The customer journey for physical goods used to be relatively straightforward: Consumers would make a shopping list, go to the store, pick out products, check out, and go home.
Today, with advancements in commerce technology, an abundance of online and offline channels, and variations in customer preferences, no two customer journeys look alike. Yet all customers demand highly personalized marketing messages and shopping experiences everywhere they shop.
Consumers can buy whatever, wherever, and whenever they want. As a result, seamless omnichannel experiences are no longer a novelty—they’re the expectation.
A customer journey is the path a person takes from first hearing about your brand to becoming a loyal customer. It covers every interaction a potential buyer has with your brand, starting from the moment they first stumble upon your product, and continuing long after hitting the “buy” button.
The journey includes a mix of digital and physical experiences, like:
To truly understand and optimize this journey, you need first-party data, meaning information collected directly from customers through your own channels. This data is the key to creating a unified view of your customers and delivering personalized experiences that feel natural, not intrusive.
While customers expect personalized shopping experiences, many aren’t impressed with the ones they’re getting. In fact, 67% of US online consumers rate their experiences with brands as just “okay.” That’s a huge opportunity for improvement.
Using your first-party data, you can create dynamic customer segments based on behavior, preferences, and purchase history, which leads to more targeted and effective marketing campaigns. When finding new customers, tools that tap into this data can cut acquisition costs by up to 50%.
Customer journey mapping creates a visual story of how people interact with your brand.
A good customer journey map helps you:
It’s a powerful visual tool that gives you a bird’s-eye view of your customer’s entire experience with your brand, spotlighting key moments when you can connect with customers and revealing hidden opportunities.
Marketers use tools like:
First-party data is important here—it combines all browsing, purchasing, and order data from across channels to create a unified customer model. Your journey map should reflect different customer segments—a new buyer’s journey often differs from a loyal customer’s experience.
Knowledge is power in omnichannel marketing—you need to understand your customers to create a strategy that sells across channels. Most businesses agree: 74% of them say understanding customer preferences and behaviors is a top priority.
Start by centralizing all your customer data. Use a platform like Shopify that offers a unified customer model that routes the data from all of your selling channels into one accessible place.
Shopify’s flexible data structure allows you to customize customer data to fit your needs. You can capture and express information in any format using metafields, which seamlessly integrate with your entire marketing stack.
This includes Shopify’s own tools like Email, Collabs, and Collective, as well as third-party apps such as Klaviyo, Yotpo, Meta, and Google, or even your own custom-built solutions. The key advantage is that all of these tools collaborate to build a comprehensive customer profile based on a single, unified data model that you control.
Use tools like Shopify’s customer segments to precisely define what customer attributes matter to your business. For example, you might segment based on:
Use the built-in editor to combine filter names, operators, and values. You can leverage Shopify-based filters as well as custom metafield-based filters.
💡Tip: If you’re unsure how to build a segment, use Shopify’s Sidekick to generate one from a plain language description.
These segments update automatically—new customers who match the criteria are added, while those who no longer match are removed, ensuring your segments always reflect your current customer base.
By creating detailed, dynamic segments, you can tailor your omnichannel marketing efforts to specific customer groups, increasing the relevance and effectiveness of your campaigns.
Add web pixels to your site to track buyers’ interactions with your store. Web pixels give you a compliance-forward way to monitor customer behavior from discovery through checkout. They also allow you to share data securely with partners like Google or Meta.
Regularly review your data to refine your strategy. Shopify Analytics offers reporting features for acquisition, behavior, and marketing performance. Use these insights to:
An omnichannel strategy doesn’t just mean you’re present on multiple platforms—it involves choosing the right mix of channels and connecting them to create a fluid customer experience.
Your research should tell you where your audience hangs out online and offline. For example, are they scrolling through Instagram or watching YouTube videos, or do they prefer good old email? Once you’ve got that nailed down, prioritize the channels that align with your business goals and resources.
The real magic lies in integration. Your channels shouldn’t exist in separate silos—they need to talk to each other and share data. That way, a customer who abandons their cart on your mobile app can get a targeted email reminder or see a retargeted ad on social media.
Today’s retailers have more channels to choose from than ever before. Here are some of the top options for retailers:
Create a single centralized database that collects and stores customer information from all channels, including online stores, physical retail locations, mobile apps, social media interactions, and customer service communications.
With a complete view of customer data, you can deliver highly personalized marketing messages and product recommendations across all channels. Customers receive consistent, relevant messaging regardless of how they interact with your brand.
