When Your Marketing Mix Isn’t Blending Just Right
Running an eCommerce brand is akin to running a bakery - ingredients are flying, different batches are going in and out of the oven, and a hungry audience is waiting for their treat. But even if each dish is tasty on its own, what happens when the whole spread feels…mismatched?
That’s exactly what happens when you haven’t unified your marketing strategy across all channels. Enter the great bake-off of the digital age: Multichannel vs Omnichannel Marketing.
These terms get tossed around a lot, and often interchangeably! But these are not the same thing, and mistaking one for the other can leave your customer journey half-baked. Let’s get into the sweet details and help you whip up a strategy that sticks.
Multichannel and Omnichannel Aren’t Interchangeable
So, what is the difference between multichannel and omnichannel marketing? While both serve multiple marketing channels, only one blends them into a unified, satisfying customer experience strategy. (Spoiler alert: it’s omnichannel).
The Isolated Channel Approach Behind Multichannel
Multichannel marketing is like hosting an event where every department sets up its own booth, with no coordination. Your emails are saying one thing, Facebook ads another, and that in-store promotion? Totally disconnected. Each piece might work okay on its own, but without a shared direction, the overall experience feels scattered and inconsistent.
In multichannel setups, each platform is handled separately. Your social media team might be posting one thing while your email team is launching a completely unrelated campaign. You’re technically everywhere, but not in a working-together way. Unfortunately, this results in a fragmented experience for the customer as they may see your brand on multiple platforms, but the messaging feels inconsistent.
Think of it like using five different cake recipes at once. Sure, what you end up with is technically a cake, but it probably won’t taste great.
What Omnichannel Really Means for Customer Experience
Omnichannel marketing, on the other hand, is a well-rehearsed bake-off. Every channel, every team, and every message works together in harmony to deliver a deliciously cohesive experience for your customer.
Here’s it in action: A customer browses your website but doesn’t buy. A few hours later, they see a social ad featuring the exact product they viewed. Later still, they get an email with a 10% discount and personalized suggestions based on their browsing behavior. Each interaction feels intentional, not like you’re shouting into five different megaphones, hoping something works.
In omnichannel, all channels are syncing in real time, pulling from the same customer data, and aiming at the same goal: creating a unified customer journey that feels effortless.
Why the Right Strategy Impacts Every Step of the Journey
Each step of your customer journey (discovery, consideration, purchase, follow-up) needs to build on the last. If the layers don’t align, the whole thing could slide off the plate.
Omnichannel ensures those layers are solid and complementary. The tone stays consistent, the visuals feel familiar, and the brand promise is reinforced at every turn. Customers aren’t starting from scratch each time they switch platforms, they’re moving to the next layer of the journey!
Omnichannel Brands Serve a More Satisfying Experience
When your channels work together, your brand delivers something customers can sink their teeth into. It’s about crafting a presence that’s flavorful and memorable from the first impression to the final follow-up.
A Consistent Flavor Across Every Platform
Consistency is one part branding, one part building trust. Omnichannel marketing ensures your voice, design, and messaging are recognizable whether someone’s reading an email, scrolling Instagram, or chatting with customer support.
Customers don’t have to reorient themselves every time they engage. It’s the same sweet experience, just served on a different plate.
Data That Powers Smarter, More Personalized Interactions
One of the tastiest elements of omnichannel eCommerce strategy is personalization.
When all your tools are working together (email, CRM, website, chat, etc.), you get a 360-degree view of your customer. That means you can:
- Recommend products they’ve looked at
- Offer promos based on purchase history
-
Time your messages when they’re most likely to bite
It’s like remembering your regular’s coffee order before they even walk in the door. That kind of experience creates serious loyalty and repeat business.
Why Omnichannel Shoppers Often Spend More
Here’s a stat that’ll make your mouth water: omnichannel shoppers spend 10% more than single-channel customers and are 23% more likely to return.
Why? Because when the journey is seamless and personalized, customers feel seen and supported. There’s less friction, more excitement, and way more chances to convert.
Real-Life Scenarios That Show the Difference
Still not quite sure how these strategies shake out in real life? Let’s plate it up side-by-side:
|
Customer Touchpoint |
Multichannel |
Omnichannel |
|
Cart Abandonment |
Email reminder (maybe) |
Email, SMS, and social retargeting all align with product reminders and urgency |
|
In-Store Purchase |
Added to email list—eventually |
Immediately synced with CRM, triggering follow-up emails with related products |
|
Instagram Ad Click |
Generic homepage |
Personalized landing page with items related to previous browsing behavior |
|
Customer Support Interaction |
No data shared across departments |
Entire purchase and interaction history available across support, marketing, and sales |
Omnichannel isn’t about doing more, it’s about doing it better!
Ready to Bake Something Better With Your Strategy?
Don’t toss your recipe yet! Switching from multichannel to omnichannel doesn’t mean throwing your current strategy in the trash. It’s more like fine-tuning - making sure every ingredient is measured, mixed, and baked with intention.
Take Stock of What You’re Working With
Start with an honest audit:
- Which platforms are you using now?
- Are they integrated or operating solo?
- Are your teams sharing data or working in silos?
-
What does your current customer journey look like?
Think of it like taking inventory before a big bake. You can’t whip up a soufflé if you’re missing eggs and have no idea where the sugar is.
Align Strategy, Tools, and Teams With Intention
Your tools should all work together, whether you’re using Klaviyo, Gorgias, Shopify, Postscript, or all of the above; the key is getting them to communicate.
Just as important? Your people. Marketing, sales, and customer support all need access to the same data and need to be working toward the same goals.
Start Small and Build Toward Full Integration
Going full omnichannel doesn’t have to be overwhelming. Start with two channels, like integrating your email and SMS efforts, then build from there.
As you refine, you’ll create deeper personalization, better timing, and more conversion power. Little by little, your brand experience will go from scattered to gourmet.
Partner With CAKE to Bake a Cohesive Customer Journey
You’ve already got the ingredients. You might even have the tools. But if your multichannel customer journey isn’t tasting quite right, it might be time for a new recipe.
At CAKE, we help brands just like yours blend strategies, sync platforms, and bake up omnichannel marketing experiences that customers crave. Whether you’re curious about how to switch to omnichannel marketing or need help with the finishing touches, we’re here to get your brand from "meh" to mouthwatering.
