Unified commerce: much more than an omnichannel strategy.

More fluid communication between companies and customers, and unified management of the company's different sales channels are the result of the evolution of omnichannel strategies known as "unified commerce".

At the beginning of this year we talked about omnichannel and how it was a trend due to the multiple benefits it could bring to your business; however, trade marketing strategies and the retail industry are advancing by leaps and bounds and without even having finished 2022, we already find ourselves with an evolution of the omnichannel called "Unified Commerce". But what is it and what are the differences between the two? - We'll tell you...

Unified Commerce

As we mentioned before, unified commerce was born as an evolution of omnichannel to guarantee more fluid communication between the company and the client, uniting the management of the company's different sales channels. Unified commerce goes beyond omnichannel by uniting customer communication channels by integrating them into a single platform. The main objective is to manage customer interaction with physical stores, mobile web applications and telephones in a unique, centralized and real-time way. The customer must be able to jump from one channel to another without any friction or hindrance.

In other words, unified commerce is a process that aims to fully integrate all sales and customer interaction channels. Through a single platform, the company has all the information about your business in a centralized way, with which you can monitor in real time what happens in all the business channels and have control of the global stock.

In other words, thanks to unified commerce and the adoption of a single management platform, the entire customer experience in the business, whether physical or virtual, is coordinated in an integral way. This allows:

• Collect all the data that is generated during the purchase process, regardless of the channel.
• Visualize in real time all the information about the stock, regardless of its location.
• Have global KPIs, which help to more easily identify errors and inefficiencies throughout the sales process, whether online, offline or hybrid.
• Offer a better service, since the customer can choose at any time how to communicate with the company, how to contact the customer service, where to pick up the product and under what conditions or how to return an order.

This sales and customer service strategy enhances the interaction between the company and the consumer, guaranteeing a better shopping experience, which will ensure that your sales do not stop growing.

Difference between Omnichannel and Unified Commerce

Although at certain times, both terms give rise to confusion, the two have a very marked difference. Omnichannel seeks to integrate customer service channels, while unified commerce wants to integrate all business management on the same digital platform, creating an experience with less friction. This allows the company to manage factors such as stock, payments, and other aspects of interest to consumers at once.

This type of strategy can occur both in a communication environment and in a sales environment, helping to boost conversions and leads. In short, both omnichannel and unified commerce place the customer at the center of the business, the latter being the most complete strategy to date to achieve this goal.

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Until next time! ;)