Implement technology that can track and attribute customer interactions across different channels. For example, with Shopify’s Point of Sale (POS) system integrated with the online store, businesses can track customer interactions across both digital and physical channels.
Shopify’s unified platform allows customers to start their journey in one channel and complete it in another. For example, customers can add products to their online carts, apply promo codes, and choose to pick up the items in-store.
Implement a checkout that combines extensibility for your business needs with the trusted acceleration of buyer wallets like Shop Pay. Shopify Checkout offers a powerful solution that balances customization with high-converting features:
Offer the speed and convenience of Shop Pay, which can increase conversion rates by up to 50% compared to guest checkout. Shop Pay’s massive identity network of over 100 million buyers allows for one-click purchasing, reducing friction in the buying process.
With a fully responsive, mobile-first design, Shopify Checkout ensures a smooth experience on any device, catering to the growing number of mobile shoppers. It also supports global sales with checkout localization in over 50 languages, as well as currency conversion and duty calculation features.
Personalization is a key differentiator in retail—and there’s a noticeable gap between expectations and experiences. Our research found that only 19% of consumers rated their experiences with a brand as good, and 0% rated them as excellent.
Using a unified customer model, you can create an adaptable storefront that brings personalization to life. Retailers are moving toward having customers log into an account to control how they present their brand and products to different customer segments. For example, you could use behavioral data to create personalized product recommendations, highlight relevant discounts, or showcase store credit.
💡 Tip: Set up Customer Accounts in your Shopify admin to let buyers self-manage their relationship with your brand. They can manage shipping, returns, re-orders, and other aspects of their experience independently on any device.
Automation ensures customers receive the same high-quality experience across all channels, whether in-store, online, or through a mobile app. It also helps retailers handle a large volume of customer interactions without needing to hire more staff.
Shopify offers a suite of tools that help automate conversations with shoppers. For example, with Shopify Email, you can create and automatically send email campaigns to customers who have signed up for marketing. Your team can also set up automated SMS messages to connect with customers who prefer that channel.
Use customer segments to send personalized marketing communications. For example, you can group customers by geographic location and use Shopify Email to promote events specific to an area.
If you want more advanced automation, turn to Shopify Flow, an effective tool for larger businesses and those with complex operations. It allows you to create custom workflows that automate tasks across your store and connected apps.
Here are some examples:
Shopify Flow uses a visual builder with triggers, conditions, and actions, making it accessible even if you’re not a programmer. It can save significant time on repetitive tasks and help ensure important processes aren’t overlooked.
Customer preferences are evolving rapidly across generations, and expectations for service are higher than ever. A McKinsey report found that customers expect seamless service across all platforms.
While Gen Z consumers are increasingly turning to phone support, older generations are becoming more comfortable with digital chat. This diversity in preferences necessitates an omnichannel approach that ensures all customers can engage through their preferred methods.
McKinsey’s research indicates that “customers of all generations prioritize support from a real person, but they also want the flexibility to use different channels according to their needs.” An omnichannel strategy allows retailers to cater to this desire for flexibility, while providing more touchpoints for personalized interactions, which can lead to more upselling and cross-selling opportunities.
Shopify Inbox is an excellent platform for omnichannel support. It lets you chat with customers directly from your online store, as well as other channels like the Shop app. You can set up automated first-reply messages to manage customer expectations, and customize messages based on your availability so customers always receive timely responses.
Data collection is essential for powering omnichannel ecommerce personalization. This includes gathering information on traffic, on-site interactions, personal data, purchases, and searches. Equally important is tracking your success using the appropriate metrics.
While the list can vary, common KPIs to track for omnichannel programs include:
As Chrome phases out third-party cookies, determining which data to use and how to track it will become increasingly complex. Retailers must prioritize first-party data collection with a unified commerce platform like Shopify.
While there’s no universal attribution method or collection tool for omnichannel marketing, most marketers typically follow these strategies:
💡 Tip: Use an app like Triple Whale or Polar Analytics to compile data from every marketing channel and sync it with your Shopify sales and conversion data.
Whether it’s your first or fifth omnichannel marketing campaign, keep these best practices in mind:
Customers judge your brand by the consistency and quality of their experiences across all channels. These experiences can vary depending on the customer’s preferences, needs, and types of interactions with your brand.
For instance, a customer may overlook minor inconsistencies if their overall experience is positive, or they might become frustrated by seemingly small issues if they occur repeatedly.
