Why Omnichannel Shouldn’t Mean Every Channel

Consider the smartphone not only in terms of where it is, but where it's going. No matter the type of business (e.g., restaurant, hard goods retailer, manufacturer, B-to-C or B-to-B), a smartphone can cover all the bases for customers — calling in an order, making a reservation, shopping for goods and services, checking order and shipping status, finding locations, making an online purchase, viewing marketing emails, depositing a check, filing a claim, click to call, click to chat, etc.

Retailers should engage with that in mind, since consumers often state that they can't live without their phones. It's not enough to just optimize a mobile site, however. Companies must consider how the mobile experience is integrated across other customer touchpoints and, more importantly, where those touchpoints are relevant.

Zappos is a perfect example of a highly successful e-commerce company that, without physical retail stores, focuses on the optimization of specific channels, such as browser, mobile and social, to build a loyal customer base and become a benchmark for customer service. This is reflected in its mobile experience, with a clean, simple layout, well-organized product information and click-to-call functionality.

Beyond Mobile, What's Needed to Be Omnichannel?
Assuming step one is to get their mobile act together, companies should consider the following:

• understand what channels are relevant to their business and to their customers — invest in generating that understanding;
• understand the appropriate engagement level with its customers in each of these channels — invest in generating that understanding;
• assure that you've rendered that experience to the fullest of customer expectation in each desired channel; and
• assure that each channel is aware should the customer have initiated activity (not just an explicit transaction) in another channel.

Creating the Winning, Right and Relevant Channel-Engagement Model
Amazon.com and Zappos aren't concerning themselves with brick-and-mortar stores because their brands don't require physical stores. A successful omnichannel business means creating a connected experience tailored directly to how consumers prefer to interact with the brand today and in the future. With a few simple steps, every business can become highly valued and appreciated as a customer-centric and connected, right, relevant omnichannel experienced company — and more profitable as a result. The point is to deliver the right functionality in the right channels and across those channels to create the best possible end-to-end experiences for customers.