For the past several years, personalization in ecommerce has emerged as a top consumer expectation and a differentiating factor<\/a> for online retailers trading in a competitive landscape, according to McKinsey.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Today\u2019s online shoppers don\u2019t simply want product recommendations based on what other consumers bought or enjoyed. Instead, they want suggestions and experiences catered specifically to their own individual needs, tastes and preferences. These experiences create a more desirable shopping experience for customers. And, by presenting shoppers with more products they\u2019ll like, retailers can leverage personalization to increase revenue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Here\u2019s a look at the benefits of personalization for shoppers and retailers, followed by nearly a dozen scalable ideas for how to get started.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Online shoppers are constantly bombarded with distracting and unhelpful information, from irrelevant display ads to uninteresting product categories. <\/p>\n\n\n\n For instance, a customer looking online for a multi-color midi dress might have to dodge a video ad about swimsuits, scroll past featured seasonal accessories and pass over search results for one-color maxi dresses before they even reach one potentially interesting option.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But personalized ecommerce experiences help shoppers cut through the clutter and find what they\u2019re actually looking for, faster. If that same customer is presented with a curated selection of midi dress suggestions that suit their style, they\u2019ll be able to start immediately engaging with those product recommendations and make a purchasing decision more quickly and easily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And it\u2019s not only about how best to personalize and prioritize products in that category to those they are most likely to buy. Personalization is also about ranking items in other categories that complement the hero product. So, the multi-color midi dress shopper may not want to see a mixed bag of accessories that are trending that season \u2014 but she might respond positively to relevant suggestions for colorful purses and shoes that complete the outfit based on the dress she\u2019s purchasing. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Industry research shows that 9 in 10 customers find a personalized shopping experience appealing, and 4 in 5 say they\u2019re more likely to do business<\/a> with a brand that delivers personalization. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Additionally, personalization adds a human dimension to otherwise impersonal online retail interactions. It makes consumers feel understood, supported, and well taken care of. These efforts all add up to a more frictionless customer journey and a positive experience overall. <\/p>\n\n\n\n When it comes to personalization, what\u2019s good for the customer is also great for the top line. The top two business benefits are larger order sizes and a more positive customer experience: <\/p>\n\n\n Shoppers are always searching for products they love \u2014 and when they see additional items that align with their tastes, this creates new purchasing desires. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Instead of scrolling on or clicking away, 7 in 10 shoppers pay more attention<\/a> to personalized product offerings. Plus, when consumers are presented with highly personalized shopping experiences, they\u2019re 40% more likely to spend more money and 110% more likely to purchase more items<\/a> than they originally planned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Retailers can move more inventory and influence higher average order values with even the easiest, automated personalization tactics. In one industry study, 88% of professionals said they noticed a measurable lift in business results<\/a>. Known for sharing an array of personalized and popular offerings, Amazon reportedly attributes 35% of its revenue<\/a> to recommended product purchases.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Personalization might lead to impulse buys and increased spending, but when those \u201cjust for you\u201d products feel like the right fit, customers come away more satisfied.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In addition to noticing a boost in revenue, 96% of professionals believe personalization helps improve and safeguard customer relationships. It also helps encourage customer loyalty in the long term. For instance, nearly one-third of customers are more loyal<\/a> to brands that show personalized ads.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Simply put, by creating a more personalized shopping experience, retailers can make more money now and win repeat business to keep revenue coming in later. not only drive incremental revenue in the short-term but also deliver higher customer lifetime value (CLV) through strengthened brand loyalty.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There are many different ways to offer personalized product recommendations at various stages throughout the customer journey. Consider this ecommerce personalization example list your starting point for delighting shoppers and growing your business.