The opiniac.com tolls offer a comprehensive measurement of consumer experience, covering all points of contact of consumers with the brand. Simultaneously, the platform allows to easily compare the environmental performance with the reference to market indicators.

Multichannel (or omnichannel) is a term for broadly understood diversified points of consumers contact with the brand, both offline (visiting the store, direct purchase) and online (online shops, mobile applications, telephone contact). They are all the channels that lead to conversion (e.g. sales) - from searching information about the product, to the post-purchase relationship (as, for example, using the support from customer service). The key to a successful omnichannel strategy is therefore a knowledge of the place and meaning of each channel in the consumer journey (that is, the way of that a customer goes through particular channels), including observations of the needs and the associated experiences.

Although multichannel is a standard for modern consumer, it remains a challenge for many companies. The mere presence in multiple channels is no longer enough, as uniform and consistent quality of service from all channels has been becoming more important for increasingly demanding consumers. That is due to the fact that in omnichannel it is the customer, who decides on his own path to purchase, and it depends on the seller whether it is a friendly experience, encouraging to use the offer. That is not, however, a linear process, and it is often very complicated due to the variety of channels, hence the need to know the preferences and buying habits at various stages of consumer journey.

The ROPO effect

In the context of consumer journey, the ROPO effect (survey online, purchase offline), also known as O2S (online-to-store) is more and more often mentioned. It is a trend, also noticeable on the Polish market, in buying behaviour where costumers decide to purchase a product before visiting a traditional store. Based on the results of ROPO effect analyses, carried out in 2015 by opiniac.com - in cooperation with Decathlon, Dbam o Zdrowie, Leroy Merlin, Rainbow Tours, Rossmann, Play and  Onet.pI – the following has been determined:

• The Internet has a significant influence on offline shopping decisions - nearly 70% of consumers search the Internet before visiting a traditional store.
• Customers who check the products online before buying offline are more demanding.
• To comprehensively evaluate the ROI (Return of Investment) for online marketing activities, the impact of ROPO effect for a particular industry should be investigated and taken into consideration.
• On average, for 4 purchases online, there are 5 online purchases driven by information and opinions from the Web.

Traditional and internet sellers need to consider the consequences resulting from the ROPO effect on such a large scale, as the customers who check the products online before buying traditionally are more demanding - they are interested in detailed information about characteristics of the products and the opinions of other users. Also, it is easier for them to compare the technical details and prices with those from the competitors.

According to our surveys, customers manifest individual behaviors that depend on the specifics of particular industries. It is impossible to outline universal principles of conduct in the context of ROPO effect and consumer journey, and therefore, to comprehensively evaluate the ROI (Return of Investment) for online marketing activities, the specificity of particular target groups must be surveyed regularly. For each segment, an in-depth analysis of individual patterns of motivation and decision, including taking into account the demographic data, used devices and buying habits, is of great significance . The data matched with reference indicators is then a real business value.

Full report of the Polish ROPO e-commerce 2015 panel may be found here.

Surveying and analytical tools offered by opiniac.com are ideally suited to current trends, and full support from the specialists includes the issues related to consumers' behavior in a multichannel  consumer journey reality. Our reports are additionally complemented with professional recommendations, and the collected data - also on the ROPO effect - are permanently available in the administration panel. Understanding consumers' opinions will allow you to get to know their expectations and identify areas for improvement, which translates into increased consumer satisfaction, impacting directly on loyalty, retention, and finally the increase in sales. You can read more about our tools here.