How to Integrate your Online and Offline Store?

We live in a world where most of our shopping is done online. That’s convenient, but it also means that we often forget about the in-store experience. But when you enter a retail store, you’re immediately transported away from the world of emails and social media. The sights, sounds, and smells of a physical store are a way for customers to reconnect with the brand and make an informed decision.

More than often the online and offline experience is disjointed. We go to our local stores; we often find a different experience. Instead of being greeted by friendly staff, we often find long lines and limited product availability. This is because, unlike online retailers, traditional brick-and-mortar stores have limited space, high fixed costs, and low margins. The customer experience becomes different than your online catering. 

As a business, you’re constantly looking for ways to improve your bottom line. One way you can do this is by integrating your online and offline experiences. This way, when a customer comes into your physical location, they can also see and experience your business with the same convenience that they get online. This will help build a stronger relationship with your current customers, and bring in new ones. Doing this means, maintaining a central data base which is not divided, but unified, where a customer feels seen and heard. 

One way to integrate your online and offline experiences is by extending the CRM data to offline stores. So when your existing customer enters the store, you cannot show the information like you would otherwise show in an eCommerce website but she is not considered a stranger. The fundamental question is how to detect that an existing customer has walked in? Some brands have installed beacon technology so that with Bluetooth and an eCommerce app installed on her phone, the existing customer is detected and some relevant promotions can be sent as notifications. Other stores are installing scanners to help customers know more about the products and in turn identify if they are existing or new customers.

It is important to understand that your online and offline stores are like the branches of the same tree. The fruit is the singular experience that the customer expects everywhere. From branding to treatment, the brand must be consistent across touchpoints. For example, if I liked a t-shirt but it is not available in my size for now, I should not go home disappointed. I should not have to go home and order online again. At the store, the staff should take my order and address and offer to send it to my address. This is how you integrate your experience. 
Moreover, personalization should also be on the same level. While online, the customer is greeted with familiarity due to the data stored from their previous purchases. The same comfort should be extended to the offline store as well. The similarity into your two parts of your business will always build trust and generate loyal customers for life. In fact, you can leverage one to generate more traffic for the other. Your online customers might feel sceptical before a purchase and you can assure them by offering them an in-store visit. Whereas store-buyers can be encouraged to experience convenience by ordering online. Either way these efforts will assure your customers about your consistent experience across the brand. 

One of the important aspects of integrating your online and offline store is managing your inventory in real-time. Customers find it really alarming when a brand doesn’t have a product in store but is available online. They assume it to be a lack of transparency and it can lead to poor reviews. Hence, having a central inventory system is important. 
Real-time inventory management is the process of tracking and managing inventory as it moves in and out of your business. It is a system that provides you with accurate, up-to-date information on what you have in stock, what is selling, and what needs to be ordered. This allows you to make quick and informed decisions about what to sell, how much to stock up, and when to reorder. 
Customers should be able to Click & Collect (click online and collect from the store) and vice versa. This will make the experience more seamless and increase visitors both to your offline and online stores.

Your offline store is a platform just like your digital one. If I purchased something online, I should be able to return it in-store. Similarly, if I raised a ticket online, it should be resolved in-store and vice versa. The experience and communication have to be unified. It is important that you integrate your online and offline data and see it as a whole. Use a single strategy to resolve customer issues online and offline. The same applies to your customer service as well. 

With an Omnichannel Customer Experience system in place, the customer will never have to experience any disconnection. They will no longer need to repeat information or queries. All they need to do is input their number and name and the experience will be personalized immediately whether online or offline. This allows you to create a “single-window” experience for your customers, which will increase their satisfaction and loyalty. It’s also a great way to provide additional services and information without requiring a large staff.

While online stores are a great way to reach more customers, they should not be used in place of an offline store. Online stores are best used as an addition to an existing brick-and-mortar store. When used correctly, online and offline stores can work together to create a strong brand presence. Integrating your digital store and brick-and-mortar is always the best idea. Not only does it create a seamless experience but it also eradicates mindless frictions. Integrating these stores allows you to look at data and performance more holistically than doing it separately. If you are interested in learning more about how to integrate your online and offline stores with Omnichannel Customer Experience, speak to our experts at C-Zentrix.