5 ways where companies often fail in their omnichannel transformation

When a company fails to sync data across channels, it can result in customer frustrations and buyer headaches.  

If your setup is based on multichannel, the channels are independent and don't communicate with each other. However, using omnichannel the channels “talk to each other” and the customer experience is unified across all channels. 

Let’s take an example: A customer, Peter, has placed an order via email for 200 white sports socks. He doesn’t want to pay the invoice via check, but online with a credit card. However, when he logs into the customer portal, the invoice isn’t there. In fact, none of the email orders are on the customer portal – Only his orders made online are accessible. 

What happens? Peter gets frustrated and next time, he needs 200 sports socks,  he will find another  supplier.  

With an omnichannel experience, all data is synced across different channels. When Peter logs into the customer portal, he gets all orders and invoices – from all the channels! 

When it comes to omnichannel, customer service can be a significant challenge for companies. Poor customer service can result in frustrated customers, repetitive messaging, and ultimately churn. Customers expect seamless communication across all channels, but many companies struggle to integrate all these different customer service channels into one unified system. 

Having dedicated reps for each channel may seem like a good idea, but it can lead to siloed and compartmentalized data, which is the opposite of what an omnichannel approach aims to achieve. To address this challenge, companies can consider using a unified omnichannel customer service solution that houses all customer service messages in one place. This can save time and improve performance on every channel, leading to higher retention rates. 

In fact, companies that use omnichannel customer engagement strategies see a retention rate of 89%, compared to 33% for those that don't. Therefore, it is crucial for companies to build the right support infrastructure to engage with customers and solve their problems quickly and efficiently to ensure a seamless omnichannel experience. 

Buyers in today's market are savvy, with 74% of B2B shoppers conducting online searches on multiple platforms for at least half of their purchases. With easy access to information, customers compare prices and search for the best deals before making a purchase. 

To remain competitive and meet customer expectations, B2B sellers need to ensure their prices are consistent across all channels. Customers become frustrated if they find a sudden price drop on one channel after having bought the product on another. 

Inconsistencies in pricing across channels can also lead customers to question the quality of products and may cause them to switch to a channel with lower prices. Although some omnichannel strategies may involve deliberate pricing variations on different channels, most of the time, price inconsistencies are not intentional and can be unproductive. 

One way to address price inconsistencies is to integrate all channels, such as e-commerce, marketplaces, and email, with the ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning). By using the ERP as the central database, B2B sellers can ensure pricing remains consistent across all channels, enabling a seamless omnichannel experience for the customers. 

Brands interact with customers through various channels like mobile, e-commerce, email, phone, and in-person, which provides opportunities for sales and customer loyalty. To achieve a seamless omnichannel experience, synchronizing data and aligning customer service are not enough. The structure of channels also needs to be examined. 

While having a channel manager for each channel is good - Having an omnichannel manager to unite them is critical. Without one, channel managers may silo their channels and create conflicting goals. 

To prevent this, a dedicated manager or team should be in charge of unifying these channels. If not feasible, cross-channel goals should be established to ensure a smooth omnichannel experience. 

Many of the issues faced by omnichannel retailers stem from incorrect software choices.  

If vendors aim to reduce costs and increase customer satisfaction, they need to ensure that their ERP becomes the primary source of truth. Additionally, the e-commerce platform should integrate seamlessly with the ERP. 

With an integrated e-commerce platform, real-time updates of pricing, invoices, inventory, and orders are available from the ERP, enhancing transparency and accuracy for B2B customers. 

Decentralized and non-integrated software causes delays in processes, requiring teams to work harder to access data and address customer concerns, leading to lower customer satisfaction. 

All omnichannel strategy failures stem from lack of unity. To overcome them, centralize and integrate your data for a seamless buying experience that builds customer loyalty. Failure to synchronize data across channels and integrate channels with the ERP results in disorganized and frustrating experiences for customers, leading to revenue loss