How to personalise the online experience to engage your customers and keep them coming back for more.
Personalised experience is a hot topic. Smart businesses are increasingly using this approach to enhance the online experience, engage customers and keep them coming back for more.
In fact, hyper-personalisation is now an expected — some might say even demanded — part of the online experience. And it’s one of the key ways that businesses are reaching — and keeping — both new and existing customers.
Where everybody knows your name
Though it’s come a long way from the days where the local butcher, baker and bartender knew your name, the aim of the personalised experience is still the same — to offer a customised experience that’s enticing, engaging, and memorable for each customer.
Today, technology empowers online businesses to seamlessly gather and capture customer data like names, birth dates, and purchase history. This, in turn, helps retailers deliver customer experiences that have been tailored to each unique customer. And it’s happening day in, day out.
How many times have you been sent messages from online retailers that address you by your name, or recommend products or places based on your buying behaviour, interests, searches and specific location?
It’s all about relevance
Personalisation has become an expected part of the online retail experience. But with so many online retailers competing for conversions, customisation has stepped up a notch. Online retailers are now leveraging real-time data to gain advanced insights that help them create — and deliver — highly tailored solutions that perfectly match the customer. This includes:
- Personalised products or services
- Discounts
- Offers
- Hyper relevant content
All of this is delivered through the right content to the right customer using the right channel.
Because of behaviour matters
It’s no longer enough for online retailers to rely solely on goal-oriented data (such as email subscriptions, clicks and conversions). All eyes are now on behavioural insights when it comes to targeting, reaching, converting, and retaining customers. Some of the most important — and valuable — insights include:
- Time
- Geographic location
- Previous search history
- Response to previous targeted messages
Often referred to as ‘psychographics’, this data dives deeper into customer demographics to help online retailers better understand their customers – including their buying patterns, behaviours, needs and aspirations. This data can then be used to create brand messages and experiences that are tailored to the exact needs of the customer.
More than just conversions
Of course, the aim of the game is to generate leads, increase clicks and convert sales. But the benefits of customisation extend beyond conversion rates. Businesses that opt for a tailored approach also report:
- Increased revenue
- Fewer returns
- More impulse purchases
- Greater customer loyalty
Which essentially brings us back full circle to the valuable customer information that the local butchers, bakers and bartenders of yesteryear possessed. Though today sees retailers harnessing the latest tools and technology to personalise the experience on a large scale, the principals and aims are still the same.
When it comes to user experiences, one size certainly doesn't fit all. Knowing what customers want, need, and expect can determine if a customer loyally does business with a brand — or drives them into the arms of a competitor.
How effective is your UX? To find out how personalisation can help you optimise online conversions, increase ROI, and gain a competitive edge in your market, get in touch with our digital experts today.
