The boundaries between ordering online and offline are blurring. Yet there are still major differences, and these have a significant impact on the customer experience (CX). This applies whether you sell products or services mainly online, offline or through a combination of both. Customers drop out when they encounter obstacles. How do you remove those obstacles?
There are, of course, major differences between online and offline marketing. Customers also notice differences when they order something. How they experience this varies by type of customer or product group. Some products you really want to try out and experience in a shop first. For other things, the convenience, time savings or price of ordering online are particularly important.
More and more companies operate both online and offline. Is the hand blender you want out of stock? Order it online straight away! This trend continues to develop. This year, Google named outdoor retailer Bever the best omnichannel retailer in Europe. Their shops are full of technology, such as barcode scanners and screens that provide product information and help with ordering. A winning combination with the staff’s strong knowledge and good customer service.
Differences becoming increasingly important
While the boundaries between online and offline shopping are blurring, the differences are actually becoming increasingly important for companies. This applies even if they operate exclusively online or offline, because what is the competition doing? And how do customers experience that? Those operating on both fronts must, above all, provide a consistent customer experience. Digitalisation can offer solutions, but it can also go wrong and actually create barriers.
That is risky. That is why measuring customer experience is crucial. Transactional measurements in particular (about and immediately after the purchase) are valuable for this purpose. Questions about online or offline barriers can also be asked directly as part of this.
Action through insight
Using the measurement results, these companies can take immediate action to remove obstacles and improve experiences. Online, for example, customer trust is an important factor. This is not just about the reliability of an online shop, but also about providing clear information and removing uncertainties about matters such as delivery, service, warranties and return options.
Sometimes, small adjustments can deliver major improvements straight away, including in the shop. It all depends on what your customers need. Just make sure you have a clear understanding of this.
