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A customer-centric omnichannel: why it matters more today than ever
With the new retail technology getting increasingly accessible to the expanding population segments, it is getting harder to predict what exactly provokes customers to make a purchase decision.
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Kusumo Martanto, CEO & Co-Founder Blibli
I
em>Is obsessing with customers, keeping sight, never losing touch with their needs, competing with their obstacles, and focusing on their challenges--enough to stay relevant in the dynamic of the e-commerce landscape, such as the unforeseeable purchase patterns?
With the new retail technology getting increasingly accessible to the expanding population segments, it is getting harder to predict what exactly provokes customers to make a purchase decision. What we see today is that nobody knows how people shop. What we know for sure is that no one is shopping through a single medium anymore.
Imagine walking into a physical store to buy the newest smart tablet you have wanted since you saw the advert. At first, it might seem like a spontaneous purchase, but is it? You spent a couple of weeks doing online research, added various models to shopping carts, and eventually abandoned them because you got distracted by other brands' enticing advertisements, which you later shared with your friends.
Not that obvious, right? People now unpredictably buy what they want or need, with online purchases made while shopping in the physical store. We believe that keeping sight of purchasing patterns is a significant aspect of building a more solid omnichannel future retail strategy.
Why force customers to choose between the ease of online shopping and the convenience of offline shopping?
Customer behavior has shifted dramatically just within a matter of years. For all the scary headlines during and post-COVID-19, it's essential to recognize that there has never been more widespread adoption of e-commerce. Major social restrictions cause an unparalyzed impact on customer behavior in adopting online shopping. It no longer stands as an option yet more as a solution. In 2021, Indonesian online shopping jumped more, doubling from $21B in 2019 (before the pandemic).
Now, we're seeing the market cautiously reboot offline activities, leaving polarized assumptions. Will e- commerce stand its fort of success, or will the sun go down in the industry?
The latest research from The Trade Desk shows that consumers are returning to shopping offline after the pandemic is more contained. However, the acceleration of online adoption in the retail industry is not necessarily left behind; otherwise, it synergized.
The takeaway? We are now entering the physical and digital worlds simultaneously, where there is not a 'physical world' or the 'digital world' in retail but rather an integrated, connected one.
In some cases, companies may purposefully choose to engage the customer across multiple channels. Suppose the customer still decides to purchase online but wants direct interaction with the expert at the physical store. In that case, this engagement can ensure timely intervention, reduce customer attrition, and boost customer satisfaction.
So, those who remain competitive by paying attention to their competition and looking for ways to improve services based on trends, such as experimental pricing strategies from shipping promotions to service fees and discounts, are only doing business as usual. Nevertheless, those who obsess over what customers want rather than get distracted by competitors' movements are purposeful businesses.
Sharpening the e-commerce IQ is how we focus on things we know will not change.
I can't predict the future, but we can contribute to its development, and we all know that loyalty and trust are always the vision. Does pampering with low prices provide value to customers? Or the opposite?
Let's gaze at the price factor first. It is a compelling fact that price plays a significant role in deciding a course of action from the customer's perspective. I do not want to debate that price war these days is not a legitimate way of driving business, streaming new customers, and gathering attention; the challenge is staying profitable.
However, studies suggest most purchasing decisions are just based on gut and are full of assumptions. Regardless of the amount, no one wants to feel deceived after spending their money buying products. This shopping rationale stops us from creating a crowded marketplace with inconsistent quality. Why? Because convenience and peace of mind are equally important to customers. It has to coexist in the customer's experience, creating loyalty and driving a sustainable business.
After all, e-commerce is none but a dynamic environment. From day one, we believe that customers always want something better, and we desire to delight them and invent on their behalf. So when navigating, do you keep questioning what your consumer needs? When it is constantly changed, and no permanent answer to it?
In this sense, we will continue leveraging technology to make our customers' life easier. At the same time, we are putting our scale and innovative mindset to work on a more sustainable business because it enhances customer experience.
That includes spending more effort to meet the customers on their platforms, whether on mobile devices, physical stores, social media, or brand-native applications. Omnichannel is about flashing in front of consumers where they are and at the exact moments when they are looking to make a purchase. Technology made many corrections to retailing.
We look at the future optimistically and are constantly thinking about how we can better shape it to our customers' benefit to make the novelties we bring relevant and convenient. We campaign for whether we offer online-offline integration, fast delivery, flexible payment, or assurance.
Because, in the end, we believe that unlocking the dynamic of the future takes trust precedence. Therefore, providing such things is essential to our business to ensure a strong foundation, not a transactional relationship between customers and service providers. We are not pursuing an interim champion but winning customers' hearts for a sustainable business in the future.
This article was published in collaboration with Blibli.
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The Writer is a CEO & Co-Founder Blibli.
