Omnichannel vs. multichannel: What’s the difference?

Strategizing omnichannel vs. multichannel strategies for businesses

Consumers have strong preferences about where and when they engage with businesses. This range of preferences for interacting with brands across different channels has put the debate between omnichannel vs. multichannel front and center for companies seeking to better engage their audiences.

Considering that businesses with strong omnichannel customer engagement strategies retain 89% of their customers, compared to a 33% retention rate for companies with weak omnichannel strategies, it begs the question: Is an omnichannel strategy right for you? As this statistic shows, an effective omnichannel strategy can offer a critical advantage over multichannel approaches.

The terms "omnichannel" and "multichannel" are often used interchangeably, but what do they really mean, and how do they impact your business? Understanding the difference between omnichannel vs. multichannel can significantly influence your marketing strategy.

In this blog, we’ll dive into the definitions of omnichannel vs. multichannel, exploring the difference between omnichannel vs. multichannel, and discussing the benefits and challenges of each. You’ll learn about the importance of a cohesive omnichannel strategy, how omnichannel messaging can enhance customer experience, and why integrating multiple channels can either streamline or complicate your marketing efforts. By the end, you’ll walk away with a clear understanding of how to leverage these strategies to better connect with your customers and drive business growth.

What is multichannel?

Multichannel refers to a marketing strategy or business model in which a company uses multiple channels to interact with and reach customers. These channels can include physical stores, e-commerce websites, social media, email, mobile apps, and more. Each channel operates independently, offering customers various ways to engage with the company and purchase its products or services. Typically, marketing initiatives are not coordinated across channels when employing a multichannel marketing approach.

The primary aim of a multichannel strategy is to reach and engage customers wherever they are, offering various options to interact with your brand. The idea is that different groups of customers will prefer engaging with a business on different channels. By spreading out marketing across channels and leveraging each channel’s unique capabilities, a business can capture a wider cross-section of customers overall.

How does multichannel work?

In a multichannel strategy, each channel works as a separate entity. For example, your social media team might run campaigns that are entirely different from your email marketing efforts. While this approach ensures that your brand is present across multiple platforms, it often means that each channel operates in a silo, without much integration or coordination with other channels.

A typical multichannel marketing example might look like this: A retailer uses paid social media ads to drive traffic to their website, sends promotional emails to their subscriber list, and runs in-store promotions to attract foot traffic. Each of these channels uses slightly different messaging and offers distinct promotions tailored to that specific channel and audience.

Multichannel example: Costco

Costco, one of the largest wholesale retailers in the world, employs an effective multichannel strategy by using multiple independent channels to reach and serve its customers. Costco’s multichannel strategy effectively combines physical and digital touchpoints to serve its diverse customer base. By maintaining strong, independent channels, including warehouses, an online store, and a mobile app, Costco works to meet the needs of its diverse customer base wherever they prefer to shop. The goal of this approach is to maximize reach and convenience while also strengthening customer loyalty with a flexible shopping experience.

On both the retail and marketing sides, Costco effectively leverages a multichannel approach to its benefit. Let’s take a quick look:

Costco’s approach to multichannel retail

The wholesaler maximizes sales by investing in three independent channels for retail:

1. Physical warehouses: The cornerstone of its business is that warehouses offer an expansive product inventory in bulk at competitive prices. They provide an in-person shopping experience where customers can see, touch, and purchase products immediately. This allows for impulse purchases and the discovery of new items.

2. Online store: Costco.com complements the physical warehouses by offering many of the same products, along with additional items that aren’t available in-store. Since it doesn’t offer the same product availability as the warehouses, it delivers a unique shopping experience while also expanding Costco’s reach to customers who might not have a warehouse nearby.

3. Mobile app: The Costco mobile app enhances the online shopping experience by offering features like digital membership cards and coupons. It’s another channel for accessing the Costco online store, but the messaging and user experience are slightly different from the online store.

Costco’s approach to multichannel marketing

Costco’s multichannel marketing strategy spreads out its efforts between a few main channels, with independent strategies for each:

1. Email marketing: Costco uses email marketing to inform members about upcoming sales, special events, and new product arrivals. This channel helps Costco stay top of mind with its members and drives traffic to both its physical warehouses and online store.

