The Hybrid Customer Experience- A New Dimension E-Commerce

The explosion of smart device usage, the rise of IoT, popular mobile apps, and more have led to businesses shifting their focus to boost their digital presence, and speed up their online strategy. In fact, there are approximately 2.14 billion digital consumers currently. Nonetheless, it’s no longer a case of online Vs offline- the new mantra is a hybrid shopping experience powered by the advanced e-commerce software solution. Shopper expectations are changing and businesses are evolving to keep up with it.

What precisely is a hybrid shopping experience?

Hybrid shopping takes into account the elements that are a blend of both in-person and eCommerce shopping options, where there is a seamless connection between both the physical and virtual worlds.

Several businesses currently allow shoppers to order items online and have them collected at one of their stores in the customers’ vicinity. This is made possible thanks to custom e-commerce solutions that handle multi-channel operations. Additionally, several companies are enabling consumers to return products that were purchased online to physical counterpart stores and get back their cash or refund. In more recent times, the pandemic brought forward the possibility of curbside pickup, and brick-and-mortar stores have begun offering the option of mobile self-checkout.

Hybrid journeys such as these are propelled by integrated e-commerce software solution and a robust strategy that helps businesses with marketing campaigns, brand messaging, product data spanning various channels as well as shopper data. Thanks to e-commerce software development businesses gain robust platforms and are able to offer shoppers a highly frictionless and smooth journey.

In-store staff is able to access customers’ account data or it can also be extracted through various devices, whereas customers can look up data of their preferred products like availability in-store, pricing, comparisons, etc.

To put it simply, shoppers are given a free rein on how and when they want to shop. This possibility of convenience is the primary cause that dictates shopper behavior today.

Why do you need a hybrid shopping strategy?

Customers of varying ages – counting Baby Boomers (62%) and Gen Z (58%), continue to have a preference for purchasing from a brick-and-mortar store. Moreover, 45% of in-store shoppers carry out online research before purchasing.

Hybrid shopping is favored over conventional and online shopping primarily because of the level of convenience offered. Your prospective customers do not actively search for a particular shopping experience, rather they seek the most ideal overall shopping journey depending on their needs at varying times. They have come to expect shopping journeys that are straightforward, friction-free and that can accommodate their timeline and preferences. It could be that you have not yet opted for hybrid customer experiences as you don’t want to ‘rock the boat’ but continue with what feels familiar. Here’s why you should change that fact.

With custom e-commerce development you gain state-of-the-art solutions to help you offer higher personalization, lower friction, and optimized convenience that lead to high customer satisfaction. This, in turn, elicits a positive response and boosts brand loyalty, often translating to positive reviews, less churn, and higher revenue.

So, before you decide to invest in the latest e-commerce software solutions, figure out how the technology solution will boost your overall strategy. Invest sufficient time in assessing various options before you decide on a firm that offers the solutions that align with your needs. Overall user-friendliness, level of customer support, and product training availability are further considerations to keep in mind when assessing provider options. Now, are you all set to take your business up a notch with hybrid shopping experiences?