Are you looking to explore new avenues and extend your business beyond the traditional bricks and mortar? It goes without saying that multi-channel is the way forward. More and more businesses are maximising their sales by offering their products across a multitude of channels. This isn’t as simple as just having a store and having a website though. Here we look at the things to consider to ensure your multi-channel solutions are a success.
Your customer experience
A good customer experience is behind the success of many a business. So implementing this experience into your multi-channel campaign is a must-do too. Multi-channel is all about making things easier for customers. Consider this when creating the interface of your website and reduce the number of clicks it takes for your customers to locate important information.
Simplifying things for the customer makes it easier for them to place orders, which results in more sales, while complicated interfaces often lead to people abandoning their order. Keep everything simple, and ensure that you are able to navigate through pages effortlessly.
On your website, you should also avoid using too many pictures, animations and anything else that could cause the page load time to slow down. Also consider incorporating a feedback from so that you can get the opinion of your customers as this always helps in making future improvements.
Delivering internationally
International delivery introduces your products to a whole new market. It provides you with global exposure and allows customers from abroad to place orders. This will require you to offer international delivery as well as adding new payment options. If you do not offer international delivery, you are restricting your sales to one location and you may find that you are not doing as well as you could be.
Perhaps also consider offering different language options for your global audience on your website, and allowing the option for prices to be viewed in different currencies. This will demonstrate that you are considering the needs of your customers and making it easier to purchase from you.
Making use of the smartphone
With the rise of smartphones, more people are making use of them to purchase items. It is important for you to consider utilising this channel by optimising your website for mobile use, or creating a phone application. Remember that you need to make it easier for customers to browse items. If they can then place an order using their phones, this not only simplifies things for them, but it will also increase your sales. Again, think about interfaces and allowing the use of facilities like ‘auto-fill’. The easier you make it for the customer, the more your sales will increase.
Streamlining your delivery process
Consider making multitude of delivery options available and closely look at your returns and cancellation policies. Alongside making it easy to place an order, you want the customer to be satisfied with the delivery process. Some people have doubts when delivering, you need ensure that you are providing updates and offering tracking services.
Click and collect is definitely a service to offer too, if you have the facilities to accommodate this. By offering this you will give your customers the option to collect the item at a time that suits them.
Perhaps follow the lead of the giants of ecommerce such as Amazon and think about utilising the systems of lockers located around the country which act as pick-up points.
Of course, on your website be sure to have a ‘delivery instructions’ page at the checkout as this will enable the customer to provide specific instructions such as ‘leave with neighbour if not in’. Doing this personalises delivery, while of course ensuring the customer receives their parcel without any trouble.
Offering the customer choice is fundamental for the success of multi-channel retailing as ensures you are considering the needs of your customers, which is ultimately going to result in improving customer loyalty.
Effective digital sales and marketing plan
A strategy is crucial to the success of multi-channel sales. You need to have an email strategy, and also be thinking about utilising social media to drive sales. Ensure that you are consistent across all channels and tailoring things for specific audiences.
Think about the different channels that your target customers are how your company can utilise them. Multi-channel retailing means that you will have more than one presence in several places. You need to ensure that these different channels are all connected and are driving sales.