2. Direct mail: Physical mailers and catalogs are sent to members, showcasing deals and seasonal promotions. Direct mail reaches members who may not engage with digital marketing, helping them be aware of the latest offerings and encouraging store visits.

3. Social media: Costco maintains an active presence on social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. The strategy here emphasizes brand awareness and community building. The brand’s approach and tone on each channel are slightly different. For example, they leverage user-generated content on Instagram to engage their audience specifically on this channel. This strategy allows Costco to reach a broader audience and build a community around the brand.

What are the advantages and disadvantages of multichannel?

For businesses looking to engage different groups of customers on their preferred channels, multichannel may be the right fit. Here’s a table summarizing the advantages and disadvantages of multichannel for businesses:

Let’s explore the advantages of multichannel in a bit more detail. The main benefits of this approach include:

• Wider reach: By being present and active on more channels, you can potentially reach a broader audience.

• Channel-specific strategies: To better engage your audience, you can tailor your approach to fit the unique strengths and capabilities of each channel. For example, a brand might leverage video content on Instagram while focusing on replies and retweets on Twitter.

• Flexibility: A multichannel strategy allows you to experiment with different channels to see which ones work best for your business. You can move funds around and prioritize different channels depending on which channel performs best.

At the same time, taking a multichannel approach does come with several drawbacks, including:

• Lack of integration: In a multichannel approach, each channel is treated as a standalone entity. This can lead to different teams working in silos without a cohesive strategy that ties everything together, potentially leading to inconsistent messaging and an uncoordinated customer experience.

• Resource intensive: Managing multiple independent channels can require significant time and resources that exceed a unified omnichannel approach. It requires dedicated teams and budgets for each platform, which can strain resources, especially for smaller businesses.

• Data fragmentation: Without integration, it’s hard to compile and analyze customer data from various channels. It can be challenging to get a holistic view of the overall customer journey and behavior when data is fragmented.

• Disjointed customer experience: Since channels aren’t integrated, customers might receive different messages or offers depending on where they engage with your brand. This can create a disjointed experience that might confuse or frustrate customers.

What is omnichannel?

Omnichannel is a seamless and integrated approach to customer experience, marketing, or retail,, where all available channels—such as physical stores, online platforms, mobile apps, and social media—are interconnected. Unlike multichannel strategies, omnichannel ensures that customer interactions and data flow smoothly across channels, providing a cohesive and unified experience. This strategy focuses on creating a cohesive journey for the customer, whether they’re interacting with your brand online, in-store or through any other medium, with consistent branding and messaging across all channels.

This integration allows customers to start an interaction on one channel and continue it on another without disruption. The focus is on creating a consistent and personalized experience, leveraging cross-channel data to understand and anticipate customer needs. Ultimately, omnichannel aims to enhance customer satisfaction and loyalty by providing a more fluid and flexible engagement.

How does omnichannel work?

In an omnichannel setup, all channels are integrated and work together to provide a seamless customer experience. This means that data and interactions from each channel are shared across the entire system, allowing businesses to build consistent messaging and a unified customer profile. An omnichannel strategy also enables the personalization of a customer’s experience by triggering different messages or engagements with the individual across channels, depending on the actions they take.

For example, a customer might browse products on your website and leave before purchasing. Then, they receive an abandoned cart email on their smartphone, open up their mobile app, and make a purchase. Throughout this journey, their preferences and behavior are tracked and used to tailor their experience, making it more relevant and engaging to them as individuals.

Omnichannel example: Target

Target is a prime example of a company effectively implementing an omnichannel strategy. The big-box retailer successfully integrates its physical stores, online presence, and mobile app to provide a seamless, personalized, and convenient shopping experience. By leveraging technology and data, Target serves consistent and engaging interactions with customers across all channels, keeping customers engaged and coming back for more.

Let’s explore some key components of Target’s omnichannel strategy:

• Unified shopping experience: Target provides a cohesive shopping experience where customers can seamlessly transition between in-store and online shopping. For instance, customers can use the Target app to check the availability of products in nearby stores and place orders for in-store pickup or delivery.

• Order pickup and drive-up: With Target’s order pickup and drive-up services, customers can place orders online and pick them up at the store, often within a couple of hours. This service is integrated into their mobile app, making for a smooth and convenient shopping experience.

