Contents
Introduction
Businesses today have more options than ever before to reach their customers. But customers aren't interested in being bombarded on every platform. They want the right message, delivered through the appropriate channel, at the right time. And, their preferences can vary depending on demographics and location.
For example, users in tier 1 cities might prefer to receive OTPs through SMS and WhatsApp, but promotional messages only through email. However, customers in tier 2 cities may not have regular access to email and might prefer to receive all communications, including offers, directly on WhatsApp.
This evolution of customer communication preferences is important for businesses. It helps them understand the right communication channels across various customer touchpoints. This understanding will help them effectively use their existing communication workflows to reach their customers effectively without wasting a lot of infrastructure and resources.
This approach is called the Opti-channel communication, and it is a game changer for businesses.
In this blog post, we'll explore the exciting world of opti-channel communication – how it's revolutionizing customer interactions and why businesses are getting on board. Plus, we’ll show you how Fyno is leading the charge, delivering cutting-edge opti-channel solutions.
What is Opti-channel communication?
Opti-channel communication prioritizes delivering the right message, through the right channel, at the right time for each customer. It leverages insights into customer preferences, past interactions, and the nature of the communication to ensure messages are not only received but are received in the way the customer finds most convenient and engaging.
Omnichannel vs. Opti-channel communications: What’s the difference?
Omnichannel communication focuses on making multiple channels available to customers. While this offers flexibility, it doesn't always guarantee the best user experience for every type of interaction. A customer might receive a message on a less preferred channel, reducing engagement and potentially creating friction.
Opti-channel, on the other hand, aims to proactively optimize reach and improve customer experience by understanding how communication preferences intertwine with specific scenarios.
Benefits of Opti-channel Communication
- Increased Open and Response Rates: Personalized channel selection improves the likelihood of customers actually seeing and responding promptly to messages.
- Deeper Customer Insights: Opti-channel systems gather data on which channels perform best for different interactions, giving insights into customer preferences. Businesses can customize their existing communication workflows to align with their customers’ preferences.
- Reduced Costs: Businesses often resort to sending messages across every possible channel, hoping to maximize reach. This “just in case” approach can be expensive and inefficient.
Consider a travel booking platform like MakeMyTrip. Each booking might trigger a cascade of communications: confirmation emails, itinerary updates via SMS, promotional offers on WhatsApp, and more. A typical booking could generate 10 SMS messages ( ₹1.30*), 10 WhatsApp messages (₹3.00*), and 10 emails (₹1.00*), leading to significant communication costs per transaction.
With an opti-channel approach, this cost could be potentially reduced by 50-60% by prioritizing channels based on the message type and individual customer preferences.
- Improved Customer Satisfaction: Customers respond favourably when messages reach them efficiently. Opti-channel prioritizes their convenience, increasing satisfaction with the overall experience.
Challenges in Setting Up Opti-channel Communication
- Data Integration: Opti-channel approach relies on robust communication data from various sources to make informed decisions. Clean data from CRM systems, customer preferences, and analytics needs to be accessible to craft the necessary communication workflows.
- Systems Compatibility: For opti-channel to work, your existing tools that you use to govern various communication channels (email, SMS, social media, etc.) need to work together seamlessly. Building a seamless connection between these third-party apps is key to understanding various events and triggering the right communication workflows.
- Staying Agile in a Changing Landscape: Customer communication preferences and the broader platform landscape are constantly evolving. Opti-channel strategies need to be adaptable. This means consistently monitoring the performance of existing channels, being prepared to integrate new ones as they gain popularity, and constantly reevaluating how to best reach your evolving customer base.
How Fyno Can Help You in Your Opti-channel Journey
Fyno is designed to simplify the complexities of setting up and managing effective opti-channel communications. Here's how:
- Streamlined Setup: Fyno removes the headaches of managing multiple communication channels individually. Our unified platform and straightforward integrations create a centralized hub for building your opti-channel strategy.
- Intelligent Workflows: Forget guesswork. Fyno's tools let you design communication flows based on real customer data and preferences. Send the right message, on the right channel, triggered by customer actions – automatically.
- Data-Driven Optimization: Track the success of each channel and campaign. Fyno's analytics uncover which strategies are working and where you can refine them for continued improvement over time.
- Focus on what matters: With Fyno handling the technical complexity of opti-channel, you regain valuable time and resources. This allows you to focus on what truly drives results – crafting excellent customer experiences that build loyalty. And with Fyno's upcoming User Preferences feature, you'll empower customers to take control of their communication preferences. Users can easily set their ideal notification types and channels, ensuring your messages are always delivered the way they prefer.
Conclusion
Opti-channel strategies aren't just about better communication; they yield tangible outcomes. Businesses see increased engagement, reduced costs, and a clearer understanding of their customers. If you're searching for a solution that improves both your bottom-line and your customer experience, partnering with a provider like Fyno will put you on the path to success.
Ready to start your opti-channel journey? Explore Fyno.
