Omnichannel

Omnichannel, also known as cross-channel, is a marketing content strategy used to improve user experience and drive better customer relationships across points of contact by putting the customer at the core. Rather than treating channels (onsite, social, mobile, email, physical, and instant messaging) as independent silos, omnichannel offers a customer experience within and between channels by being able to purchase in whichever channel a customer is in.

The experience in engagement across all channels is designed to be more efficient and pleasant than using a single channel. The boundaries between sales and marketing channels are removed to create a unified, integrated experience.

A common example of omnichannel marketing is that a company’s mobile app should match the message and design of the company website and be replicated in online ads and email communications, and should reflect the look and feel inside the brick-and-mortar store, with options to purchase in all those channels, if possible.

Omnichannel vs. multichannel marketing

Omnichannel marketing is similar to multichannel marketing, but it is not the same. While they both have multiple channels businesses use to communicate with customers, the center of the strategy differs. Omnichannel marketing puts the customer at the center, making sure the message is the same across all channels and that it adapts to each touchpoint a customer has with the brand. Multichannel marketing puts the company in the center of the strategy, with the channels working to deliver the unified message manually.

In most cases, customers prefer omnichannel marketing because the experience is seamless. With multichannel marketing, a customer would need to go to a specific channel to find the information they want, inciting frustration.

Webopedia Staff
Webopedia Staff
Since 1995, more than 100 tech experts and researchers have kept Webopedia’s definitions, articles, and study guides up to date. For more information on current editorial staff, please visit our About page.
Get the Free Newsletter
Subscribe to Daily Tech Insider for top news, trends & analysis
This email address is invalid.
Get the Free Newsletter
Subscribe to Daily Tech Insider for top news, trends & analysis
This email address is invalid.

Related Articles

Virtual Private Network (VPN)

A virtual private network (VPN) encrypts a device's Internet access through a secure server. It is most frequently used for remote employees accessing a...

Gantt Chart

A Gantt chart is a type of bar chart that illustrates a project schedule and shows the dependency between tasks and the current schedule...

Input Sanitization

Input sanitization is a cybersecurity measure of checking, cleaning, and filtering data inputs from users, APIs, and web services of any unwanted characters and...

IT Asset Management Software

IT asset management software (ITAM software) is an application for organizing, recording, and tracking all of an organization s hardware and software assets throughout...

ScalaHosting

ScalaHosting is a leading managed hosting provider that offers secure, scalable, and affordable...

HRIS

Human resources information system (HRIS) solutions help businesses manage multiple facets of their...

Best Managed Service Providers...

In today's business world, managed services are more critical than ever. They can...