• Target app: The Target app further enhances the customer experience with features like product search, price comparison, and personalized recommendations based on past purchases and browsing history. The app also includes Cartwheel, a savings program that serves up tailored discounts.

• Personalized promotions: Target uses first-party data from customer interactions across all channels to deliver personalized promotions and recommendations. For example, the app and website can suggest products based on previous purchases, making the shopping experience more relevant and engaging.

• Loyalty programs: Target Circle, Target’s loyalty program, offers personalized deals and rewards, which encourage repeat purchases and enhance customer loyalty. This includes earning money back on purchases, which accrued over time.

In the above screenshot, we can see how the Target app integrates the different programs and channels as part of its omnichannel retail approach, including its Target Circle loyalty program and in-store and online purchases. The customer can see the total amount saved and access all purchase history across in-store and online orders.

The integration of Target's different channels is the cornerstone of their omnichannel retail strategy. This enables the brand to fully leverage customer data and present a truly personalized shopping experience to each customer across every channel.

Advantages and disadvantages of omnichannel

Like multichannel, an omnichannel strategy offers both advantages and disadvantages. However, the benefits of integrating channels cannot be overstated. Here’s a quick overview table of omnichannel advantages and disadvantages:

Let's get into more detail on the pros and cons of omnichannel. This approach offers some notable advantages, including:

• Seamless customer experience: Unlike the channel-specific strategies in multichannel marketing, an omnichannel approach uses a cohesive strategy that aligns all channels towards common business goals, ensuring a harmonized customer experience.

• Integrated data: An omnichannel strategy connects all channels, allowing for a more fluid customer journey where data and interactions are seamlessly shared across platforms. This gives brands a unified view of customer data and helps improve personalization and decision-making.

• Increased customer retention: An omnichannel strategy enhances customer satisfaction and loyalty by providing a consistent and personalized experience across all touchpoints. Customers feel recognized and valued regardless of the channel they use. In fact, companies with a strong omnichannel strategy retain 56% more customers than companies with weak or no omnichannel strategies.

• Higher purchase rates: A seamless experience can lead to increased sales and higher conversion rates. Not only do omnichannel customers shop 1.7X more than shoppers with access to a single channel, but omnichannel marketing can increase purchase rates by up to 287%.

These are some pretty compelling advantages, but an omnichannel strategy also poses a few disadvantages, which include:

• Complex implementation: Implementing an omnichannel strategy is a multi-step process that requires careful planning, technology integration, a clearly developed customer journey, cohesive marketing strategy, and cross-channel analytics setup. For omnichannel to be effective, you must take the time to set it up properly.

• Resource intensive: Implementing and managing an omnichannel strategy requires significant resources. This includes investing in advanced technology, maintaining data security, and ensuring that all channels operate cohesively.

• Data privacy concerns: Collecting and integrating data across channels must be handled carefully to ensure privacy compliance. Complying with regulations like GDPR and CCPA is essential, as these laws mandate explicit customer consent and grant customers rights over their personal data. Secure data integration practices, including encryption and strict access controls, are also crucial to protect data both in transit and at rest.

Omnichannel vs. multichannel: What’s the difference?

To clearly understand the differences between omnichannel and multichannel strategies, let's break down their key aspects side by side:

While multichannel and omnichannel may seem similar, the difference comes down to their focus: multichannel is brand-focused, and omnichannel is customer-focused. Multichannel presents the brand to its best advantage on each individual channel, whereas omnichannel builds a coordinated, consistent experience for each individual customer across every channel where they interact with the brand.

Let’s think about it another way. Both multichannel and omnichannel strategies engage customers on various channels, but the difference between omnichannel and multichannel becomes clear when a customer engages a brand on more than one channel. For omnichannel brands, a customer’s experience will be cohesive and personalized when they jump from one channel to another, while for multichannel brands, a customer’s experience will be unique and different for each channel they engage the brand on.

In a multichannel strategy, each channel operates independently without much coordination, which can lead to disjointed customer experiences. For example, email campaigns might not connect with social media ads, and in-store promotions may differ from online offers, resulting in inconsistency and potential confusion for customers. Data coordination is also challenging in a multichannel approach, as data is collected and stored separately in each channel, making it harder to get a comprehensive view of customer behavior and preferences. Moreover, since the strategy for each channel is usually channel-specific, this can lead to a lack of coherence and missed opportunities for synergy. Managing these multiple channels independently requires significant resources, including separate teams, budgets, and tools.

