Multichannel Marketing
What do many of the fastest-growing small businesses have in common with the Fortune 100? They make it easy for their customers to shop however and whenever they like-online, in stores or via direct mail-thanks to multichannel marketing. Convenience is essential to time-strapped consumers who can now shop online 24/7, call a toll-free number for customer service, or later make exchanges in the stores.
By fully integrating your marketing campaign and cross-selling through several channels, you can increase your customer base plus realize more sales per customer.
Big businesses, from retailer Office DepotTM and cataloger Land's End® to cruise marketer Royal Caribbean®, know how to make the most of their cross-selling opportunities. Do you? Here are
three tips for using multichannel marketing to grow your business.
Help Customers Find You:
Online marketing is a vital first link in the multichannel chain for small businesses that, unlike larger companies, have no nationally recognized brand image or dozens of stores. Make it easy
for customers to find you.
Today, the vast majority of shoppers research their purchases online. Nearly three out of four consumers looking for product and service information use search engines.
Pay-per-click advertising can result in high click-through rates and are the first line of entry to your site for new customers who may buy online and later shop with you via additional channels.
Here's how it works: You select keywords or keyword pairs and your paid listing appears each time someone searches on them. You pay an amount of money you set - your "bid" - each time someone clicks you ad to visit your site.
Integrate Your Messages:
Successful multi-channel marketers seamlessly integrate their messages, whether they're using online advertising, magazine ads, or television spots.
And they use one channel to promote another, such as the way BMW uses offline media to drive traffic to the Web to view exciting short films that feature their cars!
Customers should have the same experience with your company regardless which channel they choose.
If you offer newspaper coupons and promotions, for example, it's important to accept them online too.
It is also critical to streamline the process customers must follow when moving from one channel to another. For instance, visitors to DecorateToday.com®, the online store for American Blind and Wallpaper Factory®, see a toll-free telephone number on their screens offering live help from a customer service representative. They can also request a copy of the direct mail catalog, all while shopping online.
Offer a Fully Functional Site:
Even if you're a brick-and-mortar retailer, it pays to have a fully functional online store.
All online marketers should provide in-depth information to help customers make buying decisions. When selling products, include specs and dimensions, plus any product reviews. If you market a service online, it is a great idea to provide testimonials.
Since as many as 95 percent of all purchases on the Internet are made by credit card, it's essential to accept all major cards, from Visa® and MasterCard® through Discover®.
Most small businesses find that using a third-party processing service like PayPal® is the easiest way to add credit card purchasing to their websites.
Track your Sales Results:
Build a database to capture spending activity for each channel. That way you can compare and measure shopping activity and fine-tune your
marketing program accordingly.
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