Personalized E-Commerce
As anyone who knows me well can say, I shop online frequently. I recently made an online purchase and the following day I saw ads for one of the same items I’d bought on one of my other frequently visited sites (Facebook).
Since I had shopped at the same store where this item was being advertised, I knew that it was not a coincidence but a case of remarketing. In this case, it was highly personalized and featuring the exact item I’d clicked on and considered.
This is because Google personalizes your search experience based on past search history? There is the option to set this off in Google, however by default it is there and will match your interests to the search.
Privacy you might ask? Well for some that is the case, however for an increasing number of others, they feel that it provides for a better experience.
It’s important to try and personalize in as many places as possible.
- Opt-in emails.
- Transaction emails.
- On your website.
- Social media.
- Loyalty programs.
- Packaging.
- On phone and chat.
- Ad networks
- Landing pages.
- Wish lists.
- All devices.
As I mentioned before, there will be many who view personalization as an invasion of privacy. However the options are there to erase their cookies, utilise incognito browsers and ultimately opt out if they wish. At the end of the day, making an online shopping experience easier is good for everyone.
And I firmly believe that when executed properly, personalization will add significantly to an online shopping experience. The important thing to remember is not to abuse it – as keeping privacy foremost on your priorities is key.