An omnichannel strategy, in comparison, integrates all channels to work together, ensuring a seamless and consistent customer experience across all touchpoints. This means that email campaigns, social media ads, and in-store promotions are synchronized, allowing a customer's actions on one channel to influence their experience on another. Data from all channels is integrated into a unified system, providing a consolidated view that allows businesses to track customer interactions and personalize the customer journey at every step. While implementing an omnichannel strategy requires substantial investment in technology and resources, it leads to better resource utilization and ultimately provides a higher return on investment.

Let’s say a retail brand first engages a new customer online. They purchase two items and opt in to promotional emails and SMS messages from the brand. After they receive their first order, the brand sends the customer a follow-up email with personalized product recommendations based on their previous purchase. It then retargets the customer on Instagram with a paid ad showing the same product recommendation. After viewing the ad, the customer returns to the product email and clicks through to purchase three more items. This coordinated omnichannel experience has just created a new sale.

Omnichannel vs. multichannel: Which should you choose?

Choosing between omnichannel and multichannel strategies depends on your business’s specific needs, goals, and resources. Here’s a guide to help you determine which approach is best for your brand.

When to choose omnichannel vs. multichannel

When to choose omnichannel

If you prioritize a seamless customer experience: An omnichannel strategy is ideal if your goal is to provide a consistent and personalized experience across all customer touchpoints. With omnichannel, customers can transition smoothly between online and offline interactions, receiving a cohesive and integrated experience. Companies with strong omnichannel customer engagement see a 9.5% year-over-year increase in annual revenue, compared to 3.4% for brands with weak omnichannel strategies​.

If you have the resources for integration: Implementing an omnichannel strategy requires significant investment in technology and infrastructure to integrate data and operations across all channels. If your business has the resources to support this level of integration, omnichannel can provide substantial long-term benefits in customer satisfaction and loyalty.

If you want a comprehensive view of customer behavior: With an omnichannel approach, you can collect and analyze data from all customer interactions, giving you a unified view of customer behavior. This holistic understanding can help you tailor your marketing and sales efforts and improve overall effectiveness.

When to choose multichannel

If you’re focusing on specific channel strengths: Multichannel marketing is a good fit if you want to leverage the unique strengths of each channel independently. This approach allows you to tailor your strategies for different platforms, like using social media for brand awareness and email marketing for customer retention.

If you’re working with limited resources: If your business doesn’t have the resources to invest in full integration, a multichannel strategy can still effectively reach a broad audience. Managing 2-3 channels separately can be more straightforward and less resource-intensive, making it a practical choice for smaller businesses or brands with budget constraints.

If your audience is highly segmented: Multichannel marketing works well when you’re targeting diverse audience segments across different platforms. By creating specific campaigns for each channel, you can address the unique preferences and behaviors of different customer groups.

Real-world examples of omnichannel and multichannel strategies

Let’s take a look at some examples of businesses effectively using omnichannel and multichannel strategies.

Bank of America: An omnichannel banking experience

Bank of America has built streamlined omnichannel banking for its customers by seamlessly integrating various touchpoints to provide a consistent and cohesive experience. Bank of America’s omnichannel strategy successfully synchronizes its online banking, mobile app, physical branches, and ATMs to provide a personalized and consistent customer experience. Here’s how they do it:

Bank of America’s website offers comprehensive banking services, allowing customers to check account balances, transfer funds, pay bills, and apply for loans. The website is user-friendly and provides consistent information and services that mirror the experience customers get in physical branches.

The bank's mobile app enhances the online experience by providing on-the-go access to all the same services available on the website. Customers can deposit checks using the app’s mobile check deposit feature, manage their accounts, and receive real-time alerts and notifications. The app’s interface is consistent with the website, so customers can make a seamless transition when switching between devices.

When customers visit physical branches, bank tellers and financial advisors have access to the same customer data as the website and app, enabling them to provide personalized assistance and support. The ATMs are also integrated with the bank’s digital systems, so transactions made at an ATM are immediately reflected in the customer’s online and mobile accounts.

With connected systems across channels, the bank uses their cross-channel data to deliver personalized financial advice, product recommendations, and targeted marketing based on individual customer behavior and preferences.

