Customers no longer use a single channel to make a purchase decision. They may use a laptop to research a product, such as visiting social media sites or forums to see what others are saying about an item or a business. They might use their smartphone to find a brick-and-mortar store that sells the product locally. While visiting your store, they could use a kiosk to see if you have the item in stock or offer access to helpful information, such as assembly instructions or maintenance procedures. They may then go home and use their desktop to visit your website and place an order for either home delivery or to be picked up at your store.
However, your customers are going to expect seamless integration across every channel. For example, if they set up a “wish list” on your in-store kiosk, they want to be able to add or delete items on the list from their smartphone or home computer. If they place an order from their laptop, they want to access tracking information from the kiosk or their smartphone. Providing this friction-less experience requires the use of a variety of technologies, and getting them all to work together properly can be challenging. When done correctly, though, it can offer substantial benefits. Achieving this can be easier if you keep the following four keys in mind.