How to Choose the Right Omnichannel Platform for Your Business?

Moving towards digital communication at scale has always been a tedious task for all types of businesses, no matter the industry you're serving or the size of your business. With so many technological advances companies are now looking for new ways to enhance and improve their customer experience and at the same time to save in operational costs, by ultimately using the best software that meets their business needs.

This is where omnicahnnel platform gels in... You've probably heard about the omnicahnnel experience before but not yet taken any actions to deploy it at your existing business, that's probably since moving towards omnicahnnel digital communications force you to change so many things in your organizational culture and behaviour.

What are omnichannel platforms?

Omnichannel platforms are built in order to create a complete and updated customer experience between companies and their customers. The platforms are equipped with AI capabilities that enhance the user experience at all levels to simply create a digital effective dialogue between all participants.

The platforms are the latest technological advances in terms of effectively communicate with customers through all available digital channels and are offering with a long terms business solution for reducing operational costs, empowering sales and support teams, and be available to customers at all times.

The omnichannel platforms were first designed in order to change the way companies interact with customers on a daily communication basis. The main idea behind was to create an instant responses to customers who are dealing with any kind of issues in a seamless manner and through the channel they prefer to communicate with the business.

Benefits of Omnichannel platform for business

Samples of Omnichannel platforms solution in different industries

As mentioned above, not matter the type of business and the amount of customers serves, omnichannel is the true next gen customer experience and can elevate not only the customer service element at your business but also to improve sales and customer engagement on all levels. Here are some examples for a superb use of omnichannel platforms in various industries:

Omnichannel for Insurance

The omnichannel in the insurance field is just getting more popular with many insurance companies taking their services towards digital communications and providing their customers with various ways to communicate with them. Customers are now can easily ask for policy information, sign forms online in real-time, and even renew their insurance policy online with just a few clicks. Companies who accelerate in providing a complete omnichannel experience in the insurance industry are: State Farm , AIG and All State .

Omnichannel for Banking

The banking sector is well known for adopting technological advances a while back, Omnichannel is already implemented in many banks and any other financial institutions who are looking to make customers life easier and more accessible during all hours as well as saving in operational costs by operating less workforce. Known banks who already uses omnichannel solution as a customer communications solution are: Bank of America , Wells Fargo , and Bank Leumi .

Omnicahnnel for Enterprises

When more customers are now looking for instant responses using various digital communication channels such as: WhatsApp, Facebook, Chat, Email, Twitter, etc large enterprises must keep up with the pace and provide their customers with a complete omnichannel experience.

Companies like: Vodafone , AEG , Clarks , Virgin Trains and some others have adopted the omnichannel approach and are using it for some while as the main an critic system in their organization.

Why companies are forced to move towards omnichannel communications in 2020?

The answer to this question is quite simple, Customers nowadays are more tech oriented and are looking for easy and effective ways to resolve their issues with companies.

Companies who provide an omnichannel solution in all available communication channels are the companies that will survive the digital revolution.

There's a whole new customer generation, not only Gen Z and Millennials are using digital channels rather then calling the businesses but also Baby boomers and Gen X are becoming more tech savvies in related to communication with businesses.

In a world where everything is instantaneous companies must keep up the fast pace of pleasing customer needs within the hour. Companies who fail to do so will simply won't survive as the world is rapidly shifting into a complete approach of emphasising customer experience.

Customer experience can be a brand differentiatior in many cases and providing a unique and excellent one is undeniable while using an omnichannel platform.

How to choose the right platform?

Prior to choosing the right omnichannel platform for your business it is recommended to conduct a research as well having a well planned business strategy that will reflect all the areas of the company and in which areas the omnichannel platform is future to act.

In most cases businesses will use the omnichannel platform for improving customer service and sales departments.

So, what should you look for?

* Make sure it supports your teams and customers language

* It better be fully customizable to have the look and feel of your brand

* Fully secured (most are cloud-based)

* Easily integrated with exciting systems at your business

* Omnichannel by design and not using any third party extensions

Omnichannel Chatbots

The latest technology omnichannel solutions has to offer are the omnichannel chatbots which like no traditional chatbots can serve customers through all channels using an advanced AI technology.

The omnichannel chatbots are primarily designed in order to work with all other channels in the omnichannel platform and in a complete harmony. each channel keeps it native tone and is not interrupted. by that the omnichannel platform function to it fullest ability and no data get lost on the way.

By having a bot that can serve on all available channels simultaneously businesses can be more available and don't need to have one bot for each channel. The ultimate omnichannel chatbot can serve popular communication channels like: WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, SMS, Twitter and more. The power businesses can get using this feature is enormous especially when everything is synchronised in one platform.

Under the hood

Omnichannel is already here and will stay for a very long time. With technology taking over and customers who are looking for fast and relevant responses implementing an omnichannel platform at different businesses seems undeniable.

When taking the first step towards omnichannel platform implementation it is highly important to conduct a research at your business and to define the goals that you are looking to achieve by deploying this advanced system.