Under Armour: Omnichannel retail done right

Under Armour (UA) employs an omnichannel retail strategy to deliver an integrated shopping experience for its customers by syncing its online store, mobile app, physical stores, and connected fitness apps. Through a unified view of customer data and advanced technology, Under Armour customers are able to interact with the brand in the way that best suits their needs, with a consistent experience throughout every touchpoint. Let's take a closer look.

The UA brand delivers a unified digital experience by integrating their ecommerce website and UA Shop App. Building on the comprehensive shopping experience on their website, the app goes a step further to offer personalized recommendations, exclusive deals, and easy access to the latest product releases. Since the app syncs with the online store, customers can seamlessly switch between shopping on their mobile devices and desktop computers.

Taking the brand to the field, Under Armour also integrates its fitness apps like MyFitnessPal, MapMyRun, and Endomondo, tying together fitness tracking with product recommendations. These apps leverage user data to provide personalized insights and recommendations based on users’ fitness activities and goals. With 50% of the brand’s ecommerce traffic coming from mobile, these app integrations are especially critical to their online sales.

This omnichannel experience carries over into the retail stores with digital touchpoints like interactive displays to enhance the shopping experience.

And UA doesn't overlook omnichannel customer support, either. Customers can engage support on multiple channels and even start a support inquiry on one channel and then continue it on another without having to repeat information. That's the power of an integrated support system.

Copper: Multichannel marketing for SaaS

Copper CRM, a customer relationship management system known for its native Google Workspace integration, has opted for a multichannel marketing strategy to leverage each channel for different purposes. As a smaller CRM company, Copper is able to be more resource-efficient by aligning specific channels with different objectives:

• Social media: The SaaS company uses social media to build brand awareness and drive lead generation at the top of the funnel, splitting efforts between organic and paid. By leveraging sponsored posts and collaborating with influencers and partners, Copper is able to widen their reach in hopes of reaching new potential customers.

• Email: The brand uses email for outreach to its current customers and prospects as a way to nurture interest and keep people engaged. This channel is largely independent of their social and in-app experience, with email-only campaigns and promotions targeting specific customer groups — like users on a specific plan level or people in the free trial.

• In-app: Copper leverages in-app tooltips, alerts and news items with the goal of engaging active users. This messaging has a specific focus on customer retention, aiming to educate users on features and encourage them to take full advantage of all the software has to offer.

Although the branding across channels is relatively consistent, visual graphics and messaging are strategically channel-specific to engage individuals who prefer each respective channel. Although Copper may not have full cross-channel data insights, the company makes up for it by leveraging in-app user data to help them better serve customers on the support side.

Green Mango Pest Control: A multichannel field service business

Green Mango Pest Control is a perfect example of a local field service business that uses a multichannel strategy to its advantage so it can engage customers in a cost-efficient manner through the channels where they’re most comfortable. This approach allows them to reach a broad audience while keeping costs low. Let’s look at how this Arizona-based pest control company uses channel-specific strategies to their advantage:

• Website and online booking: Green Mango’s website provides comprehensive information and offers easy online bookings, catering to tech-savvy customers who prefer digital interactions.

• Phone and direct communication: The phone channel provides personalized service and immediate support for customers who value direct interaction.

• Email marketing and inquiries: Email is used for detailed communication, follow-up, and ongoing engagement through newsletters and promotional campaigns. The focus here is customer engagement and retention.

• Social media engagement: Social media channels primarily focus on community engagement and brand awareness with the goal of enhancing the company’s public reputation.

• Direct mail campaigns: Direct mail targets local customers with specific offers and seasonal promotions, reinforcing the company’s local presence.

With each channel managed independently using dedicated strategies tailored to the unique strengths and customer preferences of that channel, Green Mango Pest Control is able to maximize the effectiveness of each platform while increasing brand awareness and growing its customer base.

Omnichannel vs. multichannel: Retail, marketing, and customer support

Now that we’ve covered the difference between omnichannel and multichannel strategies overall, let’s explore how they apply across different business functions, including retail, marketing, and customer support. Here’s a breakdown of how each approach works in these key areas:

Retail

While omnichannel retail puts the customer journey first with an integrated shopping experience, multichannel retail operates each retail channel independently with a brand focus.

