On this page we describe all parts of the best omnichannel retail website. So what must a website contain in order to strengthen the store?
- The assortment
- Encourage store visits
- Customer Portal
- Marketing functions
- Full integration
Of course we assume that the website is responsive for mobile, fast and secure.
Omnichannel Retail
For the people who just forgot; Omnichannel retail means that you offer consumers the same experience both online and offline. More and more people are mainly orientating online. That is why it is important that you as a shopkeeper effectively use this with your own website and Social Media channels. Discover the tips below to get a good website that complements your store. In short; the perfect omnichannel retail website.
1. Assortment
Do you show online what you have in store? 3 out of 4 consumers first look online before they come to the store. 80% of them mainly look via mobile. It is a huge job, if you have to manually put every product that you have in store online. Therefore investigate the possibilities of an integrated solution. If the cash register system is properly linked to the website, the products are automatically displayed online. We offer this system for the omnichannel jeweler. This saves a lot of time keeping the offer up-to-date.
For this subject we would also like to mention the background information of your company. For omnichannel retail it is important that you also present your company. A nice page about the store, the history and the team will make the website more personal and offer the same experience as in the store. Also if you offer a specific service, it is smart to create a separate page for this. With a link in the main menu, it is immediately clear to the visitor what they can expect.
2. Encourage store visits
In addition to showing the range, it is important to encourage a store visit. For this you first need to remove all obstacles and doubts. So clearly state the opening times and address of the store below each page. A button that directly opens the navigation in Google Maps is also a nice plus. In addition, it is good to post a short description about parking options (if your store is in a busy street).
Then invite people to visit your store for free advice or to really experience the product in multiple blocks of text. In addition, a function such as online reservation and pick-up in the store is a wonderful opportunity to generate store visitors. Do you also offer a certain service, such as a valuation or repair? Then also give the opportunity to apply online for this. This is a nice way of accessible contact. You also collect more contacts for doing marketing in the future. Please note, that options like these will give you more email. Certainly if you have to sell the service (because you are more expensive than others), you may want to omit the contact form.
3. The customer portal
An omnichannel retail website is really complete with a customer portal. How nice is it if consumers can log in to your website for self-service and information? For example, to see what the status of a repair is or how many loyalty points they can spend. A complete overview of all (store) transactions is also a good addition or, for example, a chat function. In this way the consumer feels even more involved with the store. Moreover, you collect customer data more easily and you are less often called with “simple questions”. In addition, this gives consumers the opportunity to manage their own data. A subject that is becoming increasingly important with the new privacy legislation.
4. Omnichannel retail marketing
Collecting data is important to make good decisions. So make sure that you also collect data on your website with, for example, with Google Analytics and a Facebook pixel. This will help you find out which products are often viewed and found interesting. You can also approach these customers again with advertisements. What does this have to do with an omnichannel retail website? Especially that this can serve well as an online window of your store.
For example, clearly post a promotion on the website that applies in the store. Or give people the opportunity to subscribe to a newsletter. In addition to this, you can also take photos and videos in the store and post them on Social Media. In this way you already give people a familiar feeling of entering your store.
In addition, it is very useful if you can easily keep track of the website yourself without knowledge of coding. So you don’t have to hire someone for every change. Include this in your decision where you want the website built.
5. Full integration
Ultimately, you save a lot of time and money if the website is fully integrated with the store system. So if all customer data and orders are visible in one place and that products are automatically displayed online. In addition, it is interesting if you can easily link the system to platforms. In this way you can show what you have to offer online in several places. With our company we make such an omnichannel retail website affordable for the jewelry industry.