E-Commerce & Omnichannel

Nowadays, customers have a wide range of options at their disposal for coming into contact with a brand. The resulting customer journeys are characterized by the use of various online and offline channels, always depending on the respective needs and preferences of the individual customer and therefore always individual.
Despite the use of a wide variety of touchpoints, the customer’s expectations of companies with regard to interactions with the brand and the constant possibility of being able to pursue his or her own individual shopping behavior are clearly defined: As a seamless and cross-channel experience, individually adapted to the individual needs and preferences, independent of place and time.
Taking into account these new, strongly customer-driven circumstances, two relevant key topics can be identified in today’s digital marketing and sales landscape – e-commerce & omnichannel.

E-COMMERCE AS A WAY OUT OF THE SINGLE-CHANNEL SALES STRATEGY

Customers want to be able to meet their needs for information and shopping at any time and from any place. These digitization-driven and changing conditions have prompted, and in some cases forced, many companies to break with their traditional single-channel sales strategies and open up new, digital sales channels. The development of their own e-commerce platforms seems to be an adequate solution for many companies.

Challenges in the development and implementation of e-commerce strategies

However, developing and implementing targeted e-commerce strategies requires far more than simply choosing a particular software provider and presenting its product portfolio in digital form on the e-commerce platform.

Processes and structures must be rethought, the e-commerce platform must offer a shopping experience tailored to customer needs, logistics and service departments must be realigned and, of course, marketing and communications departments must ensure that the e-commerce presence can be found on the web at all. These and many other aspects must be taken into account and well thought through when developing and implementing e-commerce strategies.

E-commerce also established in B2B business

The digital sales channel e-commerce has long since ceased to be an option purely for B2C companies. Many B2B companies, including large international corporations, use their own e-commerce platforms and have thus jumped on the digitalization bandwagon.

Successfully develop and implement e-commerce strategies together with Batten & Company

Batten & Company advises companies on the development of e-commerce strategies, assists in the preparation of vendor RFPs, the selection of software vendors, and also provides central project and change management support during the implementation phase.

OMNICHANNEL AS THE LOGICAL CONCLUSION OF E-COMMERCE STRATEGIES

The implementation of e-commerce strategies as an additional sales channel inevitably goes hand in hand with the fact that companies must serve multiple sales channels and still offer their customers a consistent brand experience across all channels. An examination of today’s customer journeys makes it clear that customers use countless online and offline touchpoints along their decision-making process. Yet they still expect a consistent brand experience, regardless of which path they choose along their journey. Awareness of this trend has put omnichannel on the agenda for many companies.

Omnichannel is a must-have

An examination of the topic of omnichannel from the perspectives of the customer, the market, and the company makes it clear that omnichannel is not a passing fad in today’s digital marketing and sales landscape. Rather, the approach is to be evaluated as a “must-have” in order to remain relevant for its customers and competitive in the market in the future.

Omnichannel strategies and associated challenges

Basically, an omnichannel strategy appears to be a logical conclusion for surviving in today’s marketing and sales landscape.

However, the implementation of such an approach is by no means finished with the decision for a software provider and the implementation of small structural adjustments.

Various challenges must be faced and taken into account in the course of implementing an omnichannel strategy. The main focus should be on the areas of the customer as a central element of the omnichannel strategy, omnichannel business objectives, IT infrastructure and internal changes.

Successfully implement omnichannel strategies with Batten & Company’s workshop-based approach

Do you also want to make your sales channels more digital and network them?
Then make an appointment with our marketing automation experts now and find out about your options for leading your sales channels into the digital age with e-commerce and omnichannel strategies.