Most brands already use several channels to reach their customers, but those channels don’t always work together. While multichannel gives you many ways to reach people, omnichannel unifies those touchpoints into one experience. Let’s explain how both strategies work and which one is right for you.
Definition of multichannel
Multichannel involves using multiple, mostly independent channels to reach customers, such as a website, Amazon, Instagram, email, etc., each with its own campaigns and goals.
Advantages of a multichannel approach:
- You reach customers where they are.
- Flexible for targeting different channels and audience segments.
- Easier to start due to a simpler tech stack, which means quicker wins.
- Useful for testing and learning which channels convert best.
Disadvantages of a multichannel approach:
- Inconsistent experiences and messaging across channels.
- Data and performance are hard to track from one place.
- Limited integration reduces personalization.
- Tracking orders is difficult if they come from multiple channels.
Definition of omnichannel
Omnichannel integrates all channels and touchpoints, online and offline, so customers receive one unified experience — consistent content, offers, and state (cart, profile, service history) on all devices and locations.
Advantages of an omnichannel approach:
- Higher satisfaction, loyalty, and conversion as a result of consistent journeys.
- Better data collection and real-time orchestration.
- Seamless transition between devices and channels.
Disadvantages of an omnichannel approach:
- Requires more investment, integration, and organizational change.
- More complex to implement and manage at scale.
What is the difference between omnichannel vs. multichannel?
Think of omnichannel vs. multichannel as the difference between integration and presence:
| Omnichannel | Multichannel | |
|---|---|---|
| Goal | Consistent customer journey across all touchpoints. | Distributing the product across many outlets without integration. |
| Reach | All relevant channels. | A limited number of channels. |
| Data flow | Profiles, preferences, and context are shared between all channels. | Each channel operates as a silo. |
| Execution | Coordinated, personalized messages and offers run in real time. | Separate campaigns run on individual channels. |
Omnichannel vs. multichannel marketing example
Multichannel marketing: A shopper abandons a cart on your site. They get a generic “10% off your first order” email because the email isn’t linked to the cart state. The lead is lost.
Omnichannel marketing: The same shopper gets a tailored reminder with the exact product, sees coordinated retargeting on Instagram with the same promo, and finds the item waiting in their mobile app cart. One message and one state lead to a unified customer experience and the likely purchase.
This practical multichannel vs. omnichannel example shows the difference between parallel messages vs. one continuous conversation that leads to a unified experience.
Omnichannel vs. multichannel experience example
Multichannel: Your product is on your site and a marketplace. However, store associates can’t see online orders. Returns and promos are different by channel.
Omnichannel: Customers can buy online and pick up in store. Inventory is visible everywhere, receipts auto-sync, and returns can happen in any channel with the same policy and pricing. The brand feels like one store, not many.
The example above illustrates the main difference between omnichannel vs. multichannel commerce: many separate storefronts vs. one storefront in which identity, inventory, and policies travel with the customer.
Multichannel vs. omnichannel: Which one is right for you?
You should choose multichannel if:
- You’re in the early stage or have limited resources at your disposal, yet you need traction fast.
- Your top channels, for example, the marketplace and website, drive most revenue and can run independently.
- You still want flexibility to experiment with different channels without committing to heavy integration work.
On the other hand, you should go omnichannel if:
- Customer experience, lifetime value, and loyalty are your strategic priorities.
- You are ready to invest in the omnichannel tech stack: customer data unification, automation, real-time updates, and integrations across ecommerce, CRM, POS, ads, and messaging.
- You can set incentives across the company so neither team optimizes a single channel at the expense of the whole experience.
So, what’s the best path?
When it comes to choosing omnichannel vs. multichannel, it’s all about how you want to interact with customers.
Multichannel lets you cast a wider net and reach audiences across different platforms. Omnichannel strategy, on the other hand, goes a step further to connect platforms in a unified experience to anticipate customer needs.
With multichannel, you can set up a funnel for each channel and optimize them independently. This means you don’t have to worry about coordinating journeys from channel to channel. This approach is less complicated and doesn’t rely on technology integration so much, which makes it easier to start with for many teams.
An omnichannel approach requires more upfront investment and ongoing IT department attention. You will likely have to upgrade your technology stack to include a content management system (CMS), a customer data platform (CDP), and a digital asset management (DAM).
Read on to learn more about the omnichannel approach — we have compiled a whole cluster of useful guides, how-tos, and product reviews.