By Omri Yacubovich | Head of Marketing @ Commerce Sciences
Not that long ago, a savvy retail salesperson could size up customers by their shoes, belt and what area of the store they went to first. By observing little details, the salesperson was then able to up-sell and increase their sales but suggesting additional purchases. Shopping was personal and face-to-face.
Times have changed. An estimated $347M US will be spent online in 2015, and $76.4M of that will be made through handheld devices. With purchasing being made with a keystroke and a click instead of face to face interactions, personalized e-commerce and web personalization becomes essential for businesses who want to survive in the new realm of e-commerce.
Here are 5 steps to personalize your e-commerce strategy and attract, convert and retain more customers.
1. Rethink Your E-Commerce Funnel
According to Pew Research, nearly 2/3 of US citizens own a smartphone. If even 5% of all online purchases are done via smart device, it’s time to rethink your sales funnel and create a more personalized e-commerce experience.
Think of all customer interactions as a conversation that gives you more information to create more e-commerce personalization. If a client clicks through an email to your website, every interaction is an opportunity to strengthen the customer relationship with e-commerce personalization. Any search or purchase can trigger suggested complementary items. Worry less about demographics and more about buying behaviour. A twice a year shopper who spends high dollars is just as deserving of VIP treatment as a frequent shopper.
Rethinking your funnel means realizing that consumers no longer have a linear, step-by-step relationship with brands. They are coming to you from dozens or even hundreds of channels, making website personalization and behavioral targeting a critical part of your marketing strategy.
2. Tap into the Power of Urgency and Scarcity with Web Personalization
You only need to watch The Shopping Channel or QVC for a few minutes to get pulled into the urgency to buy the featured item. As the counter goes up, hosts extol the importance of buying now, before it’s too late. Traditional bricks and mortar stores were able to push products by offering limited time discounts, announced over the PA system and directing shoppers to a location of the store.
Create the same sense of urgency with limited time discounts, targeted offer email promotions and e-commerce personalization based on a customer’s buying behavior. Use web overlays to slide in a VIP discount or offer free shipping at a certain dollar level. Warn customers of limited stock to create a sense of urgency.
In fact, there are 9 key consumer emotions you should become familiar with, as they are fantastic triggers that incite people to take action.
3. Use A/B Testing to Determine the Most Impactful Personalizations
The only way to know if your e-commerce personalization strategy is working is to use A/B Testing to determine the most effective solutions. For example, is your up-sell at checkout resulting in higher sales? What about creating a sense of urgency with Buy Now call to action buttons? Do you have more success with “buy now” or “Add to Cart?” Is your free shipping offer at the right price point?
Start with these 7 A/B Tests You Should Run on Your Ecommerce Website Today to get you off and running with high-impact tests.
4. Use E-Commerce Personalization to Reinforce Trust Factors
Customers are no longer bound by store hours and can shop at any time of day or night. First time shoppers may be hesitant to make purchases, and web personalization can be used to provide reassurance. Display return policy, guarantees and trust badges prominently in slide-outs as visitors click around your site.
Transparency in the form of customer reviews gives a sense of reassurance that you are a reputable company with nothing to hide. Check out this previous post to learn how to use security, privacy, design and content to reinforce consumers’ trust in your brand from the moment they discover your website.
5. Make Email Subscriptions a Priority
And finally, the best way to ensure visitors to your site become repeat customers is to offer them something of value, such as a special discount, in exchange for becoming email subscribers. The more email subscribers you have, the more you can entice them with personalized offers based on their personalized e-commerce habits. The more they interact with you, the more information you gather to increase their personalized e-commerce experience with better and more relevant offers.
Visitors to a site like to feel welcome, valued and to accomplish the goal that brought them to your site. Satisfied visitors become repeat visitors, and will spread the word to others. By using a personalized e-commerce strategy, you can increase sales and customer loyalty.
Remember, too, that whether your mobile experience is a responsive version of your main site or a dedicated mobile site, conversion rates are going to be low, as mobile users are typically on the go. Try asking visitors for their email with a promise to send them value-added content or promotions when they’re back in front of their desktop computer. Test your email opens by device to ensure these follow-up emails are being opened from desktop devices.
At Commerce Sciences, we specialize in creating customized e-commerce experiences. Take a tour to see how easy it is to get started.