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When a shopper lands on a product detail page, if the measurements or fabric pattern aren\u2019t the right fit, you can\u2019t risk losing that potential customer to a competing brand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Making similar product suggestions is a tried-and-true approach to onsite personalization that will keep shoppers engaged. For instance, a retailer can suggest a skirt in a similar silhouette to the hero product, but that has a pattern and color they know the shopper would love, based on the customer\u2019s purchasing history. Ultimately, personalized similar suggestions can help consumers discover the perfect product, faster. <\/p>\n\n\n\n A retailer selling many similar styles can also boost product discoverability by surfacing more of their catalog at a glance. To drive higher revenue, they can tailor their personalization engine to display items at higher prices or with higher margins. <\/p>\n\n\n\n This works especially well for shoppers looking for something very specific \u2014 like a desk or dresser that will fit properly and look great in an existing space. For instance, one major furniture retailer uses ViSenze\u2019s \u201cSimilar Recommendations\u201d feature to power a product carousel that drives up to 9.8% higher conversion rates than other types of suggestions. <\/p>\n\n\n\n For shoppers who aren\u2019t quite as confident in what they want, marketing images and lifestyle photos can be a major source of inspiration. A consumer might have clicked on a woven basket, but they\u2019re really interested in the knit blankets and patterned cushions are shown inside the basket. Or a shopper may be looking at a top, but they\u2019re more excited about the jeans on the model. <\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s not always easy for shoppers to track down the secondary products shown in those pictures. But a personalized \u201cShop the Look\u201d feature can dramatically shorten the path from product discoverability to purchase. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Visual AI from ViSenze can automatically detect exact matches to every item shown in a photoshoot \u2014 as well as similar products that align with the shopper’s style preferences \u2014 and serve these up as suggested products. This also spares digital merchandisers from having to manually identify what\u2019s in each photo and create suggestions one by one, or painstakingly tailor product suggestions to different customer segments. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The results can be staggering: A global online fashion retailer uses this technology to generate $40 million in incremental revenue from their audience of young, trend-oriented consumers whenever they\u2019re inspired to buy. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Not all shoppers want to buy exactly what the model is wearing \u2014 but that doesn\u2019t mean they aren\u2019t trying to put together an entire look. An AI-driven \u201cComplete the Look\u201d product recommendation feed can suggest entirely new pairings and combinations of products that work well together \u2014 without any manual effort. <\/p>\n\n\n\n These fresh and personalized curations are automatically pieced together due to shared style attributes associated with each product. For example, sunglasses, shoes, purses, and floppy hats tagged as sharing a \u201csummer formal\u201d style might show up as recommendations alongside chic sundresses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Such recommendations can help contextualize how a product can be styled and encourage shoppers to pick out a few coordinating pieces along the way to checkout.<\/p>\n\n\n\n By tracking a customer\u2019s browsing history, retailers can urge their audiences to keep shopping in a way that feels highly relevant, not random. Whether it involves email reminders or onsite personalization feeds, eCommerce brands can serve up an array of products that the shopper already engaged with. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Following the age-old advice that it takes seven to eight touches for a prospective customer to make a purchase, a \u201cRecently Viewed\u201d or \u201cPick up Where You Left Off\u201d feature can bring products top-of-mind and re-engage the customer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Rather than approaching customers like strangers when they return to an ecommerce site by putting general marketing messages front and center, this personalization tactic functions as a friendly way to welcome back customers and help them reach their shopping goals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Consumers don\u2019t just want to know what other people love \u2014 they want to know what popular items they will love themselves. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Informed by the browsing and purchasing behaviors of group segments as well as individual site visitors, retailers can curate personalized selections of \u201cPopular Products You\u2019ll Love.\u201d For instance, if one site visitor expresses an interest in colored glassware, and data shows that a high percentage of customers purchased a set of teal wine glasses, the algorithm can suggest that product. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Best-selling product suggestions from across categories, like sneakers or children\u2019s bedding, aren\u2019t as likely to resonate with that shopper and drive conversion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Nothing feels more like a personalized product recommendation than one based on a customer\u2019s own input. Although a lot of great suggestions come out of behavioral analytics and other behind-the-scenes actions, shoppers can easily recognize and appreciate personalization when they are actively involved in the process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Retailers can offer short quizzes to get a quick overview of customer styles and interests. Meanwhile, they\u2019re also able to collect users\u2019 contact information. Even after the quiz experience, companies can continue marketing personalized product suggestions that match a shopper\u2019s profile.