{"id":1673770,"date":"2015-07-07T17:53:54","date_gmt":"2015-07-08T00:53:54","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.retailpro.com\/News\/blog\/?p=1673770"},"modified":"2015-07-07T17:57:34","modified_gmt":"2015-07-08T00:57:34","slug":"channelling-a-good-experience","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.retailpro.com\/News\/blog\/index.php\/2015\/07\/07\/channelling-a-good-experience\/","title":{"rendered":"Channelling a good experience"},"content":{"rendered":"

In a competitive marketplace, retailers must provide a seamless shopping experience online, whether mobile or at home, and in stores \u2013 or risk losing sales<\/em><\/p>\n

By: Hazel Davis of Raconteur<\/p>\n

It\u2019s one of the most popular retail buzzwords,\u00a0yet only 29 per cent of UK retailers\u00a0consider themselves to be omni-channel,\u00a0providing a seamless shopping experience\u00a0across different channels.\u00a0Research from software company JDA andPwC also found that for 64 per cent of UK\u00a0retail chief executives the top priority to\u00a0enable growth is improving omni-channel\u00a0and fulfilment capabilities.<\/p>\n

Digital performance firm Dynatrace works\u00a0with 17 of the top 20 global retailers, helping\u00a0them to improve the performance of\u00a0their web and mobile storefronts. Their\u00a0research shows that nearly a third of UK\u00a0consumers shop through a combination of\u00a0online, mobile and in-store channels. More than half (56 per cent) use their smartphone to compare prices online or download discount vouchers while shopping in-store.<\/p>\n

This means, says Michael Allen, Dynatrace\u2019s\u00a0solutions vice president, retailers\u00a0must ensure their customers receive a\u00a0consistent experience regardless of which\u00a0channel they shop through. \u201cEvery customer\u00a0journey is unique in today\u2019s digital business\u00a0economy,\u201d he says. \u201cThe rise of online\u00a0and mobile commerce has fundamentally\u00a0changed the way we shop, but it\u2019s not as\u00a0clear-cut for retailers as just identifying\u00a0whether their customers shop online or instore.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mr Allen says the multitude of touchpoints\u00a0in the modern consumer journey\u00a0puts pressure on retailers to ensure their\u00a0customers enjoy a consistent experience\u00a0across every channel. \u201cWhether they\u2019re visiting\u00a0the website from home to research a\u00a0product, using the mobile app to \u2018click and\u00a0collect\u2019 the item on their way into work or\u00a0walking into their local high street branch\u00a0to pick something up in person, the journey\u00a0has to run smoothly, or retailers risk causing\u00a0disillusionment that pushes their customers
\naway,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

Of course, as they become progressively\u00a0digitalised, retail operations are at increased\u00a0risk of technical failure.\u00a0\u201cMany critical processes and online\u00a0storefronts are interdependent or rely on\u00a0third-party services such as web hosting\u00a0or cloud-computing providers,\u201d Mr Allen\u00a0points out.<\/p>\n

\u201cUnfortunately, when one of\u00a0those third parties has a problem, it can\u00a0prevent staff from putting through a sale\u00a0at the checkout or pull down an entire\u00a0website, rendering them slow or even completely\u00a0unusable.\u00a0\u201cThis creates a major challenge for retailers\u00a0in creating a consistent customer\u00a0experience across all channels, as their\u00a0performance can easily be impacted by\u00a0factors outside of their direct control.\u201d<\/p>\n

He\u00a0says that retailers need complete, real-time\u00a0visibility into the entire application and\u00a0service-delivery chain for every customer\u00a0interaction and every business process on\u00a0the back-end to see where and why issues\u00a0might be occurring.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s also worth noting that an over-reliance\u00a0on a particular third-party service is a\u00a0recipe for disaster for any retailer, says Mr\u00a0Allen. \u201cIf a website-hosting provider goes\u00a0down, there should be a failsafe built in\u00a0that switches the service over to an alternative\u00a0provider instantly, so customers don\u2019t\u00a0suddenly find themselves unable to access\u00a0the site or proceed to the checkout halfway\u00a0through a shop,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

It still happens more than it should. A\u00a0common error, says Mr Allen, is when a web\u00a0page has a single point of failure, where one\u00a0faulty component can delay the entire page\u00a0from loading. \u201cFrom the customer\u2019s perspective,\u00a0they\u2019re stuck in a situation where\u00a0their browser is just left hanging for 20\u00a0seconds or more before anything appears,\u00a0during which time most will have given up\u00a0and clicked off,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

Another error is building too many marketing\u00a0analytics tools into a single page.\u00a0Many of them do the same thing and\u00a0merely create another component adding\u00a0to the page-load time. Having too many\u00a0images that load separately on a single\u00a0page can also have a negative impact on\u00a0the customer experience; everything will\u00a0load much faster for the user if images are\u00a0grouped into a single file using sprites, but\u00a0this is often neglected during web-page\u00a0design, adds Mr Allen.<\/p>\n

