• 27.03.25

Why telcos hold the key to the future of small business omnichannel commerce

The way consumers shop has changed. Customers expect to switch effortlessly between online and offline channels, discovering products on social media, browsing them on a website, and making a final purchase through a mobile app or in-store.

Meeting these expectations isn’t easy for small business owners. Big retailers have raised the bar, setting new standards for convenience and personalisation. With their expertise in connectivity and infrastructure, telcos are well-placed to help small businesses build the foundation for omnichannel success.

The rise of omnichannel

Social platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook have become more than just places to browse – they’ve become direct shopping channels. Customers now expect to be able to discover a product on TikTok, check out reviews on Google, and purchase it through a website – sometimes within the same hour!

At the same time, big retailers like Amazon have raised customer expectations around convenience and consistency. Fast shipping, pay-later options, and personalised product recommendations are now standard features for retailers of all sizes. 

This shift means that small business owners must deliver a comparable service level to stay competitive.

The challenge isn’t finding the tech – it’s choosing the right tech

Access to technology isn’t the problem. There’s no shortage of CRM systems, e-commerce tools and social media management platforms. The real challenge for small business owners is figuring out which tools they need and how to make them work together.

Analysis paralysis is real. Business owners often face a patchwork of disconnected systems, leading to a disjointed customer experience. A 2024 survey by Gartner found that 68% of rapidly growing businesses experienced software purchase regret.

The essential building blocks of omnichannel commerce

To deliver an actual omnichannel commerce experience, small business owners need the following core components:

Website – The online home for a small business.
E-commerce platform – A flexible, mobile-friendly platform for online sales.
POS system – Integrated with their e-commerce platform to sync sales and inventory.
CRM (Customer Relationship Management) – To track customer interactions and preferences.
Review management – To monitor and respond to real-time customer feedback.
Social media monitoring – To engage with customers and track platform sentiment.

The key isn’t just having these systems but ensuring they work together in real time. Customers who buy a product online should see the same availability and pricing if they walk into a store the next day.

Why reliable connectivity is the foundation 

Even the most considered omnichannel strategy will fail without reliable connectivity. Real-time data synchronisation between e-commerce platforms, POS systems, and customer databases requires a fast, stable Internet connection.

This is where telecom providers come in. Connectivity is their core business; they already have the infrastructure to provide secure, high-speed networks supporting these integrated systems. Real-time inventory updates, mobile payments, and customer data tracking won’t work without seamless connectivity.

Telcos have the teams and the infrastructure to deliver more 

Telcos aren’t just infrastructure providers, they also have the teams, processes, and knowledge to deliver value-added services (VAS) for their small business customers. 

By bundling connectivity with business solutions like e-commerce platforms and customer engagement tools, telcos can offer a comprehensive omnichannel solution tailored for small businesses. Unlike standalone tech providers, telcos can provide integrated support and ensure everything works seamlessly.

BaseKit Store: Simple, mobile-first e-commerce for small businesses

At BaseKit, our software has been designed specifically to help small business owners easily build their first website and start selling online. Our products are fully white-label, meaning telco providers can brand them as their own.

Delivering a consistent, connected experience 

The future of small business commerce is omnichannel. However, delivering a consistent, connected experience across platforms requires more than just the right tech. It demands reliable, fast connectivity and integrated solutions. Telcos can provide both the foundation and the tools small businesses need to succeed.

By offering bundled solutions that combine connectivity with e-commerce, CRM, and POS systems, telcos can transform themselves from service providers into strategic growth partners – helping small businesses compete and thrive in an increasingly complex retail landscape.

Try BaseKit for yourself

Talk to our team to try our BaseKit platform and see what a partnership could look like for your business.

Request demo

We use cookies to personalise content and ads, to provide social media features and to analyse our traffic. We also share information about your use of our site with our social media, advertising and analytics partners. View more
Cookies settings
Accept
Privacy & Cookie policy
Privacy & Cookies policy
Cookies list
Cookie name Active
Privacy Policy

  1. Introduction This privacy policy sets out how we use and protect any information that you provide to BaseKit. We are committed to ensuring that your privacy is protected. Any personal information you provide when using our products or services will only be used in accordance with this policy. Note that this policy does not cover how we use and protect information provided to us from website builder customers. If you are a Go Sitebuilder customer, please see the Go Sitebuilder Privacy Policy. If you are a customer of another company that offers BaseKit’s website builder, please see the company’s privacy policy available via their website. We may change this policy from time to time by updating this page. You should check this page to ensure that you are happy with any changes. This policy is effective from January 2019.  

2. What information we collect We may collect the information you provide when you get in touch with us via the website, email, or phone.
  • You transfer your information to us via the website by filling in and submitting a form. We offer a number of different forms to help you find out more about the products and services we offer.
  • We have a number of different email addresses you can use to contact us. If you’re not sure which one to use then we recommend you send an email to support@basekit.com
  • We don’t provide a central phone number but BaseKit team members may provide their direct phone number for you to contact them.
 

3. How we use the information The information that we collect and store about you is primarily used to help us to stay in touch with you to provide our products and services. However, we may also use your information:
  • To improve our products and services
  • To send promotional email communications about special offers, news, product updates or other information which we think you may find interesting
  • To contact you for market research purposes
Note that we will only use your information as described in 3 and 4 above when you have explicitly opted in to receive such communications. You may opt out of these communications at any time by clicking the Unsubscribe link in any email or by sending a request to support@basekit.com  

4. Storing your personal data We store the data we collect using third party tools such as CRMs and databases. Any data we store is only accessible directly by a small number of authorised staff. The third parties that we use may store your data in locations outside of the EEA. We carefully review each supplier to ensure they handle data in line with this policy. We will store your data for as long as you remain a customer of BaseKit, or where you have actively been in contact with us about our products and services. We will keep data for up to 5 years if you’re not a customer or if we don’t hear from you.  

5. Security We are committed to ensuring that your information is secure. In order to prevent unauthorised access or disclosure, we have put in place suitable physical, electronic, and managerial processes to secure and safeguard the data we collect and store. The transmission of information via the internet is not completely secure and we cannot guarantee the security of data sent to us electronically. The transmission of data is entirely at your own risk.  

6. How we use cookies A cookie is a small file which allows websites and apps to identify individual users and store information about each user’s preferences. A cookie does not give access to any more information than a user chooses to provide. We use cookies:
  • To identify where visitors to the website came from
  • To identify the content that is being viewed
The third party suppliers that we work with may also use cookies for similar purposes. We carefully review each supplier to ensure they handle data in line with this policy. You may choose to enable or disable cookies. Most web browsers automatically enable cookies, but you can usually modify a browser’s settings to disable cookies if you prefer. If you disable cookies you may not be able to take full advantage of our websites.  

7. Disclosing your information We may disclose your information to third party suppliers that we work with to provide our products and services. We carefully review each supplier to ensure they handle data in line with this policy. We may also disclose your information where we are required to do so by law.  

8. Controlling your personal information You may choose to restrict the collection or use of your personal information in the following ways:
  • When providing any information to BaseKit via this website, you may opt in to receive promotional email communications.
  • If you receive a promotional email, you may opt out by clicking the Unsubscribe link at the bottom of the email.
  • At any time you can opt out of promotional email communications by sending a request to support@basekit.com
  • If you would like us to delete all the information we have collected about you, send a request to support@basekit.com
  • If you would like to otherwise restrict the use of the information we have collected about you, send a request to support@basekit.com
  • Should you wish to access the information we hold about you, please send a request to support@basekit.com
Save settings
Cookies settings