Website personalization is a hot trend right now. It involves the creation of customized experiences for site visitors. The idea is to present viewers with experiences tailored to their perceived desires and needs, instead of providing a single, one-size-fits-all experience. This type of customization helps customers feel valued.
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Today, the line between reality and the internet continues to blur. Part of this is driven by social media. Customers want to have their individuality affirmed by their online experiences. In fact, personalization has emerged as a top commerce technology investment priority.
If your website is a little too generic, here are a few tips for making it more appealing to your customers:
- Suggest purchases — If you track the purchasing habits of your users, you’ll be able to figure out what else they might want to buy and offer additional products to them. Amazon is particularly adept at this as they feature links to merchandise that might be of interest to their customers.
- Connect with new users — When a user creates an account, seize the opportunity to offer some personalized opportunities on your site. You might offer sale items to fit their budget or a customized greeting. Be considerate though. Unsolicited personalization too early into a customer’s experience can feel too close for comfort for some people.
- Offer customization tools — Feature tools on your website that will let users choose what they see on their screens. Users will be able to pick which content they are most interested in viewing and minimize the rest of what they consider to be noise.
- Geolocate — Thanks to IP addresses, businesses can easily connect with visitors by identifying where they are connecting from. You can then add images to the home page that will remind users of familiar scenes, such as the Rocky Mountains if they are from the West or the Capitol Building if they are from the Washington D.C. area.
Personalization is a great tool for making users feel welcome and connected to your company, which can lead to increased conversions. And remember: don’t overdo it. There’s a fine line between personal and too personal and awkward.