What Is Unified Commerce?
Today’s shopper is far more savvy than in days gone by. Typical strategies such as discounts, value-added benefits and low prices are no longer sufficient to ensure sales. Businesses need to innovate and find better ways to ensure brand and customer loyalty. The overall shopping experience plays a vital part in where and how the shopper finally makes their purchase.
Where the shopping experience stretches across a multitude of channels, (web, mobile, social media and point of sale), there is a need to group them together to prevent the disconnection which businesses and customers can find frustrating. In building one ‘omni-channel’, a platform for all the channels to come together seamlessly, unified commerce can become a reality and ensure success for a business.
Typically, most businesses gather data on their customers and clients from many sources. Each commerce channel – web, point of sale – will be building data on customers separately. This then means that a business may be making its decisions based on the data from only one channel, thus missing out on valuable data being gathered from other areas of the business. By combining this data into one centrally accessible point, retailers have a valuable source of customer information at their fingertips that can help convert enquiries into sales and enable them to pitch the right products in the right places.
Does a Business Really Need to Implement It?
According to Computer Weekly, more than three-quarters of retailers will be looking to implement some sort of unified approach to commerce in the coming years.
One way a business can take advantage of this kind of information effectively is through the use of in store media. TV screens and monitors placed strategically can display targeted information designed to display content that is effective and informative based on the data gathered.
One such company that can deliver this kind of bespoke media is http://moodmedia.co.uk/in-store-media/.
The unified commerce approach can also help build a smoother sales/purchase experience. Businesses can offer easier routes to buy or return goods across all their platforms.
In offering this kind of targeted, unified approach to the buyer, the shopping experience becomes far more enjoyable. It builds trust and confidence and can help attract new customers whilst also retaining customer loyalty.