The following is a guest post from George Dragojevic. Wherever you may be in your journey, George is willing to assist you in making a beautiful online home for your next big adventure! Follow him on Twitter and Facebook.
Web personalization is method that takes into account the fact that all users come from different locations and have different devices, time limitations, motivations and interests. With modern technology, e-commerce entrepreneurs and marketers alike can collect a lot of data on what a certain visitor is searching for, which can ultimately help them boost their websites’ conversion rate.
There are many statistics that show that customers will likely buy products from retailers who have customized their web stores to fit the individual shopper and offer a personalized shopping experience. Most online consumers will tell you that it’s very frustrating when they visit a site that has content which doesn’t pertain to them. With these things in mind, it becomes very clear that personalized websites offer much more to entrepreneurs or marketers who wish to run a successful modern business.
The frequency of visits determines different experiences
What does this mean? Simply put, a visitor who is browsing a site for the first time will always look for something different than the person who pays frequent visits to that site. Tracking each visitor individually will help create unique user experiences. It is possible to use a cookie for tracking a frequent visitor, this way it will be much easier to direct that person to the most relevant and appropriate page for them and allow them to navigate more intuitively.
On the other hand, if you want to increase conversion rates of people who visit your page for the first time, you can include a business address, phone number, short video tutorial to explain your services or products or a contact form that will help you capture leads.
Adjust content accordingly
Content doesn’t have to be static, in fact it’s better to switch things up from time to time. You can increase your conversions by changing the content on your site according to the time of the week, day or season. For example, the phone number that is displayed to visitors during your work hours can be replaced with a contact form when your business is closed. By doing this, you will avoid losing potential customers due to your unavailability outside of working hours.
If you offer different types of products or services during the day based on culture, habits or targeted trends you will be able to increase conversions. A clear example of how this works in brick-and-mortar businesses is a restaurant that changes its menu during the day. If you have a blog section on your site, you should try to refresh it often and include relevant topics that have value to your visitors. If you want to know more about running a successful blog, there are some excellent guides you can find at Firstsiteguide.com that will help you master the basics.
Recognize special events
This is one of the best ways to connect with customers and personalize your website. For example, if Christmas is just around the corner, you can change your theme to be holiday-like, put in some hearts for Valentine’s Day or add some photos of amazing fireworks for 4th of July… Include a big text that wishes your visitors all the best, and in return, it can reflect positively on customer engagement.
As a final tip I suggest tracking the initial source from which a visitor has entered your site, so that you can adapt your content accordingly. This should impact the type of content the visitors first see when they get to your landing page, and you will provide them with a consistent experience. Offering the same information for all potential customers is a thing of the past, and you should look to get the most out of the available technology, to make your customers feel special when they visit your online store.
How do you use web personalization on your e-commerce site? Leave a comment or questions below.