Shopping used to be simple — customers would browse in-store, touching and trying on the products, interacting with the floor associates and finally making a decision whether to purchase or not. Since the wide adoption of the Internet, shopping has become a much more complicated process — customers receive a coupon or special offer via email from a brand to check out their new products or on-sale items. Customers then research products or read customer reviews online. They then either order online or go in the store to check out the products. At the store, they interact with floor associates and try things on whilst comparing prices on their smart phone, reading online reviews or searching for social media recommendations. If customers decide to make a purchase, sales staff may ask them to opt into a loyalty program or recommend the brand on social media during checkout. This customer journey just goes to show how important it is for brands to meet customers at every point in the customer journey — be it online, mobile, on social media or in-store.
Today’s connected customers expect a seamless shopping experience. They don’t think in channels, they see every brand as one entity no matter how many channels the retailer operates. According to this article, 49% of consumers believe the best thing retailers can do to improve the shopping experience is to better integrate in-store, online and mobile shopping channels. Furthermore, an overwhelming 89 percent of consumers said it is important for retailers to let them shop for products in the way that is most convenient for them, no matter which sales channel they choose.
By implementing a multi-channel experience, a brand can understand the current customer journey and when during the customer experience the real “moments of truth” happen for the customer that frames their opinion. Once you identify these critical moments of truth on the customer journey, you can then focus on the key areas of influence for the customer experience.
Creating perfect customer journey means creating more satisfied customers who are likely to return and make repeat purchase. Isn’t this what every brand wants?