opts for WhatsApp notifications later and receives consistent updates on both platforms.

• Customer support and purchase history are unified, enabling smoother issue resolution.

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Creating Omnichannel Retail Strategy

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1. Create Customer Segments
   
   

Group customers based on shared traits to deliver targeted experiences.

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2. Engage Customers on Preferred Channels
   
   

Use the communication platforms your customers favour for seamless interaction.

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3. Trace the Customer Journey
   
   

Analyse the entire shopping journey to identify and resolve pain points.

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4. Provide Comprehensive Support
   
   

Offer multiple support options like chatbots, live assistance and knowledge bases to address customer needs effectively.

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5. Enhance Your Technology Stack

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Integrate channels through APIs like SMS API to ensure smooth sales and support experiences.
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6. Automate Key Processes

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Use automation to deliver the right messages and content to the right audience at the right time.

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7. Continuously Test and Improve
   
   

Regularly review and optimize the customer journey to enhance their experience.

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How to Implement Omnichannel Retail Effectively?

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Here’s how you can implement omnichannel retail effectively

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1. Building a Unified Customer Experience

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• Retailers must create consistent and seamless customer experiences across multiple touchpoints, integrating online and physical store presences.

• This requires overcoming data silos and connecting various systems like legacy on-premise solutions, CRMs, mobile apps, social media platforms with one CPaaS platform like Message Central.

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2. Integration Complexities

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• Combining outdated systems with newer technologies can be daunting as businesses adopt new tools and processes.

• Traditional integration methods, like Service-Oriented Architecture (SOA), are cumbersome, lack adaptability and are less suited for modern omnichannel needs.

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3. Adopting API-Led Connectivity

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• API-led connectivity provides a modern approach by breaking down application logic into reusable, modular components.

• APIs enable seamless connectivity and orchestration across systems, allowing plug-and-play integration for websites, mobile apps, ERPs and more.

• This approach ensures agility, scalability and future-proofing for omnichannel strategies.

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Essential Communication Platforms and App for Retails

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Here are some significant communication platforms and applications used in retails for omnichannel messaging

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1. WhatsApp Business

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• Share images, videos, locations and links while offering quick replies and business details.

• Provide real-time assistance, send alerts, notifications and handle orders seamlessly.

• Automate repetitive tasks to ease support workload and focus on meaningful customer interactions.
  
  

If a business wishes to use WhatsApp for marketing at scale like sending WhatsApp broadcasts, then a switch should be made to a platform like WhatsApp Now by Message Central.

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2. RCS

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• Rich Communications Services (RCS) is a set of protocols powering messaging apps, widely used by millions of active users without much market awareness.

• While SMS remains a reliable messaging channel, RCS brings richer features and modern capabilities to carrier-based networks, bridging the gap with internet-based apps. 

• RCS enhances customer engagement by offering advanced messaging capabilities, making it a vital part of a comprehensive omnichannel strategy.
  
  

You can now get complete assistance for setting up RCS messaging for your business with RCS Now by Message Central.

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3. Instagram Messaging

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• Customers engage with businesses on Instagram monthly through comments, direct messages and story replies.

• Instagram Messaging enables customers to connect with businesses via profiles, shops and stories, offering a chance to boost customer satisfaction and drive sales.

• Businesses can leverage the Instagram Messaging API to efficiently manage and scale interactions with their audience.

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4. Google Business Messaging

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• Google’s Business Messages lets customers reach you directly via Google Search, Maps and your owned channels.

• Provide timely, helpful assistance to customers whenever and wherever they need it.

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5. Facebook Messenger

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• Facebook Messenger, now separate from the Facebook app, differs from WhatsApp Business in subtle but notable ways.

• Messenger leans more towards email-style interactions, unlike WhatsApp’s real-time chat focus.

• With a stronger social element, Messenger supports extensive use of AI-powered bots, enabling businesses to handle FAQs and initiate customer conversations efficiently.

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Omnichannel Messaging with Message Central

Message Central is a CPaaS platform with multiple channels like SMS, WhatsApp, RCS and others. The channels are used for both authentication and communication. Businesses can use the whole suite to enhance the customer experience right from the first interaction with the brand. 

You can get in touch with the team to get started.

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