9 Omni-Channel Marketing Pitfalls You Need to Avoid
Omni-channel is here to stay. Its name may evolve, but technology has made our customer journey omnipresent: it spans channels, devices, and our physical locations. Our path to purchase is no longer concrete; it’s constantly in flux. And with any innovation like this come challenges we must overcome. That’s why we’re sharing 9 omni-channel marketing pitfalls you need to avoid to find success.
Not Optimizing for Mobile
This seems like a given, but some marketers have been slow to adopt mobile-optimized marketing. It’s now imperative. Frustrations with mobile email are growing, with top concerns being: it’s too small to read and interact with (32%), website and landing pages not optimized for mobile (26%), and it’s not well formatted for smartphones (21%). Chances are, if your web pages and emails are not mobile optimized, your bounce rates will be higher and click rates lower.
Not Having Consistent Messaging
Marketers are always improving the level of consistency in messaging across channels. With every ad, every campaign, and every initiative marketers should evaluate how the messaging can be conveyed based on the channel and device. Even if it’s shared in different ways, true omni-channel marketing will be achieved once the message is consistent.
Not Being Visible in Local Search
Search is the lifeblood of our online research, and we’re now using every device available to continue that search. Ensure your Google My Business listing is up-to-date and that you’re using the same NAPs (name, address, and phone number) across the Internet. These impact your local search rankings, and when they’re inaccurate and inconsistent it means people can’t easily find you.
Not Capitalizing on an In-Store Audience
Consumers use their smartphones as an aid while shopping in-store. In fact, 58% said they would rather look up information on their smartphone than talk to an in-store employee. Brands that effectively blend this online and offline experience will drive more revenue from shoppers. Perfect example: Target has signs in-store that instruct shoppers to send an SMS text to a number and receive extra discounts off their purchase.
Not Targeting Audiences Across Devices
The cookie-based tracking you’re used to online won’t work in an omni-channel world – it’s not the kind of information that can follow people across every device they use. But unique identifiers like social media profiles, email addresses (have you checked out Google’s Customer Match feature?), and phone numbers can. Especially as smartphones are further integrated into our omni-channel customer journey.
Not Putting a Phone Number Everywhere
Mobile marketing will drive over 100 billion calls to US businesses in 2016. You need ensure your phone number is displayed prominently on your website and landing pages, and explore advertising options like click-to-call ads. The next step for marketers is to then have the right call tracking technology in place that allows them to understand what marketing drives calls to their business. Don’t forget about all the caller metadata you can then collect, including their phone number, and use to better target omni-channel audiences.
Not Taking Advantage of New Technology
There will be over 50 billion Internet-connected devices by 2020. Our job as marketers is to understand how to use these technologies to our advantage and actively engage with consumers. Omni-channel marketing requires us to be present with consistent messaging at every point in the path to purchase, and innovations like beacons, wearables, and mobile payments are the new tools in our marketing toolbox.
Not Understanding How Channels Work Together
Make your marketing work harder for you by using them in tandem. This ties back to the point above on consistent messaging, but it’s also understanding how different channels and platforms impact one another. Take a recent study on mobile social and search. Mobile search clicks saw a 6.3% increase from Facebook ad exposure. Even though social ad engagement may be low, it’s still an effective branding tool.
Not Using Search Extensions to Your Advantage
Using extensions in search results is free – I repeat, free. Every marketer running search campaigns should be using these. But to use them to your advantage in omni-channel requires understanding when and how they appear in search results. For example, call extensions and app extensions are great for mobile campaigns since they will only appear in mobile search results. As opposed to review extensions, which will only appear in desktop search results.
How many of these pitfalls have you avoided? Your omni-channel marketing will find even more success as you continue to master these strategies.
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