There are a number of technologies transforming\u00a0the omni-channel landscape.\u00a0PowaTag, used by the likes of Universal\u00a0Music and Carrefour, aims to turn every\u00a0point of contact into a sale, converting impulse\u00a0into purchase and eliminating the\u00a0wait that causes incomplete transactions.\u00a0The technology turns offline environments\u00a0and printed materials into online shopping\u00a0environments, and printed materials and\u00a0posters into accountable sales vehicles.\u00a0PowaTag audio even embeds audio water-marks into any live or recorded broadcasts,\u00a0letting consumers purchase spontaneously\u00a0and immediately.<\/p>\n

Dan Wagner, chief executive of Powa Technologies,\u00a0says: \u201cReal value is what defines\u00a0consumer patterns. Consumers are looking\u00a0to make informed purchases that can be\u00a0completed via their smartphones easily and\u00a0securely. Being constantly bombarded by\u00a0individual mobile commerce and payments\u00a0applications has only complicated further an\u00a0already saturated market.<\/p>\n

Users experience\u00a0the same frustrations looking at their smartphones\u00a0being overcrowded with apps of limited\u00a0scope and reach as looking at their wallets\u00a0or pockets being full of credit and loyalty\u00a0cards that can only be used in certain stores.\u00a0\u201cUsers do not want one more app \u2013 they\u00a0need the right tool that provides real solutions
\nto their needs.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"tech<\/a><\/p>\n

But chief executive of retail software company\u00a0Retail Pro International Kerry Lemos\u00a0warns against simply jumping on the latest\u00a0bandwagon. \u201cThe high expectation for omni-channel already exists in the consumer\u00a0world,\u201d he says. \u201cWhether retailers should\u00a0choose to go through the operational upheaval\u00a0to conform to that expectation is still\u00a0to be determined.\u201d<\/p>\n

In fact, the most important question they\u00a0must ask is whether omni-channel is worth\u00a0it for their business. As Mr Lemos says:\u00a0\u201cConsumers want omni-channel because it\u00a0is convenient for them. There is a lot of customer-centric hype and it fails to consider\u00a0business operations realities and the sizeable\u00a0investment a retailer will have to make to\u00a0implement an omni-channel strategy.\u201d<\/p>\n

In order for the omni-channel experience\u00a0truly to work, the whole company has to\u00a0be engaged in the idea. \u201cThe retailer must\u00a0set their own definition and standard for\u00a0omni-channel \u2013 not the customer, not the\u00a0media, not other businesses. It is important\u00a0not to get carried away with the hype, but\u00a0instead determine what is best for their business,\u201d
\nhe says.<\/p>\n

\u201cEvery retailer\u2019s business model, goals\u00a0and offerings are different, and that will\u00a0be reflected in how they structure their\u00a0omni-channel efforts. The entire company,\u00a0from the chief executive to the weekends-only shop assistant, must be implementing\u00a0the omni-channel vision in every\u00a0decision and interaction.\u201d<\/p>\n

So, what does the future of omni-channel\u00a0look like? Rob Shaw is global vice president,\u00a0general business and systems, applications\u00a0and products customer engagement and\u00a0commerce at hybris, which provides omni-channel solutions to companies such as\u00a0P&O Ferries and Monsoon. He says we\u2019ll start\u00a0to see more \u201clistening in\u201d in real time to the\u00a0signals a specific consumer generates while\u00a0browsing across different channels, then\u00a0acting in a timely fashion, rather than basing\u00a0next steps on customer history.<\/p>\n

\u201cLet\u2019s say a customer is browsing a retailer\u00a0website a month or so after buying a new\u00a0pair of shoes,\u201d he says. \u201cTypically this might\u00a0result in the brand\u2019s marketing technology\u00a0generating adverts for shoes that then follow\u00a0the customer around the web. By applying\u00a0context, the retailer would realise faster that\u00a0the customer is probably more interested in\u00a0shoe accessories than another pair of shoes,\u00a0leading to more appropriate recommendations\u00a0or advertisements for products such as\u00a0laces, shoe polish or protective sprays.\u201d<\/p>\n

Implementing omni-channel retail strategies\u00a0is the only way that this context can be\u00a0derived as, in the age of the channel-hopping\u00a0consumer, it provides all the data required\u00a0to build the all-important single view of the\u00a0customer. Historically, too many retailers\u00a0have been guilty of employing a siloed approach\u00a0when it comes to the organisation\u00a0of their business, a situation that makes accurately\u00a0tracking customer activity all but\u00a0impossible.<\/p>\n

But this is changing, says Mr Shaw: \u201cMany\u00a0brands are implementing more holistic approaches\u00a0to their operations and more effective,\u00a0contextually-aware customer engagement\u00a0will be the key benefit.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

See the original and the related infographic here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In a competitive marketplace, retailers must provide a seamless shopping experience online, whether mobile or at home, and in stores \u2013 or risk losing sales By: Hazel Davis of Raconteur It\u2019s one of the most popular retail buzzwords,\u00a0yet only 29 … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":13,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1673770","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-announcements"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.retailpro.com\/News\/blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1673770","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.retailpro.com\/News\/blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.retailpro.com\/News\/blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.retailpro.com\/News\/blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/13"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.retailpro.com\/News\/blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1673770"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.retailpro.com\/News\/blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1673770\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.retailpro.com\/News\/blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1673770"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.retailpro.com\/News\/blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1673770"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.retailpro.com\/News\/blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1673770"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}