What is Omnichannel Commerce and How Does Your POS System Play a Role?
The Importance of an Omnichannel Commerce Strategy
If you’re running both an online and a physical store, it's time to consider an omnichannel strategy.
Why does this matter? Because today’s customers expect a seamless shopping experience across all the platforms they use. Whether they’re browsing your online store, visiting your brick-and-mortar shop, or exploring your mobile app, they want the experience to feel connected and consistent. An omnichannel strategy ties all these elements together, ensuring that your marketing, sales, and customer service are in sync, no matter where your customers are shopping. This not only boosts customer satisfaction but also drives sales and strengthens brand loyalty.
Shopify and POS Systems: Bridging the Gap Between Online and Offline
Whether you are using Shopify POS or another POS system as your go-to solution for offline retailing, the first step towards omnichannel retailing is to bridge your customer journey between online and offline.
If you’re already using Shopify POS, then you can effortlessly manage both your online and physical stores using the same platform. It connects your Shopify online store, brick-and-mortar locations, and even pop-up shops, allowing you to sync customer profiles across all channels for accurate, actionable insights. Essentially, any mobile device or tablet can be transformed into a point-of-sale (POS) system, making it easier than ever to start selling.
If you’re using another POS system (non-Shopify POS), consider integrating your external POS system or ERP with Shopify to realize the benefits of creating a unified, online-merge-offline (OMO) experience for your customers.
Shopify has robust APIs and integrator solutions that can facilitate external POS or ERP integration with Shopify agency partners like Wave Commerce who can help build custom omnichannel integrations.
Shopify and POS integration helps ensure that no matter where your customers choose to shop, they enjoy a consistent and personalized experience, which is key to driving success!
A Closer Look at ECPower’s Omnichannel Analytics Recipe
- This recipe is designed specifically for businesses using Shopify POS to merge their offline purchase data with their online store.
- By analyzing sales channel data from orders, you can pinpoint the differences in lifetime value (LTV) between customers who only shop through one channel and those who engage with both.
- If you’re leveraging multiple sales channels—like a mobile app, YouTube, the Shop platform, or subscription services—you can expand this analysis to gain even deeper insights into customer behavior.
Dive Deep into Customer Insights by Sales Channel
By comparing customers across different sales channels, you can uncover their shopping habits. Analyzing LTVs and the variations in purchased products offers valuable insights into what your customers prefer and how they behave.
Track the Journey Steps of Omnichannel Shoppers
Understanding the combination of channels customers use for their first and subsequent purchases can provide crucial information. This helps you optimize their steps and fine-tune your marketing strategies.
Keep an Eye on the Customer Journey
Visualizing and tracking how customers move between online and offline channels allows you to spot opportunities for improving the customer experience and boosting sales.
- Over the past 30 days, have your cross-channel or OMO strategies delivered the desired results? Are these strategies working as planned?
- It’s important to examine who actually transitioned between channels and use this data to refine your approach. ECPower helps you visualize the entire landscape of your omnichannel efforts on a single canvas, enabling you to make informed adjustments and enhancements.
Visit 'Customer Journey' guide
How to Configure ECPower Segments
🛍️ Customers Who Use Sales Channel XX
- Segment Name: 🛍️ Customers Who Use Sales Channel XX
- Description: All customers who have made a purchase using Sales Channel XX.
- Condition Setting:
Customers who have placed an order through Sales Channel XX.
Create this segment (Link to ECPower's segment builder)
🛍️ First Purchase via Sales Channel XX
- Segment Name: 🛍️ First Purchase via Sales Channel XX
- Description: All customers who made their first purchase through Sales Channel XX.
- Condition Setting:
Customers who placed their first order through Sales Channel XX.
Create this segment (Link to ECPower's segment builder)
🛍️ Initial Use of Sales Channel XX is on 2nd+ Purchases
- Segment Name: 🛍️ Initial Use of Sales Channel XX is on 2nd+ Purchases
- Description: Customers who first used Sales Channel XX on their second purchase or later.
- Condition Setting:
Customers who placed their first order without using Sales Channel XX and later placed an order through Sales Channel XX on their second or subsequent purchase.
Create this segment (Link to ECPower's segment builder)
🛒 First Purchase via Sales Channel XX / Subsequent Purchases via Sales Channel YYY
- Segment Name: 🛒 First Purchase via Sales Channel XX / Subsequent Purchases via Sales Channel YYY
- Description: Customers who made their first purchase through Sales Channel XX and later made purchases through Sales Channel YYY.
- Condition Setting:
Customers who placed their first order through Sales Channel XX and then placed subsequent orders through Sales Channel YYY.
Create this segment (Link to ECPower's segment builder)
🛒 First Purchase via Sales Channel XX / Only Continued Shopping on Channel XX
- Segment Name: 🛒 First Purchase via Sales Channel XX / Only Continued Shopping on Channel XX
- Description: Customers who made their first purchase through Sales Channel XX and have continued to shop exclusively on that channel.
- Condition Setting:
Customers who placed their first order through Sales Channel XX and have not used any other sales channels for subsequent purchases.
Note: In the second condition, select all other sales channels except for XX.
Create this segment (Link to ECPower's segment builder)
Ready to Maximize Shopify with your POS System? Partner with Wave Commerce for Seamless Integration
If you’re looking to fully leverage Shopify POS or integrate Shopify with an external POS or ERP system to boost your retail business, we recommend Wave Commerce as your trusted partner.
Wave Commerce has helped many retailers unlock omnichannel commerce and growth through their expert Shopify services and OMNI Loyalty solution to build unified customer loyalty programs for integrated online and offline customer experiences.
With OMNI Loyalty, you can:
- Unify Online & Offline Customer Loyalty: Offer a single membership profile for customers both online and offline, for both Shopify POS and other external POS or ERP systems.
- More Ways to Reward + Convert: Offer member benefits, points, free gifts and time-sensitive instant rewards to drive sales urgency.
- Create VIP Membership Tiers: Reward loyal customers and drive spending with targeted prompts, for purchases made online or offline.
- Segment and Tag Customers: Deliver personalized rewards and tailored marketing.
- Offer Omnichannel Experiences: Provide a "VIP Anywhere" experience across all sales channels.
- Enhance In-Store Service: Equip staff with real-time access to customer data via Shopify POS.
- Boost CLV and Repeat Purchases: Offer customized rewards to keep customers returning.
Related article: Recipe | Membership Analytics - Powered By Wave Commerce
Elevate your business and transform your customer journey with an integrated omnichannel strategy from OMNI by Wave Commerce and ECPower!
