Can you remember the last time you made a purchase without first scrolling through reviews, checking for discount emails, or messaging a brand? Probably not.
Most buyers jump between multiple platforms—websites, apps, social platforms, or even physical stores—before making a purchase. They might be looking for inspiration, comparing prices, checking availability, asking questions, or simply seeking reassurance before committing.
Each step customers take plays an important role in the buying journey. But when those steps don’t connect, the experience breaks down, leaving customers frustrated and businesses at risk of losing sales.
That’s the challenge many businesses face today. Teams often manage touchpoints separately, which can lead to inconsistent information, mismatched experiences, and gaps in service. Customers may see one price in an ad but another on a website, get stuck when online orders don’t sync with store inventory, or feel frustrated when they have to repeat details to different agents.
An omnichannel customer experience closes those gaps. It connects all digital and physical interactions so customers can move fluidly between them without starting over. When done well, it streamlines operations, increases satisfaction, and builds loyalty.
In this article, we’ll define what an omnichannel experience is, explore its key parts, highlight real-world examples, and outline practical steps your team can take to create a seamless journey for every customer.
What’s an omnichannel experience?
An omnichannel customer experience is the practice of connecting every part of the customer journey. Instead of treating a website visit, an in-app interaction, a text conversation, and an in-store purchase as separate moments, omnichannel links them into a continuous flow. That way, customers don’t have to start fresh each time. They can move naturally between touchpoints while carrying their context with them.
This is what separates an omnichannel from a multichannel approach. Multichannel simply means offering multiple ways to interact, like online shopping, in-store purchases, and a customer service phone line. But if those channels don’t share information, customers are left to stitch the experience together themselves.
You might experience this when ordering flowers for a special occasion. You place the order on the florist’s website, but when you call the shop for a time estimate, the team there can’t track the courier’s status to give you a delivery window. In this multichannel experience, the website accepted your order, but the store and delivery staff are out of the loop.
In an omnichannel experience, the florist connects its systems so the shop sees your order instantly, the delivery team gets the details, and you receive timely updates on when the flowers will arrive. Even better, the updates come through their mobile app—no call needed.
That’s the essence of omnichannel: customers move naturally between touchpoints, and every part of the business stays connected to support them.
The different parts of the omnichannel experience
Omnichannel can feel like a big concept, but at its core, it comes down to connecting the key parts of the customer journey. From discovery to loyalty, each stage has its own touchpoints and expectations. Breaking them down makes it easier to see where gaps exist—and how to close them—so the overall experience feels seamless.
Here’s what makes up an effective omnichannel experience.
1. Discovery and research
Customers often begin by exploring your brand, which can include scrolling through social posts, reading reviews, or comparing products on your site. At this stage, consistency matters most. Product details, promotions, and brand messaging should align across platforms so customers don’t see conflicting information.
2. Omnichannel messaging and interactions
Messaging is one of the most flexible parts of the omnichannel experience. Customers reach out in many ways—via live chat, SMS, email, or social DMs—and expect their conversations to carry over seamlessly. In an omnichannel approach, these interactions don’t live in silos. They connect into a single thread, so team members always have the context they need and customers don’t need to start over.
That same connected foundation also powers outbound communication. Because profile-level insights from past interactions are tied to customer records, campaigns like promotions, loyalty updates, or service notifications can be more targeted and timely. The result is a conversation that feels consistent, whether the customer is reaching out to you or you’re reaching out to them.
3. Transaction and fulfillment
When it’s time to buy, the process should feel just as connected. Whether customers check out online, pick up in store, or schedule delivery, details like pricing and inventory should stay consistent. During fulfillment, real-time updates and proactive alerts should keep customers confident that their order is moving forward without surprises.
4. Post-purchase support and loyalty
Customers still expect support after their purchases. Easy returns, timely responses, and personalized loyalty offers help strengthen the relationship. These touchpoints should acknowledge the customer’s history, whether that’s confirming a return, thanking them for their purchase, or extending a tailored reward.
5. Data and preferences
Behind the scenes, connected data ties everything together. A unified customer profile that includes past purchases, communication history, and preferences ensures every interaction feels personal and relevant. Just as important, customers should be able to set those preferences themselves, including choosing the channels they want to hear from and how often.
Benefits of the omnichannel experience
Building an omnichannel experience takes coordination across teams and systems, but the effort is worth it. Today’s customers expect brands to remember who they are, recognize their history, and provide consistent answers no matter where they engage.
When businesses deliver that kind of seamless journey, they remove friction, strengthen relationships, and gain a competitive edge.
Here are some of the most important benefits.
A smoother customer journey
When every step is connected, customers don’t hit the roadblocks that often cause frustration, like repeating information, navigating inconsistent pricing, or dealing with siloed teams. The result is more engaged omnichannel shoppers who spend 30% more and are 1.7× more likely to make repeat purchases than single-channel customers.
Faster response times
Omnichannel systems give team members the context they need at a glance. Instead of searching across different tools for order details or past messages, they can respond quickly and accurately. An omnichannel communication platform strengthens this even further by centralizing conversations across text, email, and other channels into one thread.