Before launching your campaigns or implementing new touchpoints, review your strategy carefully for these common mistakes:
A customer sees a promotion for a 30% discount on the brand’s mobile app but finds only a 20% discount when they visit the physical store.
A customer tries to complete a purchase on their smartphone but abandons it due to a clunky, slow-loading website.
A loyal customer who buys men’s products receives emails featuring promotions for women’s clothing.
A customer explains their issue in a chat session, only to have to repeat everything when they’re transferred to a phone call.
Customers feel uncomfortable when a brand’s social media ad references a product they viewed on its website without explicit consent.
A customer enjoys a luxurious in-store experience but finds the brand’s website cluttered and difficult to navigate.
An older customer who prefers detailed product information receives only short, emoji-filled texts about new arrivals.
Customers repeatedly complain about a confusing return process on social media, but the policy remains unchanged.
A customer rushes to a store based on an email promotion, only to find the item is out of stock and store staff are unaware of the offer.
A customer is treated as a VIP in-store due to frequent purchases but isn’t recognized when they call customer service.
Here are some examples of top omnichannel marketing strategies from Shopify merchants.
tokyobike is an independent bicycle company that faced a unique challenge: They had a global fan base, but couldn’t open stores or find local stockists near every interested customer.
Customers would often travel long distances to visit a tokyobike retail location for a test ride. If they didn’t make an immediate purchase, they would leave with only a business card, a list of bike specifications, and a credit card authorization form.
Many customers found it difficult to complete the purchase using this method, especially after leaving the store. Given the long distances between potential customers and retail locations, they were unlikely to return to the store to finalize the purchase.
tokyobike moved to Shopify’s Point of Sale (POS) system, which unified their online and offline sales channels. Now, if a customer test-rides a bike but leaves without buying, their shopping cart is saved and emailed to them. They can complete their purchase online at their convenience, even if they started their journey in-store.
Toby’s Sports, the Philippines’ largest specialty sports retailer, revolutionized their online presence by migrating to Shopify. This move transformed their ecommerce capabilities and created a seamless omnichannel customer experience.
The transition yielded impressive results:
Challenges with their original custom-built solution prompted the switch to Shopify in 2017, and they later upgraded to Shopify Plus in 2018, which brought numerous additional benefits:
With so many commerce functions made easier by Shopify, Toby’s Sports can now focus on enhancing merchandising, expanding their product range, and improving shipping logistics across the Philippines’ 7,000 islands.
Jenni Kayne, a California lifestyle brand, faced significant challenges as they expanded into home furnishings and opened more stores. The brand needed to unify inventory across online and physical stores, simplify multilocation management, and cater to the needs of diverse customers, from regular buyers to trade program members.
Shopify Plus and Shopify POS provided the solution:
The result? A doubled brick-and-mortar store presence, increased customer engagement through unified profiles, and streamlined inventory management.
Sam Mella, Jenni Kayne’s Director of Home Experience, emphasizes how Shopify facilitated their omnichannel vision. “We can sell everything from clothing to dinner tables all in one system. Everything just feels easy for our clients and our team.”
What’s your next action item toward running an omnichannel brand? If you’re already focused on omnichannel marketing and shopping, consider polishing your customer service or inventory management. If you’re just starting, begin by understanding your audience better and finding gaps across different channels.
Remember, integrating multiple touchpoints creates a seamless customer experience, which is critical for customer satisfaction and loyalty. Consider personalization, and always keep customer preferences in mind as you refine your omnichannel strategy.
An omnichannel marketing strategy is an approach that provides a seamless and integrated customer experience across all channels and touchpoints. It aims to create a consistent brand message and user journey whether the customer is shopping online, in a physical store, or through a mobile app.
The 4 C’s of omnichannel—Consistency, Continuity, Context, and Convenience—guide businesses in crafting cohesive customer journeys. These principles help brands deliver personalized experiences that feel connected across all channels.
An example of omnichannel marketing is a retailer allowing customers to browse products online, check in-store availability, make a purchase via mobile app, and pick up the item in-store.
The four pillars of omnichannel marketing are typically considered to be integration, personalization, seamless experience, and customer-centricity. These elements work together to create comprehensive strategies that put the customer at the heart of every interaction.
The omnichannel marketing model is a holistic approach that unifies brand experiences across all customer touchpoints. By integrating data, technology, and processes, it delivers personalized journeys that feel coherent regardless of how customers engage with the brand.
