Today’s customer path to making a purchase involves multiple touchpoints that did not exist in the past. Research shows that customers will interact with your business ten times on average for each purchasing decision they make. Customers are increasingly taking the lead on how and when they’ll engage with your business. They may engage in person, on your website, telephone, social media, or even through a mobile app. In response, businesses of all sizes have embraced omnichannel commerce.
What is Multi-channel Commerce?
Multi-channel commerce is a term that is popping up everywhere. It’s more than just giving your customers multiple ways to buy from you. It’s a fully integrated approach across both offline and online that unifies both worlds and everything within them. It addresses merchandising, fulfillment, marketing, and marketplaces.
Important factors in creating an authentic Multi-channel experience:
• Ability to sell online and offline
• Physical and digital presence
• Fulfillment and shipping options for both delivery and in-store
• Physical and digital exchange and refund handling
• A customer experience that extends across multiple touchpoints
• Embracing mobile from marketing to point of sale transactions
Multi-channel Commerce Example
Imagine your customer sees a pair of shoes you’re offering online and clicks the link. The same day the customer is shown a Facebook post focused on practical information about the same shoes. Later they’re served an ad on Instagram about the shoes focusing on lifestyle marketing.
The next day the same customer sees a retargeting as featuring the same shoes while they’re browsing online. Later, a Facebook post reveals an exclusive discount on the shoes with a custom fitting if purchased in-store if they sign up. The customer signs up for the discount and then goes in-person to your store to purchase the shoes. Even if they later choose not to show up to your store, you now know they are very interested, and you can continue to market the shoes to them in different ways.
Multi-channel Commerce and Point of Sale Systems
A critical component of multi-channel commerce is having a point of sale system that is fully integrated. Legacy, stand-alone point of sale systems are not centrally connected to one single database, and updates are done overnight or whenever time permits. Today’s point of sale systems show real-time stock visibility and are multi-channel ready with unified commerce capabilities.
Ready to Experience the Benefits of Multi-channel Commerce?
MPG is the leader in transformative payment software for small, medium, and enterprise businesses. We’re transparent – no hidden fees – and we even offer rebates on processing charges. Choose from a number of devices and software suites custom designed to meet your businesses’ unique needs.
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