The term “omnichannel eCommerce” has been tossed around quite a bit in the eCommerce realm lately. But what is omnichannel eCommerce, and how does it compare to multichannel or crosschannel? Is this a new concept or simply a new name for an existing method?
At CloudTags, omnichannel is being described as “a buzzword for crosschannel with finesse.” And what provides that finesse? A continuous experience across brands, formats, and devices. In order to create that continuous experience, customer and product data needs to be accessible across a unified platform.
Some studies, including this whitepaper from GoECart, state that the only way to have unified data is to operate on a unified platform, such as online marketplaces. While these new platforms can offer the omnichannel experience, we don’t believe that installing an entirely new eCommerce platform is the only way to deliver the that experience.
The first step to succeeding at omnichannel eCommerce is to unify data across the platform. This can be done with your existing system by integrating all data points and applications.
Omnichannel eCommerce is all about accessible data. So, in order to make data accessible, your eCommerce site needs a flawless integration with all other platforms, including backend order and inventory management, fulfillment and warehouse management, and more. While selecting the necessary technologies is obviously an important step, choosing an experienced integration team is possibly the most crucial decision when unifying your eCommerce experience.
Even if your organization has applications that were implemented by different vendors, use different software languages, or were installed years apart, a qualified integration consulting team can make those platforms work together in harmony. As we’ve said before, a good platform can be ruined by a bad consulting partner, and a competent partner can make even a subpar platform a successful tool.
Any integration project can be a shock to the system as your organization optimizes business processes in order to better serve the customer. Be sure to get the whole team on board and follow a successful integration strategy.
Are you ready to take your organization’s eCommerce implementation to omnichannel? Read a few of our integration success stories, or contact our talented team to get started.
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