Omnishopper
Today's shopper uses more than just a single channel or touchpoint. They're browsing Instagram for inspiration, reading reviews on Google, and talking to Siri to make purchases—all within the same day. This modern shopper is what we call the omnishopper: a savvy consumer who seamlessly navigates between the digital and physical mediums, expecting a personalized and frictionless experience every step of the way. But for businesses, keeping up with the omnishopper is no easy feat. Let’s explore who these shoppers are and how omnichannel strategies can meet their needs. We'll look at ways to ensure every interaction feels personalized, no matter where or how they shop.
Who are omnishoppers?
An omnishopper is a customer who moves between both online and physical stores, researching and comparing products before making a final purchase decision. More than 81% of customers research online before buying a product in brick-and-mortar stores. This means the shopping journey could start before the actual visit to your physical store by coming across your product catalog, pricing, customer reviews, and discounts online. Alternatively, they might start by visiting your physical store to check out products in person, and then decide to make their purchase online through your website or other marketplaces. They compare the choices available to them and choose the one that saves their time and money the most.
Omnishoppers are customers who rely on a shopping experience that is convenient and flexible, yet consistent. They prefer a personalized shopping experience with relevant product recommendations and offers that suit their past purchase behavior. In addition, the omnishoppers are ready to spend more money, are highly engaged, and loyal. Forty percent (40%) of shoppers are found to shop from retailers who provide a personalized brand experience across the channels they sell on, while 75% of them choose to go back to brands that provide consistent shopping experiences across channels.
A brand that has successfully adopted an omnichannel selling strategy for its omnishoppers is Zara, the popular Spanish apparel retailer. Zara’s omnichannel strategy aims to give its shoppers a seamless shopping experience both in-store and online. When you are shopping in-store and a product is not available, you can immediately scan the barcode of the product and place an order online. Vice versa, you can also place an order online and pick it up from the physical store to avoid delivery charges. The store has self-check-out counters to avoid the hassle of long queues. In this way, Zara has successfully delivered an engaging customer experience wherever its customers are.
Why should retailers care about omnishoppers?
Recently, omnishoppers have been playing a significant role in reshaping the customer experiences that retailers and brands have been rendering so far. This is why businesses need to understand omnishoppers and build their strategies with these shoppers in mind.
/ Higher engagement
Omnishoppers are likely to engage with your brand more frequently, and they interact with you through the different devices and channels you actively use. They are both your online customers and your in-store foot traffic. They visit you on your website and the marketplaces you are listed on, they receive your promotional emails, and they reach you through your social media accounts. Hence, unlike single-channel consumers, omnishoppers engage with you through various touchpoints, bringing in more traffic, interactions, and valuable conversions.
/ Increased revenue
Omnishoppers tend to spend more than single-channel customers because they research extensively across platforms and are more confident in purchasing decisions. They tend to be loyal to brands that offer seamless and consistent experiences, both online and offline, which can boost overall sales and repeat business.
/ Enhanced customer retention
Customers are more likely to return to a brand when they feel informed and are aware of what to expect. Hence, providing your omnishopper with consistent product information and a positive user experience across all online platforms and physical stores helps you earn their trust and retain them as repeat customers.
With Productsup Retail PX, you can easily manage and optimize your product content across every channel, ensuring seamless and accurate experiences for your customers wherever they shop.
/ Valuable data insights
With omnishoppers engaging across multiple touchpoints, retailers gain access to a wealth of data. This provides valuable insights into shopping behaviors, preferences, and trends, allowing businesses to optimize marketing strategies, personalize customer experiences, and stand out in the market, attracting and retaining customers more effectively than their competitors.
Best strategies to win over your omnishoppers
Here are the top three omnichannel marketing strategies that can help your business offer omnishoppers a perfect purchase journey from research to delivery.
1. Online and offline integration: Ensure that both your physical and online stores are well integrated, leading your customers from one to the other quickly and smoothly whenever required. For instance, you can provide options like, “buy online and pick up in-store” or "buy online and return in-store”. This has proven to increase brick-and-mortar sales, as almost 14% of customers tend to shop extra while picking up their online orders from physical locations.
2. Mobile optimization: The US has more than 270 million smartphone users, and 80% of them conduct product research on their phones while shopping from physical stores. With more shoppers using smartphones as part of their buying journey, mobile optimization is essential. Ensure that your website and app are easy to navigate, load quickly, and provide a smooth checkout experience. Mobile-friendly design helps capture omnishoppers wherever they are.
3. Social media presence: Today, the majority of the choices your customers make are influenced by social media. Social media is the modern-day word of mouth. Your customers check reviews and feedback here before they move forward with a purchase. By integrating social commerce features, like "buy" buttons or shoppable posts on Instagram or TikTok, you make it easier for omnishoppers to purchase directly from their preferred channel. Hence, maintaining a good social media presence that reflects your brand image is necessary to bring in more omnishoppers to your business.
To learn more about attracting omnishoppers to both your ecommerce site and physical stores, and to explore the omnichannel marketing strategies your business can implement, explore Productsup’s offerings for bringing perfect product content to consumers.
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