As the CTO at ATG, I joined forces with Kelly Phillipps, the CIO of Backcountry.com, to present a session called “Keeping Pace with the Evolving Cross-Channel Challenge” at the recent NRFtech 2010: IT Leadership Summit.
Kelly’s side of the presentation focused on building community through the various commerce channels offered by Backcountry.com (an ATG Commerce customer). In my introduction to this topic, I took the opportunity to outline some topics for merchants to consider as they attempt to implement an effective cross-channel commerce strategy. I’d like to continue that conversation here.
First and foremost, we need to define what an effective cross-channel commerce strategy entails, right?
We often hear people say “drop the ‘e’ from ‘e-commerce,” but that doesn’t mean that we suddenly forget about the Web. Rather, it means that we need to take advantage of the work we’ve already done to build that essential platform to add new channels, business models, and modes of connection that are integrated to ensure that consumers’ needs are met at each level of interaction and that you have a unified view of the customer and his/her goal.
These data and processes should include a range of functionality from the most basic services to an array of external, SaaS-based technologies (such as ratings and reviews, product recommendations, or click-to-call) that can easily be delivered and managed. More importantly, they can be implemented on any channel, mode or business model that is desired, without risking service levels. This is what we call “Commerce Anywhere” and it means that consumers can access merchants’ information, conduct research, and make purchases anywhere, anytime and any way.
So where should you implement this strategy?
There are some obvious answers to this question, such as on the Web, on mobile devices, in the stores and within your call center. That said, there are many paths to a purchase and merchants need to put themselves in their customers’ shoes to determine the best solution to suit their consumers’ unique needs. If you were to purchase a product or service from your company, what path might you follow? Does it require thought, research, or consultation? Is there an aesthetic consideration for which you’d like advice? Should it be compared to other products or services? As a consumer, what path would you choose and what information would you need? It’s often the case that consumers interact with multiple touch points over the course of a buying journey, and these interactions may appear to be discrete and unconnected, while to the consumer they are all part of a single task. The idea is to first ensure that information is accurate and synchronized across the channels, but also to make it possible to become aware of these journeys happening around you and to react to them to help the consumer complete her task.
Once you have considered the information, services and touch points that will best suit your consumers’ needs, try to distinguish between the channel and the mode of communication. The term “channel” is often used for both, but I find this collides with its traditional business meaning, in a confusing way. What’s more, it is ambiguous.
After all, you may be standing in a store, while using your smartphone to look up information about an item in front of you, or calling or texting/chatting with a call center agent. You could also visit a store, but use a kiosk to find other items via the Web, or order on-line, but visit a store for pickup and to grab accessories. Therefore, we try to distinguish between channels, which usually have different business terms, relationships, and contracts associated with them, and modes, which have technical requirements and implementation details associated with them.
In summation, a “cross-channel” strategy is crucial, but it’s not a one-size-fits-all approach. Merchants must consider their business needs – and the behaviors of their customers – to ascertain what information and services, and which channels and modes, are best suited for their commerce activities.
Nina McIntyre
Robert Brazile
Bill Zujewski
Frank Lord
Ryan Hoppe
Kelly O’Neill
Damien Acheson
