Tools For Retailers to Move Towards Omnichannel Retail.

Have you taken the leap towards omnichannel marketing? If not, you’re not alone. Over 45% of marketers say they lack the skills, technology or expertise to optimise their customer journey to an omnichannel approach. As your digital marketing partner, we’ve organised a list of Shopify apps we use to optimise our clients' user flow to move them towards an omnichannel approach. 

What is Omnichannel and why should I use it?

If you’re not sure what this is (and why it is damn important!) have a pre-read of our intro to Omnichannel marketing via the National Retail Association blog. To summarise, the Omnichannel strategy unlocks growth. The use of three or more channels per campaign earned a 287% higher purchase rate than single-use channels. It sees on average an 89% customer retention rate, a 56% increase compared to single channels. Okay so now that we’ve convinced you on Omnichannel, how do you go about implementing it?

Instagram Shopping

As digital marketers, retailers or social media enthusiasts we assume you’ve stumbled across shoppable Instagram. Those small white dots that hover over products within the image. When clicking this, you’re presented with product descriptions and a clickable link to view. In short, Instagram becomes an extension of your online store. 

The Results

A BigCommerce analysis found one-third of people surveyed say they become more interested in a brand or product after viewing it on Instagram Stories. Now imagine if that story was shoppable. Multiple businesses using shoppable Instagram found they had a 20% increase in Instagram revenue and up to 1416% increase in Instagram traffic. 

How do I implement and execute this well? 

We use the Foursixty Shopify app to convert Instagram content into shoppable galleries. FourSixty offers more than the basic shoppable Instagram. It tracks and converts user-generated content (UGC) into shoppable galleries. This means your influencers and brand advocates can be generating revenue growth for you in a direct and seamless format (i.e. one-click solution for followers, rather than having to search for your product separately). It also converts your stories into shoppable content to encourage users to explore your brand or product. 

• Easy to implement solution via Shopify apps, that enables you to customise the experience without necessary development requirements. 

• Discover influencers and brand advocates and collect their UGC via tags and mentions 

• Add Instagram to your Product & Collection pages via your site 

• Add shoppable Instagram galleries to your email campaigns

• Add shoppable products to your Instagram story

• Customisable design to ensure you have a cohesive brand across your channels.  

• The use of UGC can be illegal, however FourSixty requests and secures the rights to this content to ensure your brand is using it legally. 

• Reports & analytics which integrate with Shopify to track your ROI with FourSixty. 

With a strong Instagram presence, The Dairy use FourSixty for omnichannel marketing to optimise conversion and streamline the customer journey.

Google & Facebook Shopping 

Approximately 85 cents to every dollar on ad spend is between two channels. You guessed it - Google and Facebook. The growth of Google’s digital storefronts has transformed how we buy and sell digitally. Facebook jumped on the bandwagon with digital storefronts that shorten the path-to-purchase and optimise customer sales interactions. We’re sure you’ve clicked on said ads or at the very least been exposed to them when searching for a product. 

The Results

Visitors who click on these types of ads via Facebook or Google have a proven higher intent to purchase the product. It makes sense when they already know what your product looks like, a short description, cost and delivery. Did you know that 78% of consumers discover products via Facebook and 15% use Facebook to make a purchase? It’s no wonder these channels are performing so well, with 70% of mobile users browsing for a product online prior to further engagement. 

How do I set this up? 

Despite the name, the Google Shopping Feed app provides integration with Google, Bing and Facebook creating shoppable products. 

• One platform to manage multiple channels including Google Ads, Google Merchant, AdWords, Bing, Facebook Product Ads 

• Multi-currency based on users' locations 

• All variants are displayed within the shopping feed, each by variation (colour, size, material etc) with individual imagery.

• Out-of-stock products will not be displayed. 

• Simple set up & reliable! (Shopify has a Facebook App that’s free and connects directly to your account, however, this has very mixed reviews and doesn’t offer a reliable integration).  

Email Marketing  

Email marketing is critical (like the centre, the crux) to your omnichannel strategy. Have we made ourselves clear? It is a data goldmine that taps into customer behaviour and learnings of how and when they engage with your brand. Email enables a level of personalisation that other channels simply can not achieve and ties in with your omnichannel marketing strategy. 

The Results

Despite the rise of alternative digital marketing channels, email remains to be one of the most effective aids in a marketer's toolkit. Personalised email marketing builds relationships, retains these customers and ultimately lengthens their lifecycle with your brand. Analysis of email marketing has found it generates $38 for every $1 spent. That’s a 3800% ROI. Most recently, consumers are responding positively to this channel with 78% of marketers reporting an increase in engagement over the last 12 months.

What do we use?

Okay, so there are plenty of email providers in the market. Most of our clients lead towards Mailchimp or Campaign Monitor, though for our eCommerce clients, we always recommend Klaviyo. 

• Klaviyo integrates with 100+ add-ons including socials, eMarketing platforms, shipping & inventory. 

• Heightened level of personalisation and customisation of emails through segmenting (events, profiles, location, date, metrics).

• Centralised customer profiles

• Collect information on your customers via dynamic forms

• Analyses and reporting of results 

• Predictive churn risk, customer lifeline value, gender prediction and smart time sending 

• A/B testing 

• Customisable templates or editable HTML templates

• SMS messaging* which leads us to the next channel in our strategy

Jones & Co personalised emails adopt a beautiful design through Klaviyo and highly personalised content based on user engagement.  

SMS Marketing

It’s fair to say that most people have their phones on them almost 24/7. So why haven’t marketers optimised this platform? There’s been a steady rise in text message marketing and it’s at our doorstep. Scratch that, it’s not just at the doorstep. It’s inside already and incredibly advantageous (we’re talking dollars). However, for most marketers, it is a channel that simply lurks in the shadows and isn’t utilised to its potential.  

The Results

Text marketing is grossly underestimated and underappreciated. The average person checks their phone 85 times per day (yes 85) so your rate of engagement is significant. To be more specific, we’re talking a 98% open rate and CTR of 8.6%-13.3%. The content itself is interactive (i.e. a link, reply, Y/N answer can be provided quickly) meaning the platform is easily trackable for analysis. An Omnisend study indicates up to a 2700% return on investment through SMS marketing. Not to mention, it’s a much more personal way of contacting your customers and a familiar format that resonates with them. If that hasn’t convinced you on SMS marketing then you’re a lost cause. What do we recommend? No need for yet another software tool with additional costs for your team. Klaviyo once again provides an all-inclusive, simple framework for managing your SMS communications.

• SMS compliance management, ensuring your customers' consent is stored and tracked. 

• Simple set-up so you can focus on your content and the experience rather than get bogged down on the technical side 

• First 50 texts are free, then standard fees apply via a pay-as-you-go model