Multi-channel vs. Omnichannel: Transforming Strategies to Unlock Customer Experiences – The Key to Reducing Sales & Marketing Costs by 20%

You are present on 5 sales channels — Facebook, Zalo, Email, Website, Shopee. But if customers have to tell their story 3 times, or you lose track of them when they switch channels, then that strategy is causing you to burn money and lose customer experience.

In reality, most SMEs in Vietnam operate under a Multi-channel model – where businesses are “everywhere” but there is no connection between channels. Meanwhile, the new trend – Omnichannel – is helping businesses reduce marketing costs by 20-30% and increase customer retention by 90%.

So what is the difference? And how to convert effectively?

Multi-channel: The “everywhere” trap that SMEs easily fall into

What is Multi-channel?

Multi-channel is a model where businesses use various channels to communicate, market, and sell – for example: Facebook, Zalo, Email, Website, Shopee…

Core thinking: Channel-centric – focusing on appearing in as many places as possible, but each channel operates independently.

Example:

• Facebook for running ads.
• Zalo for customer consultation.
• Email for sending product information.
• Excel to store customer lists.

It sounds systematic, but in reality, no channels talk to each other.

Read more: Manage all social channels on one platform with GTG CRM

3 Hidden Costs When Businesses Operate Multi-channel

1. Wasted time and resources

According to a GTG Research 2024 survey, customer service staff spend 15-25% of their day just switching between platforms like Facebook, Zalo, and Gmail.

Each tab switch is an interruption – directly affecting response speed and customer experience.

80% of customers expect a response within 1 hour, but only 25% of businesses achieve this (HubSpot, 2023).

2. Doubled advertising costs

Due to unsynchronized data, the advertising system cannot identify existing customers → businesses pay a second time to re-engage the same person.

According to Harvard Business Review, businesses with fragmented data systems spend an average of 23% more on advertising costs for the same results.

3. Fragmented data – the source of all waste

Marketing has its own Excel file, Sales store customer information in Messenger, Customer Service takes notes in Zalo.

No common CRM system → data cannot be measured, customer journeys cannot be analyzed, and ads cannot be optimized.

Insight: In the era of AI and personalization, data fragmentation is the number one enemy of growth.

Customers don't need you to be “everywhere” – they need you to understand them everywhere.

Omnichannel – Customer-Centric Thinking: The Core of Sustainable Growth

What is Omnichannel?

Omnichannel is not just about being present on multiple channels, but about connecting all channels into a unified journey.

Core thinking: Customer-centric – every touchpoint revolves around the customer, not the platform.

In an Omnichannel system:

• A customer sends a message on Facebook → the data is automatically saved to the CRM.
• When they open an email or click on a website, that behavior is updated in their customer profile.
• Zalo, Customer Service, and Sales staff all see the same information → no need to ask the customer again.

Economic and Strategic Benefits of Omnichannel

Increase Lifetime Value (LTV)

According to Deloitte, customers served across channels have 90% higher loyalty rates, and spend on average 30-40% more than single-channel customers.

Every seamless experience is a "plus point" in brand trust.

Reduce Sales & Marketing Costs

Centralized data allows businesses to:

• Re-target more accurately → don't pay for ads for existing customers.
• Automate customer care, reducing personnel costs.
• Analyze purchasing behavior to optimize campaigns.

According to Gartner 2024, businesses that transition to Omnichannel can reduce advertising and operational costs by 20-30%, while increasing efficiency by 1.5 times.

Deep Personalization – Multiply Conversions

Omnichannel helps you know where customers are, what they've done, and what they need next.

Example:

• If a customer doesn't open an email, the system automatically sends a Zalo message.
• If a customer abandons their cart, the CRM sends a notification with a discount code.

This experience increases conversion rates by 3-5 times compared to the traditional Multi-channel model.

GTG CRM – The Omnichannel Platform for Vietnamese SMEs

GTG CRM is specifically designed for small and medium-sized businesses, helping to connect the entire customer journey: from ads, messages, emails, to after-sales support.

1. Unified Messaging – Integrated Message Management

Problem: Staff have to open multiple applications → slow responses → lost leads.

GTG CRM solution:

Consolidate messages from Facebook, Zalo, Gmail, Outlook, WhatsApp… into a single Inbox.

No need to switch tabs, no missed customers.

Benefit: Response speed increases by 50%, chat-to-order conversion rate increases significantly.

Action Tip: Use the Auto Label feature to automatically tag leads by source (Facebook Ads, Zalo OA, Website Form…).

2. 360° Customer Profile – A Comprehensive Data Picture

GTG CRM automatically aggregates all interactions from multiple channels into a single profile:

• Messages, emails, order history, ad sources, interaction behavior.
• Instant synchronization, ensuring data is always accurate.

Benefits:

• Businesses control their entire customer asset, not dependent on employees.
• Easily analyze Lead Quality and optimize advertising costs.

3. Cross-Channel Automation – Never Miss an Opportunity

GTG CRM allows you to build automated cross-channel customer care scenarios, for example:

• If a customer hasn't read the email → send a Zalo message.
• If a customer hasn't returned for 30 days → send a discount email.
• If a customer responds positively → automatically assign the tag “potential”.

Benefits: Reduces the burden on Sales & Customer Service teams, while increasing repeat purchase and loyalty rates.

Conclusion

While Multi-channel only goes as far as helping you reach customers, then Omnichannel is the advancement that helps retain and nurture them long-term through a seamless, consistent experience across all channels.

With GTG CRM, SMEs in Vietnam do not need complex technical teams to easily transition to a true Omnichannel model — where data, messages, emails, ads, and automation are unified in a single platform.

GTG CRM – The intelligent Omnichannel platform that helps businesses save costs, increase conversions, and build sustainable customer relationships.

• Multi-channel helps you reach customers.
• Omnichannel helps you retain customers long-term.
• GTG CRM is the solution that helps Vietnamese SMEs easily transition to Omnichannel without needing a technical team.

Experience GTG CRM Today

• Manage customers, messaging, automation, and ads – all in one unified platform.