What is omnichannel shopping?
When looking at online shopping trends for 2024, researchers have noticed an interesting shift. In the past, there was often a divide between consumers who preferred making in-person purchases and those who preferred shopping online. Some of the decline of brick-and-mortar stores is just due to this increase in online shopping. But the new trend blends both options together, and it is known as omnichannel shopping.
Some studies claim that roughly 50% of consumers are interested in this process, so it’s definitely something you want to address as a business owner. What does it mean for your marketing efforts? How does it influence your audience? What will this mean for the development of your website and your online presence?
How it works
To start with, omnichannel shopping just means that people are interested in both the online experience and going to a physical retail store. In fact, 25% of those asked said that they had purchased things on the internet – using their phone – while they were still standing in that store.
An example of this could be a consumer who is interested in a product and researches it online. They then find a local store that sells the product they’re after. Rather than ordering the item online, they drive to the physical location to see it in person.
In some cases, this results in the person buying the item from the physical location, rather than online. They were just using the internet to do research, but they do not want to wait for the product to be delivered.
In other cases, such as the 25% of consumers noted above, they simply want to check out the product in person before putting in their order. Ultimately, they are still going to order it online and have it delivered to their house, but they don’t want to make the purchase without seeing the product first.
How can you embrace omnichannel shopping?
If your business has both a physical location and an online store, you may need to address this new trend in shopping. One way to do so is simply by making your contact information readily available. Remember that consumers don’t just want to read product details or learn about the specifications. They may not make their final decision until they are physically standing in your store, so you need to make it easy for them to find the location. Even a small amount of confusion may be enough to push them toward another seller.
You may view your audience as a group of people who come to your website to make a purchase, but that conversion isn’t guaranteed. Your audience may actually be using your site to do research, so you have to take things one step further to get the conversion you’re looking for. You still have to get those consumers in the door.
Product details still matter
That said, don’t overlook the importance of accurate product pages. As much as people are turning to omnichannel shopping, 70% of those who shop online say that the product page is the most important one in determining whether or not they make the purchase. Even when people are just using the website to do research before buying in person, you need to give them as much information as you can and sell them on the benefits of the product. A product page that is too basic or that lacks important information for the consumer may not make any conversions or drive any traffic to your brick-and-mortar store.
Here at Content Customs, we can help you keep an eye on e-commerce trends and develop the kind of content that gets results. Contact us today to learn more.
