I was going through my emails this weekend and came across one from Amazon that really made me think. It was full of books by my favorite authors, electronics from my brand of choice, and grocery items that I was just about to run out of. How were they able to give me email with the exact products I wanted and needed? Thanks to a little thing called omni-channel networks.

Omni-channel networks center around the idea that customer touch points should be interactive and customized for each person…and the more personal, the better. Amazon’s job doesn’t end when I click the ‘buy now’ button – they analyze my order to learn about my interests. And they use that knowledge to send out personalized emails containing other products I might like, which increases customer engagement and makes me more likely to buy from them in the future.

Macy’s is doing a similar thing. To make a more holistic experience for the shopper, Macy’s no longer breaks down its sales by specific channels and looks at sales as a whole. In their annual report, the brand calls itself an “omni-channel retail organization operating stores and websites.” Interesting.

Macy’s and Amazon both show how blurry the lines are between the offline and online shopping experience. Smart marketers look at their brand as one holistic experience, not as separate touch points, phases, and channels.

Digging into the data, analytics, and mobile isn’t even a decision anymore; it’s a necessity. Let’s stop calling it “e-commerce” and just call it “commerce”.

Creating an interactive, personalized customer experience is the driving force behind Livewire’s eConcierge Enterprise Server software. This software allows you to integrate all of your customer-facing software solutions to create a seamless customer experience. Your payment kiosks can talk to your digital signs, which can relay information to video walls and digital directories, which can integrate with mobile apps, to tailor messaging and make a customer’s experience totally unique. Personalization is what makes a customer feel like a person instead of a number, and that makes all the difference in business.

How would you like your marketing program to be more personalized using omni-channel networks like these? Share your ideas with us!