With every interaction tied to the same customer profile, teams can deliver faster, more informed answers that build trust and reduce the chance of losing a customer mid-journey.
Stronger personalization
Because customer data is connected across touchpoints, businesses can understand preferences and behaviors more clearly. That means marketing campaigns are more relevant, sales outreach is better timed, and support is tailored to each individual. The result is 250% higher engagement rates from omnichannel campaigns over single-channel ones.
More efficient operations
An omnichannel approach doesn’t just benefit customers—teams (and businesses) also reap the benefits. Shared data reduces duplication of work, centralizes communication, and allows handoffs between departments without friction. That increased efficiency helps boost performance, which can lift sales by 9% or more compared to single-channel experiences.
Increased loyalty and retention
When customers consistently feel recognized, supported, and valued, they’re more likely to return. In fact, businesses with strong omnichannel strategies retain 89% of their customers, compared to just 33% for those with weaker approaches. That level of loyalty creates lasting relationships and powerful word of mouth.
Omnichannel experience examples across industries
The best way to understand the impact of omnichannel is to see it in action. Here are a few examples of how businesses across industries create seamless experiences that meet customers wherever they are.
Retail: Target’s curbside pickup
Target connects its app, website, and stores so customers can browse online, order through the app, and pick up curbside. Inventory syncs in real time, so what customers see online matches local store availability. Notifications through text and the app keep customers updated every step of the way, including when their order is ready for pickup.
Travel: Delta Air Lines’ connected journey
Delta unifies its website, app, and in-airport services into a single customer experience. Travelers can check in online, get mobile boarding passes, and receive real-time text updates about gate changes or delays. If they speak with an agent, the representative has access to the same profile and trip details, avoiding costly misunderstandings and delays.
Hospitality: Starbucks Rewards
Starbucks’ loyalty program is available across its app, website, and in-store systems. Customers can reload their balance online, order ahead via the app, and still earn rewards for in-store purchases using their account. They may also receive personalized offers and item recommendations through the app based on their purchase history, making them feel understood and valued.
Healthcare: Connected patient portals
Many healthcare providers now offer omnichannel portals that let patients book appointments online, receive reminders by text, check test results through an app, and follow up via telehealth or in-person visits. By connecting communication, scheduling, and records, patients get more clarity and fewer administrative headaches, giving them greater confidence in their care.
6 steps to creating an omnichannel customer experience
Building an effective omnichannel journey doesn’t happen overnight. It takes planning, alignment, and the right tools. The good news is that creating a connected experience is achievable when you break it down into clear steps.
Here’s how.
1. Map the customer journey
Start by identifying the key stages customers go through, from discovery and research to purchase, support, and loyalty. Document which channels they use at each stage and where friction often occurs to help create a connected experience.
2. Break down silos between teams
Omnichannel requires coordination across marketing, sales, support, and operations. Establish shared goals, standardize messaging, and ensure information flows freely between teams so customers receive consistent answers no matter where they engage.
3. Connect your systems and data
Technology is the backbone of omnichannel. Integrate tools like your CRM, ecommerce platform, messaging apps, and support software so data flows into a single customer profile. The more unified your systems, the easier it is to deliver personalized, context-rich experiences.
4. Prioritize omnichannel communication
Most customer interactions happen over channels like text, email, chat, and social messaging. To manage them effectively, use an omnichannel shared inbox that brings all of them into one interface, allowing your team to respond consistently no matter where a conversation starts or ends.
Within that inbox, conversations should be organized into a single thread per customer, capturing every message across platforms. This gives teams full context and ensures customers never need to repeat themselves, resulting in communication that feels seamless at every stage of the journey.
5. Personalize with insights
Draw on data from past interactions to make future ones more relevant. Messaging features like custom fields and templates automatically insert details—such as names, preferences, or past purchases—into messages, making personalization fast and easy. You can use them to send a targeted promotion to specific contacts, recommend a product based on purchase history, or adjust support based on individual preferences. That way, every touchpoint feels tailored and personal.
6. Test and optimize continuously
Omnichannel is an ongoing process, not a one-and-done initiative. Monitor customer feedback, track performance metrics, and adjust strategies regularly. Small improvements, like reducing duplicate messages or speeding up fulfillment updates, compound into a smoother journey over time.
Bring your customer experience together with an omnichannel strategy
Every interaction is a chance to make your customer’s journey smoother. When channels are connected, touchpoints stop feeling like separate steps and start working together as one smooth experience. That’s what keeps customers engaged, satisfied, and eager to return.
At its core, omnichannel experiences are fueled by unified messaging. It’s the backbone that connects every step of the customer journey, allowing you to seamlessly customize touchpoints with important context, personal details, and past interactions.
A centralized messaging platform makes this possible by bringing together customer conversations across text, email, and other channels. Instead of juggling disconnected tools, your team sees every interaction in one place—complete with history and context—so they can respond faster and more personally. That means customers feel recognized at every step, and your business earns the kind of trust and loyalty that lasts.
Learn more about omnichannel messaging here.
