Online and Offline Integration – Top tips to get the most from bricks and clicks

In the modern age of retail, customers expect a lot. They want access to a variety of different shopping experiences as and when they desire them. It’s not easy giving them what they want whilst still managing to keep your service top notch and your costs low. For those of you who have taken the foray in the multichannel arena, and those of you who are thinking about making the jump, we’ve put together some top tips to help you get the most out of an online/offline endeavour.

Let them know you have other channels

It seems obvious but it’s important to inform your customers that you have another channel they can utilise. Let them know what their options that they can have the freedom and flexibility to shop where and how they want to. If they are browsing on your website and you have a physical store they can collect items from then make sure there’s a call-to-action stating this (e.g. “Want to collect in store?”). Equally, you can promote your website in-store too, if for example, you had more stock lines on your website then make this clear on a banner or poster. You could even add a QR code so that people can access it right then and there. Offering alternative channels give consumer more choice and mean you won’t potentially miss out on the sale. Good for you and good for them.

Don’t compete with yourself

Customers will be confused or frustrated if they buy something on one channel and later find out it was cheaper on another. You don’t want to leave your customers feeling cheated or swindled, quite the opposite in fact. It’s all about communication, your customers are savvy people, they will understand that selling online is better for your bottom line and will appreciate you passing these savings on when they buy from your online store. But they’ll only understand this difference if you explain it them.

If you want to use one channel to sell off excess stock (for example, eBay is great for this, as people shopping here tend to be looking for a bargain and you can shift stock quickly) then make it clear that this is your clearance area. Just be sure that these items definitely don’t appear at full price on another channel.

Connect the dots

If a customer makes an order online and then comes to collect an item in-store make sure that the details of the sale are available to in-store staff (and vice versa for people working in the back office). Customers will be extremely frustrated if they’ve made the trip into town to find out that an item they’ve ordered is unobtainable, or that there’s no record of a purchase. Imagine how annoyed they’d be if they bought it in to get a refund and are told they need to post it back instead? All because your processes aren’t sophisticated enough to cope with their, let’s face it, moderate demands.

Integrating the order management and CRM systems between your different channels will help you remove this disconnect between offline and online purchases. Both channels accessing information from the same pool of data means that you will only need to enter details once and they will be updated in real time across your business. You’ll be much more efficient and your customers will be happier too.

Capture data across the board

You’ll need to connect with both online and offline customers on more than just price is you want them to be loyal to your brand. Collecting data on them will help you to get more personal and build a deeper relationship with your clientele by optimising their online experience and tailoring your communication to them more individually to their needs. Gather analytics and encourage people to fill out forms about themselves or sign up for a newsletter.

Collecting this data is easier online but don’t forget your offline customers either, give them the option to sign up for newsletters too. A form by the checkout outlining the benefits of signing up would work, and you could even offer something like monthly prize draw for a free £20 voucher for instance to add a little bit of extra encouragement.

If you can capture what people are buying at the same time this is great data too. If they are interested in certain items then it sure to be worth sending them information about other products that are similar. The might have purchased something that need a refill down the line, a printer for instance, you could then send them an offer a few months later for the exact refill they need. This let’s you recapture their business and start building a relationship with them.

Don’t forget about your back office

What you want to get away from is having separate silos of data. This results in extra complications around data management and transfers that will increase human error and take up valuable time and resources, all of which will ultimately affect your bottom line. It is far more efficient for all your channels to be working from the same pool of information for inventory, CRM, order management and accounts. Connect your online website, in-store tech and online marketplaces listing to a single back office system you will eliminate inefficiencies around data transfer, reduce human error considerably, avoid double-selling items and have real time access to order details and stock information across all your channels. Neat, huh?

Keep it consistent

Consumers have an inherent lack of trust for online retailers because they are considered less permanent and tangible than a physical store, but if they recognise a webstore is the extension of a pre-existing business they will have more confidence in it. Equally a previous good experience with a company will similarly reassure them. By keeping your brand consistent across all your channels you will encourage this type of recognition. Sales will increase across your other channels so long as the association between them is sufficiently strong that they are not perceived as separate entities.

This consistency should extend beyond merely similar visual branding. Consistency should include your returns policy, service promises, warranties etc, this way customers can be confident in their assumptions that both channels are actually two parts of the same brand.

Cover all your bases

Some customers prefer the personal and social experience of shopping offline whilst others like ease of use and convenience of online retail. Quite often people are a hybrid of both, depending on mood, what it is they are looking for and circumstance. Customer behaviour can change radically from channel to channel. This means that different products will sell better (or worse) on different channels. By looking at your sales data you should be able to identify these trends and promote certain items more on those channels that work best for them.

Having multiple channels lets your customers get a choice in the type of service they require. Tailor this appropriately for your customer base. If they want expert advice face to face then offer this in your physical store, or if they would rather do the research themselves online then provide this information on your website. Giving them what they are looking for across all channels will mean that you’re providing a service that is satisfying their needs. Satisfied customers are more likely to come back again and to pass the word on to others helping you to improve customer retention and increase sales.