Omnichannel retail

This approach aims to provide a seamless shopping experience across all channels. Whether a customer is shopping online, via a mobile app, or in a physical store, their experience is interconnected. For example, a customer might see products in a retail store, look them up through an app, and then complete their purchase on the website after receiving an email promotion offering them 10% off the items they’d been eyeing. Their purchase history and preferences are tracked across all platforms so the retailer can deliver personalized recommendations and promotions. Some examples of omnichannel retail brands are Target and Under Armour.

Multichannel retail

In a multichannel retail approach, each channel operates independently. The online store, mobile app, and physical stores each have their own inventory systems and marketing strategies. While customers have multiple ways to shop, their experiences can differ depending on the channel they use. For example, an item on sale online might not be on sale in-store, which could lead to confusion and inconsistency in the customer experience. Wholesale retailer Costco successfully employs a multichannel retail strategy.

Marketing

An omnichannel marketing approach integrates marketing efforts across all channels, whereas multichannel marketing employs independent strategies on each channel.

Omnichannel marketing

This approach keeps all marketing efforts integrated and consistent across all channels. This strategy delivers cohesive messaging regardless of whether users are engaging with your brand on social media, through email, or via a website. Personalization is key in omnichannel marketing, with brands using data from all touchpoints to tailor outreach to each individual customer’s preferences and behaviors. Businesses using omnichannel marketing strategies see a 90% higher customer retention rate compared to those using single-channel strategies​.

Multichannel marketing

This strategy involves using multiple channels to reach customers, but each channel operates independently. Social media campaigns, email marketing, and direct mail might all have different messaging and objectives. While this allows for channel-specific strategies, it can lead to fragmented customer experiences and less cohesive brand messaging. For example, a promotional email might not align with the ads a customer sees on social media, leading to potential confusion. Green Mango Pest Control is an example of a company that uses multichannel marketing.

Customer support

Omnichannel customer support builds a seamless support experience for customers across all channels, while multichannel customer support offers assistance on multiple channels without any integration between them.

Omnichannel customer support

This approach to customer service ensures that customer interactions are smooth across all support channels. Whether a customer contacts support via phone, chat, email, or social media, their information and history are accessible to all support agents. This means a customer can start a conversation on one channel and continue it on another without having to repeat themselves. With 75% of customers expecting a consistent experience across multiple channels​​, an omnichannel approach offers a critical advantage. Under Armour and Bank of America offer omnichannel customer support.

Multichannel customer support

This customer support strategy offers multiple ways for customers to seek help, but each channel is handled separately. Customers might have different experiences depending on whether they contact support over the phone, email, or chat. Their information might not be shared across channels, meaning they might have to repeat their issue multiple times. While this approach provides multiple contact points, it can lead to inefficiencies and customer frustration. Green Mango Pest Control employs a multichannel approach to customer support.

How to build omnichannel messaging into your app

Incorporating omnichannel messaging into your app can help engage your customers and increase satisfaction. With Sendbird’s Business Messaging (SBM) solutions, you can create a seamless communication experience that integrates all customer interactions across various channels.

Use Sendbird Business Messaging for a streamlined omnichannel experience

Sendbird Business Messaging (SBM) is a comprehensive solution designed to facilitate seamless communication between businesses and their customers. It supports multiple messaging channels, including an in-app message center, SMS, WhatsApp, and push notifications, all within a unified platform. With the addition of in-app chat and calls, the Sendbird customer communication platform enables businesses to deliver consistent, personalized messaging across customer touchpoints.

Channel sequencing, in particular, helps businesses send messages via multiple channels and ensure that their messages are seen.

Key features of Sendbird Business Messaging include:

• Unified messaging platform: Integrate messaging channels into one platform for consistent communication.

• Real-time messaging: Provide instant communication with real-time in-app chat and calls capabilities.

• Rich media support: Enhance interactions with support for images, videos, and other media, such as via an in-app message center or push notifications.

• Automated responses: Use automation through channel sequencing to ensure messages are delivered to users’ devices.

• Analytics and reporting: Gain insights into messaging performance and customer engagement with cross-channel analytics.

Want to see how current Sendbird customers are using business messaging? Learn about logistics company Porter’s experience with SBM.

When you’re ready to incorporate Business Messaging into your app and ensure that all your critical business messages are delivered as part of your omnichannel strategy, please contact us or request a demo to learn more!

Frequently asked questions (FAQs)