The modern online customer has plenty of options, and Ecommerce stores are struggling to make their offering and online presence more appealing and engaging than their competitors’.
Just think about it, out of all the Ecommerce brands in your niche alone, why would a customer choose you or why would they come back to make another purchase? For all the value that discounts and amazing products bring to the table, there is simply no way to beat personalization in an age when customers want everything to be geared towards their needs and desires.
This is the key goal of personalization, as it allows you to optimize your entire digital presence to fit the values and the narrative that suits your target demographic, in turn inspiring them to come back and spread the word of your amazing online store. Assuming that you are already tracking all of your key metrics and that you are collecting customer data, let’s delve right into the concrete tactics that will help you create a personalized experience for your visitors.
It all starts with the homepage
You can think of your homepage as the storefront for your website that can either inspire customers to venture deeper into your store and peruse your product list, or hit that back button in search for a more relevant website that resonates with their values, likes, and unique sensibilities. Luckily, though, by using cookies on your website you have the chance to easily track your customer’s whereabouts and analyze the way they interact with your web store to create a personalized homepage experience and a better marketing plan as a whole.
The first time they visit your homepage, they will be greeted by your standard content and designed that’s geared towards your target demographic. That’s good enough, but you want to go a step further and use that cookie data to show them more relevant content the next time they drop by. For example, if you have a male and a female section, be sure to display only the male section and the right localized website for returning male customers to make the second visit more rewarding and reduce customer effort.
Try to personalize your domain
One of the best ways to improve brand stickiness, awareness, and visibility both in the search results and for your customers is to create a branded domain, there’s no doubt about that. However, you also need to personalize your domain to make it more appealing to the modern online demographic, so if you’re wondering how to personalize your service across the board without ruining your short-and-sweet domain name, it’s to choose a top-level domain that’s not .com or any of the standard TLDs.
Go with a top-level domain that will bring all of the benefits of a traditional TLD to the table with the addition of that personal touch that will make your domain name more memorable, relevant, and recognizable in the online world.
Personalize your online advertisements
For a growth-oriented Ecommerce business, it is imperative to invest in a Google Ads strategy, as well as paid advertising on social media in order to position the brand at the top of all relevant search results and in front of the right social media audience. However, not all ads will have the same effect on everyone who sees them, which is why ad personalization should rank high on your list.
Again, use the cookie data to optimize your ads according to the actions of your visitors and the way they engaged with your website. Position these in search engine results and on social media in order to show the right product to every customer, something that will inspire them to follow the link to your site. After all, why would a woman looking for handbags click on a link to your men’s section, even if she recognizes the brand?
Emphasize personalization through customer service
Another powerful way to personalize your service efficiently and effectively is to focus on building an amazing customer service department. Nowadays, customers want to communicate with their favorite Ecommerce brands, so you have to respond to all messages quickly, answer calls within the minute, and resolve any disputes in a timely manner.
This means that you need to invest in a phone system, however, you can cut costs by switching to a more affordable VoIP service that will eliminate the need to bring in new hardware and minimize telecom costs while allowing you to run a 24/7 customer service department. Be sure to offer several key languages in which your customers can communicate with your agents to improve personalization through localization as well.
Offer personalized guides to visitors
You might not be able to figure out the perfect product list for a new visitor, but it only takes a couple of clicks for you to gather enough customer data to start offering personalized buying guides on the spot. Some sites use the “recently viewed items” feature, and so should you, but be sure to go a step further by offering complete product packages that suit the unique needs of the individual. This way, they can choose to get the set for a special price, or they can pick their favorites from the guide – either way, this is a personal touch that the customer will appreciate.
Wrapping up
There are many features that you should integrate into your web store, and many features that you need in your digital marketing strategy. That said, personalization should always be on the top of the list of priorities, so be sure to leverage these tactics to truly stand out from the crowd and build a brand everyone knows and loves.
