Webrooming: A New Type of Browsing Omni-channel business should take advantage of customers looking online and buying in store One of the biggest downfalls of shopping online for consumers is not being able to see the product and have it as soon as you pay for it. Some ecommerce businesses have tried to compensate for those issues, offering fast shipping and the ability to return items for free if the customer doesn’t like it or the item doesn’t fit, with a fair amount of success. Businesses focusing on the omni-channel model are also having success overcoming this obstacle. Omni-channel businesses strive to make their customers’ shopping experiences as seamless and fluent as possible. Customers are encouraged to use as many sales channels as possible to help them make their purchase decisions wherever or whenever they are comfortable. Webrooming Webrooming, as it has come to be called, is researching an item online and then buying it in person at a brick and mortar store. According to a report by Retail Perceptions, eighty-eight percent of shoppers webroom regularly. This statistics is important to ecommerce retailers, brick and mortar retailers, and omni-channel businesses. ecommerce retailers are providing customers with information and price about products which customers are then using at physical stores to make more informed decisions and maybe even get retailers to price match. Webrooming vs. Showrooming Showrooming is the opposite of webrooming. Showrooming is where a customer goes into a brick and mortar store to look at or try on items and then ends up buying the product online rather than from the store. When ecommerce first become popular, many retailers became worried that potential customers were just showrooming with no intent to purchase anything. However, the Retail Perceptions report found that more people actually webroom than showroom. While most customers showroom to get to see and feel the item in person; customers usually webroom to find the lowest price before going to a store and buying it. The Omni-Channel Experience Omni-channel businesses can take advantage of customers webrooming by using it to further enhance their fluent shopping experience. Providing detailed information about a product online, showing which of your physical stores the item is in stock or available at, and offering price matching with your online store or your competitor’s online store are just a few ways for omni-channel businesses to take advantage of their ecommerce store being used as a shop window. With the right web development and business integrations, webrooming can be used to really enhance customer experiences. For example, a clothing store could allow customers to choose clothes online that they want to try on. Then when they arrive at the physical store, their items that they picked out from the online store are waiting for them in the dressing room to try on. This creates a wow experience for customers that make their shopping experiences easy and seamless. Clarity Can Help Our team at Clarity has worked with numerous clients developing their omni-channel business models. We understand the time and effort it takes to integrate your business systems, modify your business plans, and customize your ecommerce to make omni-channel experiences possible for your customers. To find out more about how Clarity can help your business become omni-channel, call or click to contact us today!