Successful retailers know the value of Shopify Plus multi-selling strategies, and how the right multi-channel approach can increase sales. Before delving deeper into Shopify Plus multi-selling strategies we’ll go over the basics of the approach and its growing importance in the world of eCommerce.
What Is Shopify Multi-Channel Selling?
Multi-channel selling is an approach where businesses no longer identify themselves as just eCommerce businesses, but offer their products and services on other platforms.
Shopify Plus merchants can use this approach to improve their sales, but they will need the right Shopify Plus multi-selling strategies to increase revenue and retain customers.
The data from recent years also shows that multi-channel shoppers spend three times more on their purchases than single-channel shoppers. With potential sales being so much better, it’s no surprise that most online retailers have embraced a multi-channel approach.
As an eCommerce retailer, you shouldn’t just stick to your store – you should be present on social media platforms, marketplaces, and even in brick-and-mortar stores or pop-up stores now. Choose channels where you are most likely to sell your products to customers.
Statistics on Multi-Selling
Shopify Plus multi-selling strategies and eCommerce help merchants increase sales, retention rates, and revenue. The following statistics show just how much multi-selling strategies benefit merchants:
- Merchants who employ multi- and omnichannel approaches to their customers have much higher retention rates, with up to 89% of customers sticking with them. When compared with only 33% retention of no multi-channel engagement, it’s clear why multi-selling wins here.
- The lifetime value of shoppers who buy in-store and online is 30% higher than those who only use a single channel.
- More than 70% of shoppers make their purchases online, and then pick up the products in-store.
- Some of the most popular ways shoppers use multi-channel options are to check item availability before they visit a store, or when they reserve or buy a product and pick it up in the store.
- Shoppers also highly value information storage across channels and devices and love personalised experiences shared between channels.
- Many customers will use social media accounts to quickly log in to various channels available.
How Important Is It to Have Shopify Plus Multi-Selling Strategies?
Today, customers are using over 10 channels before they finally add the item to the cart and make a purchase. They will do a lot of research before they even land on your Shopify store.
Here’s an example: A person finds out about your store and products through a social ad. Once they know what you are selling, they will first start with Google and search for similar products and categories to find other options and compare them.
Once they narrow down the search, they will look for reviews and do more in-depth research. They will also ask friends and contacts about referrals. They will look for discounts/promotions, and sign up for a mailing list to get promo codes and discounts.
Finally, they will buy from you via the website, mobile, or app if you’re the best option they’re looking for. That’s a lot of chances to lose potential customers, so you need to be prepared.
Things to Look Out for When Developing Shopify Plus Multi-Selling Strategies
If you are switching to multi-channel and implementing Shopify Plus multi-selling strategies, you should be aware that there are certain pitfalls to avoid:
Pricing discrepancies between channels
Without a centralised solution to manage prices, it can be hard to keep track of prices across all channels. With a Product Information Management (PIM) system, you will have centralised product data that will be distributed across all channels, so the pricing will be the same everywhere.
Inventory management issues – To avoid mismatches between online and offline locations, invest in an Inventory Management System (IMS) that will sync inventory, availability, shipping, and distribution across all channels.
Split sales between channels
Sometimes internal systems are not synced and won’t integrate data from different channels you use to just one source. You can solve this with an Order Management System (OMS) that will bring sales data from all channels to your eCommerce platform to give you a detailed overview of how each channel is performing.
Promotion resources
It can be difficult to divide and diversify your ad budget between channels. One possible solution is to allocate the budget between funnel stages rather than channels. For example, you can use retargeting ads on Facebook instead of just doing general campaigns.
Attribution challenges
Measuring ROI is very complicated in a multichannel approach because one channel helps with sales that happen in another channel, but only the last channel that drove the customer to your site will get credit for the successful sale. This is known as last-touch attribution.
You can also choose a first-touch attribution model where the first channel the customer comes in contact with will be credited.
Alternatively, you can use Shopify’s attribution connector, which will help you get an accurate overview of how much each channel actually contributed.
Shopify Plus developers can help you implement all the needed management systems. Once everything’s in place, it’s time to find Shopify Plus multi-selling strategies that will work best for your store.
Top 4 Shopify Plus Multi-Selling Strategies
#1 Sell Products Directly via Social Media Platforms
For example, you can sell your products through Instagram thanks to product stickers that you can add to your posts and Stories. You can also showcase your brand on Instagram’s Shopping channel in the Explore tab and reach customers with corresponding interests and styles easily. Or you can sell directly from Facebook with a Shop section on your Facebook page.
#2 Improve Online to Offline Experience
You can improve your customer’s shopping experience by finding a way to bring in-store experience online and by connecting your in-store and online experience.
For example, Rebecca Minkoff achieved that with connected stores where customers could go to the offline stores and try on clothes, then use their phones to add them to carts, find variants and sizes available in stores or available online only, and make mixed purchases based on that availability. This data can then be synced with customer accounts in their online stores.
Magnolia Market brought their in-store experience to their online customers with augmented reality (AR). They rendered all their products and released an AR app that customers could use to see how various decor would look in their homes.
#3 Use Social Advertising to Build Hype and Lead Customers to Your Site
Social media ads can help you build hype for upcoming sales and promotions, and have customers sign up to your mailing list to get discounts once the event or promotions are live. These ads are especially useful before seasonal events such as Black Friday and Cyber Monday.
Announce your sales with posts or Stories a few days before the event to build even bigger hype and offer discount codes directly in your posts. Then, once the event is live, have links that bring your customers directly to your shop’s landing page.
#4 Implement Referral Programs and Get Influencers on Board
Your referral program doesn’t need influencers with huge followings – it can do well with lots of small influencers. Pura Vida bracelets have used this approach to drive their sales through the roof!
You don’t have to use every type of Shopify Plus multi-selling strategy immediately. Just pick one or two that you can implement the easiest and slowly build from there. If you’re unsure of where to start, contact Shopify Plus developers to help you pick the right multi-selling channels.
