What is Omnichannel Communication? – Things You Need to Know

Brands use various methods to keep up with customers’ expectations and offer satisfactory communications. One such method is to offer omnichannel options for customer communication.

In this guide, we discuss omnichannel communication, its benefits, and its importance for businesses. We also cover some omnichannel strategies for communication success. 

What is Omnichannel Communication? 

Omnichannel communication is a strategy that allows businesses to create a cohesive and seamless customer experience across channels.

This approach focuses on having a consistent brand voice and achieving common goals even when using different channels. To achieve this, businesses use omnichannel contact center software to unify their customer interactions across multiple channels.

Omnichannel vs. Multichannel Communication

Omnichannel and multichannel communication involves using multiple channels to reach customers, yet there are major differences between them. 

Omnichannel communication integrates all channels for a seamless user experience, from initial engagement to purchase to support across multiple channels. A multichannel communication approach lacks integration between different channels, and hence, the user experience feels disjointed. 

Here’s a summary of the differences between omnichannel and multichannel communications:

Benefits of Omnichannel Communication Strategy

Here are the advantages of using the omnichannel approach for a business:

» High Return on Investment  

Omnichannel communication provides a consistent customer experience across channels. This helps customers interact with the business through a platform of their preference, ultimately leading to more conversions and revenue.

In fact, research suggests that customers are 250% more likely to buy from an omnichannel business.

» Consistent Experience Across Channels 

Omnichannel communication approaches integrate various channels so that customers feel connected and have a consistent customer experience at every touchpoint.

It helps businesses keep track of customer history, purchases, and other elements to ensure an undisrupted experience.

» Higher Customer Satisfaction 

The omnichannel approach gives customers the flexibility to connect through the channel of their choice. This makes them feel more satisfied and heard, ultimately leading to more satisfied customers.

» Reduced Churn Rates

Customers who have positive and consistent interactions with your brand are less likely to leave. An omnichannel approach helps keep customers engaged and satisfied, reducing the chances of them switching to another brand.

Also, the omnichannel software provides detailed insights into customer journeys that businesses can use to reduce higher churn rates.

How to Build an Omnichannel Communication Strategy? 

An omnichannel communication strategy entails using visuals, consistent messaging and brand statements across channels. Its goal is to provide the same experience across platforms. 

Here are the steps to build a successful omnichannel strategy:

Step 1: Identify the Communication Channels 

Perform an analysis of your existing communication channels and identify the ones that are preferred by most of the customers. You can also perform an in-depth analysis of your competitor’s strategy to find channels with high engagement. 

List all the channels that your customers are most active on—e.g., email, phone calls, social media, etc. 

You can also conduct surveys and market research to determine which channels are actually relevant to your target audience. 

Step 2: Create a Consistent Brand Voice 

A brand voice is like a message or guideline that establishes the brand’s tone and tells a story uniquely. 

Say you’re shopping for a new pair of sneakers online. You visit the brand’s website, and you see a sleek design with catchy phrases like “Run Faster, Jump Higher.” 

Later, you check your email, and there’s a message from the same brand with the same style, saying, “Get Ready to Run!” Then, on Instagram, you see a cool post from them with the same message and vibe. 

No matter where you see their ads or posts—website, social media, or email—the brand uses the same style, language, and message.

Your brand voice should also reflect personalization and use an empathetic tone so that it can relate to customers.

Step 3: Prioritize Timely Communications

9 out of 10 customers would stay with the company if they had a good experience with the support team. Timely communication is one of the major aspects of the customer experience. 

Users may often encounter trouble and seek a quick resolution from their preferred channel of communication. Omnichannel contact center software streamlines communication by unifying support across all channels, resulting in faster resolution. 

In addition, self-served resources, such as knowledge bases, resource sections, or a live chat agent, enhance customer satisfaction and boost retention rates. 

Step 4: Evaluate & Improve

Finally, evaluating your omnichannel KPIs is crucial to identify the effectiveness of your omnichannel communication strategies. 

These metrics help businesses evaluate various factors, such as attracting new customers, engaging with them, converting them into the right customers, and retaining them in the long run.

For omnichannel communication, here are six key performance indicators that can be used to evaluate performance:

1. Awareness – Measures the extent to which your target audience is aware of your brand through different channels.
2. Engagement Rate – Measures how actively people interact with your brand across various touchpoints.
3. Conversion Rate – It’s about turning prospects into paying customers across channels.
4. Retention Rate – Measures the ability to retain costumes through omnichannel efforts.
5. Loyalty – It’s about how dedicated customers are to the brand. It can be measured by repeat purchases, participation in loyalty programs, or positive reviews.

Common Types of Omnichannel Communication Channels 

Choosing the right channels for customer interaction is vital for your brand’s success. With detailed insights into the customer journeys, you can pick the most viable channels for connecting with your customers. 

However, there are four primary communication channels irrespective of your audience’s demographics: 

→ Email

One of the oldest communication methods, emails are the starting point of communication for many businesses.

In fact, around 79% of millennials and 57% of Gen Z prefer emails as their first point of contact.  You can use emails to share product offerings, and send marketing promotions and news updates to your customers. It can also be used as a helpdesk channel to receive customer inquiries and support requests.

→ Social Media

62.6% of the world’s population is active on social media.  You can tap into this vast volume of customers through different social media channels based on your business.

Social media can be a good platform for listening to customer issues and ensuring a faster resolution publicly. You can monitor engagement metrics such as likes, comments, and shares and gain better insights into your brand’s marketing and customer support strategy. 

→ In-app Communications

If your business has a mobile app, you can use in-app messaging to solve customer problems, answer questions, send offers, and even collect feedback. 

→ Live Chat

Hiver’s research suggests that 63% of consumers prefer live chat as a support communication channel.

Users can multi-task while engaging in a live chat and report their queries in brief. On the other hand, businesses need to be on their toes to respond to customer queries and reduce wait times. 

Unifying these communication channels at a single point of contact might be challenging for businesses seeking an omnichannel experience. Exotel brings various communication channels under one platform to provide a seamless omnichannel experience for customers.

3 Popular Brands Using Omnichannel Communication 

1. Starbucks

Customers can order ahead, customize drinks, and earn rewards points on the Starbucks app. 

The loyalty program is integrated across the app, website, and in-store, offering personalized offers based on customer behavior. In the stores, the digital menu boards and mobile payment options streamline ordering, while baristas deliver consistent service. 

Lastly, their active social media engagement handles customer queries and promotes new products, which promotes customer loyalty.

2. Sephora

Through its omnichannel strategy, French fashion retailer Sephora offers a cohesive and personalized shopping experience. The Sephora app and website provide personalized product recommendations, virtual try-on features, and booking for in-store services. 

Their in-store technology, like Color IQ, matches customers with perfect foundation shades, linking to their online profiles or “Beauty Bag” that they had collected. 

3. Amazon 

Amazon is the king of omnichannel experiences. Their website and mobile app offer personalized recommendations from previous purchases, third-party cookies, and past behaviors. They also offer a virtual try-on feature that lets customers try the outfits or products virtually. 

Amazon also offers consistent customer support that is easily accessible via phone, chat, and email. Thus, customers can connect through any method of communication they want. 

Conclusion 

Omnichannel communications play an important role in providing a seamless customer experience. With the right approach and intuitive omnichannel communication center software, brands can boost customer engagement and satisfaction.

Looking for seamless omnichannel engagement? Exotel is a contact center solution for enterprises that boosts customer engagement with access to features such as CRM integration, automated call center operations and connection with various channels. 

Book a demo today with our experts to learn how Exotel can help you achieve omnichannel communication excellence.