Optimizing Franchise Omni-Channel Marketing

December 15, 2016

Creating a seamless end user experience across multiple channels and devices.

By Tim Ross

Omni-channel marketing is about true continuity of the end user’s experience with your brand. It’s a new perspective to consider as you execute your marketing strategy.

If you want more return on your marketing dollars, you should be highly selective on which marketing channels to utilize and do a phenomenal job on delivering a 1:1 communication with consumers on those channels. To achieve optimal results, you’ll need to develop the best user experience on the many devices they use. Each piece of the consumer’s experience should be consistent and complementary.

Your website should deliver the same consistent experience across multiple devices (i.e. mobile, desktops, tablets) and multiple browsers (i.e. Chrome, Internet Explorer, Safari-Apple, Android). Data is easily accessible to help you understand where you should focus your efforts. Google Analytics provides customer profile segments by device and browser. Once you understand which devices and browsers visitors are using, prioritize and optimize accordingly.

A mobile optimized or responsive design website is a must have for your business, especially if a healthy percentage of your website visitors are viewing and converting via a mobile device.

Many business websites use slideshows and image rotators to highlight key content. Adobe Flash is used to create these eye-catching elements, but the downside is Adobe Flash isn’t supported by Apple’s Safari operating system or by a few others. Any power statements, product highlights or value propositions in these slideshows are likely unseen because it can’t load on the device.

For the highest conversion landing pages, marketers should create multiple versions optimizing content for each device. Create lasting impressions by giving the best experience wherever the end user is. Pay special attention to the size of images on your mobile-optimized version; larger file sizes will slow down the page speed and load time tremendously. Size could have a major impact on search results ranking and conversion rates.

It goes without saying that buying is no longer defined by a single series of steps. Today, the purchasing journey can have lots of detours that could eventually lead to buyer frustration. Customers expect to buy with the convenience of using several synchronized devices and channels. As an example, a prospect is browsing your website on their cell phone, and they find a product or service they like then add it to the online cart. They get distracted and don’t finish the purchasing process; a few hours later they’re on their iPad reviewing their feed on Instagram and see your ad featuring the same item sitting in the online shopping cart. A couple of clicks later, they discover the item remains in the shopping cart. Just as they are ready to check out, their iPad’s battery dies. They quickly jump on their laptop, open up your website and easily finalize the purchase.

Smart brands will satisfy cross-channel buyers no matter where they are in the purchase process.

Prospective customers are using their smartphones as an aid while shopping in-store. Brands that effectively blend this online and offline experience will drive more revenue from shoppers. Utilize in-store signage instructing shoppers on how they can access special discount offers.

By having shopper cell phone numbers, marketers can target the prospective buyers with social media ads. Facebook allows custom audience creation based on customer lists containing either emails or cell phone numbers. Multiple channels working seamlessly together strengthen existing connections. Additionally, Facebook uses a “lookalike” algorithm which allows your ads to reach new prospects that are similar based on your ideal customers’ demographics, lifestyle and psychographic attributes.

Latching onto dated methods and old-fashioned ways will only help your competitors get ahead of you. The brand leaders who’ll win are the ones who can best interpret omni-channel data and execute effectively.

Check out YouTube videos on how traditional marketing channels are executed using an omni-channel marketing approach: https://goo.gl/sFVHql.

Tim Ross is President of Mudlick Mail.