Strategies for Enabling Multichannel Success Throughout the Consumer Life Cycle

5. Loyalty. Retaining customers is the result of your efforts throughout the customer life cycle. Here are things you can to do increase loyalty post-purchase:

• Let customers return products they purchased online in-store. Consumers don't differentiate between a retailer’s brick-and-mortar store and online store when they want to return a product. Making the return process seamless so that online purchases can be returned in-store (and vice versa), including a full credit card or cash exchange, will increase the chances the consumer will make repeat purchases.
• Deliver personalized communications and offers based on previous interaction with your brand. Personalization is just as important post-purchase as it is at the moment of engagement. Use purchase history, customer preferences, location and other data points learned throughout the consumer life cycle to deliver personalized communications and offers, whether it be through email, mobile alerts, in-store or other means. Kiehl’s is using location-aware SMS alerts to notify consumers of special offers when they're near one of its stores. This has helped to drive in-store traffic.

Payback is Differentiation
Enabling multichannel success throughout the customer life cycle requires focus and rethinking of how retail operations are conducted. For some retailers this means change, including some change that could require significant investment in technology, new processes and organizational realignment. For others, it requires small changes and little investment. Whether a large or small investment, building out multichannel capabilities throughout the customer life cycle will pay you back with a more consistent, relevant and engaging shopping experience for consumers and greater differentiation for your brand.

Gary Lombardo manages mobile, multichannel and social commerce product marketing for Demandware. Gary can be followed at @garylombardo and reached at glombardo@demandware.com.