Beyond 1:1 Personalization

The Common Challenges of 1:1 Personalization

Too often, the fixation on 1:1 personalization in ecommerce actually ends up holding brands back from creating great customer experiences. Here are the key takeaways to help you get more out of your ecommerce personalization.

The pursuit of 1:1 personalization results in similar challenges across brands: customers who are hesitant to share their information, vast amounts of data that need to be collected and updated, and the daunting task of translating all that data into meaningful action. It's time to challenge the conventional wisdom of 1:1 personalization and discover a different approach.

 

The Power of Understanding Anonymous and Occasional Visitors

 

Dive Into Your Customer Archetypes

On the one hand, you have your brand loyalists. These are the dream customers for 1:1 personalization because you already have so much data on them. But what about everyone else? First-time buyers, bargain hunters, gift shoppers — they make up the majority of your customer base. If you only focus on the loyalists, what happens to the 80-90% of customers who fall outside this narrow scope?

 

Support Anonymous Visitors

Just because you have anonymous visitors doesn’t mean you can’t also personalize the experience for them. With the right search bar, you can get a good understanding of what their intent is when they search, then deliver a personalized experience without collecting personal data. For example, if a visitor searches for “medium red yoga pants,” then your search results can feature models wearing medium red yoga pants instead of the default black ones.

 

Empower Occasional Visitors

For occasional visitors, you should focus on personalized recommendations and lookalike segments. By analyzing clicks and utilizing even a small amount of customer information, you can tailor results to their preferences. At Bloomreach, we offer a product discovery solution that personalizes search results in real time for each customer segment you create.

 

Move Beyond 1:1 Personalization

If you focus too much on 1:1 personalization, you’ll neglect to personalize the experience for the vast majority of your customer base. Instead, be sure to personalize your product discovery for anonymous and occasional visitors through your search bar and customer segments. By personalizing for a wider group of customers, you’ll see a greater impact on your conversions and revenue.

It’s time to create a more inclusive approach that caters to the diverse needs of your customer base. By embracing these untapped opportunities, you can create a shopping experience that resonates with all your customers, ensuring engagement, satisfaction, and growth.