Omni Channel Commerce - Single via Multi through to Omni Channel Commerce

Running retail, commerce, a sales business today is not really different now than it ever has been. First you have to meet two basic requirements offers which consumers, customer and users need and want and the ability to meet their expectations.
But what has changed and is challenging today is the second point “meeting customer expectations” – Customers expecting more ...
... more customized in a variety of ways
... more often - really 24/7

The reason for this wildfire-of-expectations is that transactions and communication is omnipresent. The growth of touch-points provides customers the ability to reach out to retailers any time, any place, anywhere and through any device. Today's consumers split and bundle their online and offline lives at will, through whatever touchpoint is suitable in the particular moment and the consumer prefers.
They use their mobile devices to discover brands & products and social networks to share their experiences and to get advices from friends or colleagues.
The power of networks permeates everything, because it's how we live and work today.
Let me explain it by an example. Imagine that you are at a railway station and you notice an advertisement for a pair of shoes. You are in a hurry but there is something that grabs your attention, and you stop. You imagine yourself wearing these shoes with your favorite trousers on the next party and you smile.
At this point the story can go various ways, you could walk on and the shoes will fight for recognition with the other thousand things you'll see that day. Or you might take a picture with your phone in order to google the shoes on your own later or you use an app on your device – e.g. an app to scan a barcode or QR code and you might redirected to a mobile-optimized web site. You can see that the shoes are on stock – but will the y really fit? The party will be next weekend. If now the site tells you that these shoes are available in a local store next to you you will smile again. Pretty soon you are on your way to the nearby store to try on the shoes which reserved or bought online using your mobile.

The good news doesn't stop there,
Your customer journey was without hurdles and so you might share your great experience.

We live in 2015 - It's all about Omni Channel Commerce, meeting customer expectations, anytime, anywhere.

Commerce was, is and will be a competitive area and field. We are living in an era of hyper-personalization and omnichannel engagement, constantly vying for limited customer attention in a saturated market. As a result, optimizing marketing campaigns and driving qualified sales leads continues to be a challenge. And having insight into each individual’s unique preferences, buying behavior, and expressed sentiment on the retail brand is essential for each business / line of business to build as close to a complete picture of their customers as possible. In doing so, their point of information, point of contact , - of sale ... and as well marketing campaigns and sales channels must be shaped in ways to make this achievable. When you look at my portfolio ... I worked mainly for fashion, automotive, aviation, travel, and various retailers and what I can say Yes there were a lot of things in parallel and in common but even more crucial points and areas which worked and work different.

So customer experience / user experience - and ongoing researches upfront and testing while designing and developing are indispensable and vital.
In a competitive market, businesses must find ways to stand out from the rest and deliver a memorable and reliable customer experience.

Conclusion

Buying expectations and habits in B2C and B2B changed, is ongoing changing and will change as well - change is good 😉 . Customers and consumers and users today want quick access to all the information they need. Businesses that can turn data into information and connect that information and provide smooth user and customer journeys through experience- and communication-centric digital experiences gain an advantage.

Give consumers, customers and users new reasons to engage and stay loyal with 'your business' might it be offline or digital or a mixed experiences - experiences which are frictionless, omnichannel, data-driven and highly personalized - with a high joy of use.

You might also be interested in these articles...

Converting the online experience into offline

http://ux4dotcom.blogspot.de/2014/08/converting-online-experience-into.html

Clienteling - with an example of Burberry

http://ux4dotcom.blogspot.de/2014/07/clienteling.html

Make good time in the checkout line - Online & Mobile Payment

http://ux4dotcom.blogspot.de/2014/08/make-good-time-in-checkout-line-online.html

Touchpoint - Interactive Window

http://ux4dotcom.blogspot.de/2014/03/touchpoint-interactive-window.html

Customer Experience / Expectation vs. Retail Experiences – Closing the Omni-Channel Gap