Today a customer views a product on the web, buys it in store, and next time orders via a marketplace. If you measure each channel separately, you don't see the whole customer — just fragments. Here's how to connect channels into one picture.
Why omnichannel is hard
- Each channel has its own data. Web, the store checkout, the marketplace — three separate worlds.
- You don't own marketplace data. On a third-party marketplace (Amazon) you have no measurement of your own; the customer belongs to the platform.
- Identity fragments. The same customer appears differently in each channel.
How to connect channels
- Unified identity. The key is to connect the customer across channels — typically via a loyalty program, account or email. On identity, see cross-device measurement.
- Offline conversions from the store. You attribute an in-store purchase to an online interaction if you connect the customer via account/loyalty — the principle is in measuring offline conversions.
- Own channel vs. marketplace. On a third-party marketplace you mainly measure what you drive to it from your own channels; inside the marketplace you have no data.
Where server-side helps
Server-side tracking is the central place where you collect first-party data from the web and to which you send offline conversions from the store. Together with unified identity (account, loyalty) it brings the online and offline parts of the journey together — what you can't see separately.
Summary
Omnichannel measurement means connecting web, store and marketplace into one customer picture. The key is unified identity and offline conversions that server-side tracking unifies in one place. You don't own marketplace data, but you measure your own channels accurately. More in the complete guide.