As we all know, the world changed with the outbreak of COVID-19 and that change has dramatically affected our customers’ buying behaviors. A recent survey found that 41% of respondents are now shopping online for things they would normally purchase in-store. While this change in behavior may be through necessity, it does however create many issues for marketers who are under increased pressure to keep up with these changing demands, and ensure they provide a personalized and meaningful customer experience, no matter the customer’s chosen engagement channel(s).

There’s a lot of hype these days about omnichannel marketing and the importance of crafting a consistent customer experience across every platform. The fact is, though, that all channels are NOT equal when it comes to customer engagement. According to industry analysts Gartner, an Adobe 2018 Consumer Email Survey found that 50% of consumers named email marketing as their preferred brand communications platform, compared with a maximum of 20% who said they preferred any other channel.

The prospect of becoming an omnichannel retailer certainly sounds appealing: a seamless buying experience, happy customers and increased sales. However, becoming one is easier said than done.