What do Netflix’s “top picks for you” and Amazon’s “you might also like” lists share in common? They are both examples of personalized recommendations tailored to each individual user and based on their previous browsing habits.
eCommerce brands, too, can replicate the same by following suit with an eCommerce personalization strategy. But how do you actually build such a strategy? Read on as we break down the top tips for succeeding with eCommerce personalization.
Gamify the Customer Experience
To better understand their customers, several online retailers use gamified versions of customer surveys. The information about customers that is gathered in this way can be utilized to tailor the shopping experiences to better suit their requirements and tastes.
For example, using data from surveys, brands can generate customized product suggestions, drive user interface improvements, and facilitate focused marketing efforts. Customers who choose eco-friendly goods, for instance, could be directed to a special section that offers sustainable products.
An excellent personalization strategy example is that of KFC Japan. The restaurant used a platform named Gamify to develop gaming content that increased in-store sales by an astounding 106%.
eCommerce sites can reward users with loyalty points, badges, or discounts in return for carrying out particular tasks like writing product reviews, promoting goods on social media, or taking quizzes about their preferences.
Localize the Online Shopping Experience
Shoppers tend to perceive products differently according to their location and culture. As a result, the manner in which eCommerce stores customize their product catalogs to suit local tastes is critical to succeeding with personalization.
Using local geographies as a target assists organizations in focusing on a narrower market niche. This can aid in creating different discounts and offers. However, localization through personalization entails tailoring the product line to reflect regional tastes and cultural norms.
Apart from that, eCommerce firms must take into account local specifics like taxes, import fees, and shipping prices, assuring transparency and lowering unpleasant surprises at the time of purchase.
Implement Retargeting
Retargeting is an effective strategy for influencing customers to make additional purchases or keep your brand in their minds. It entails showing certain people, who previously engaged with your website or expressed interest in your goods or services, tailored adverts.
For this, you can pursue website or email or even search retargeting. Consider this; a customer visited the website, browsed through a selection of shoes, selected a few pairs they liked, added them to the cart, and then left without making a purchase. In such a situation, sending them a personalized email with a 15% discount on the products they browsed is a great way to re-engage them.
Customize Your Home Page
Your home page is the best place to kick start your personalization initiatives as it is the first thing to be seen when a customer reaches your website. An eCommerce website can, for instance, have a “Recommended for You” section with products that are comparable to those the user has previously expressed interest in or purchased.
Businesses can also allow customers to personalize their homepage by allowing them to save favorite items, make wish lists, or establish particular preferences. Additionally, by customizing the homepage according to the customer’s location, the localization factor (as discussed above) can also be tapped. Businesses can display regionally relevant deals, promotions, or products that are particular to the user’s location.
Post-Purchase Follow-Up
Don’t let your customer think that their interaction with your brand is over as soon as the purchase ends. Make them a part of your community by engaging with post-purchase follow-ups. This will help retain those customers better and encourage more engagement from their side.
For example, a feedback request, good after-sales support, or a message that says “Thank you for connecting with us” works great. The good thing — these personalization elements can be automated to simplify the engagement journey.
Establish a System to Collect Data
Collecting data across each customer touchpoint, creating a complete profile on each of them, and using this information to customize the shopping experience is critical to succeeding with personalization.
All the above-mentioned tips are only viable if you’re keen on collecting and analyzing data. That’s the success mantra for an effective eCommerce personalization strategy. Favorably, with the use of AI and analytics functions, eCommerce businesses can facilitate user profiling, customize search results, and generate tailored product recommendations.
Making the Most Out of Personalization
The global eCommerce personalization software market size is projected to expand at a healthy CAGR of 20.1% up until 2030. With personalization becoming prominent in the eCommerce marketplace, your business would need more than just selling.
Personalization is a way to communicate to your customers that you are aware of their needs. Ensure that your customers are acquainted with your brand, but don’t stop there. Spend time getting to know them.
At Ignitiv, our goal is to offer companies end-to-end eCommerce solutions that are scalable, custom-tailored, and hyper-personalized to fit the needs of your contemporary customers. Get in touch with us today to make the most of your personalization efforts.