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Another tactic is to use in-depth surveys and process larger volumes of response data to produce a highly personalized experience. The latter option works particularly well for clothing retailers offering try-before-you-buy product curation services. But even brands following a more typical ecommerce business model can adopt this tactic and serve up fresh selections of products based on a customer\u2019s input, either onsite or across other channels. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Retailers aren\u2019t limited to generating recommendations based on products customers are actively looking at. They can also use purchase history to give loyal customers exciting personalized suggestions. <\/p>\n\n\n\n A \u201cComplete the Look\u201d carousel inspired by recent purchases can prompt customers to purchase the finishing touches for an outfit or home decor. By showing how items ranging from affordable accessories to high-value anchor items can be styled with pieces the customer already owns, retailers can generate new and highly personalized sources of inspiration. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Alternatively, retailers can map past purchases to in-stock items and offer relevant \u201cShop the Look\u201d suggestions. For instance, if a customer purchased a striped jumpsuit, but there are new jumpsuits in stock that exhibit a similar style, it wouldn\u2019t make sense to market those products to that customer. Instead, a retailer could present shoppable lifestyle images featuring similar jumpsuits and inspire the customer to purchase accessories to wear with the one they already own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Oftentimes, a shopper can benefit from personalized suggestions even after they\u2019ve added items to their cart. With insight into what products the customer already expressed interest in, as well as the types of product recommendations, feeds they\u2019ve engaged with in the past, ecommerce companies can make highly impactful and highly personalized suggestions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A customer might have a history of clicking on similar recommendations, so a \u201cYou May Also Like\u201d selection on the checkout page could help them finalize their purchasing decision before they consider cart abandonment. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Or, a customer who has added several complementary product recommendations to their shopping cart may get inspired by additional \u201cComplete the Look\u201d suggestions <\/p>\n\n\n\n If there\u2019s a spending threshold associated with free shipping, customers often browse around on items that could complete their purchase. If they can\u2019t find anything they like right away, there\u2019s a chance they\u2019ll leave. But personalized suggestions at this phase of the customer journey help shoppers fill up their cart more quickly \u2014 and with items, they\u2019re more likely to actually want.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Beyond sending personalized emails with product suggestions, retailers can focus on retargeting shoppers with ads on social media. By reaching out to consumers when they\u2019re actively gathering inspiration on a platform like Pinterest or Instagram, brands can have a greater chance of success. <\/p>\n\n\n\n According to Pinterest, 478 million people use the app \u201cevery month to find ideas and inspire their next purchase<\/a>.\u201d A whopping 97% of top Pinterest searches are unbranded, meaning users are open-minded and actively looking for ideas. In the process, 80% of weekly users have discovered a new product or brand on the platform. As Pinterest points out, \u201cContent from brands doesn\u2019t interrupt on Pinterest \u2014 it inspires.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The key is to ensure promoted products are in stock and ready to buy. Otherwise, a positive brand experience can turn sour, leaving eager shoppers frustrated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When shoppers can search for products in their own language, this search experience feels more personalized and thoughtfully designed. For consumers who get inspired by social media and what they see in the real world, their search language may be more visual than text-based. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Visual search from ViSenze uses lightning-fast AI to recognize style attributes in a user-uploaded image and return hyper-relevant, shoppable results. Consumers no longer need to waste time guessing at how to describe a product, or struggling with text search results that don\u2019t match what\u2019s in their mind\u2019s eye.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This can be especially valuable for trend-conscious consumers on the hunt for the latest looks they\u2019ve seen in the fashion world, but those that don\u2019t have a well-known name yet. <\/p>\n\n\n\n For example, style-setting celebrities have recently been spotted wearing skin-baring tops held together at the middle by a metal closure. Vogue noted the high volume of Google search results<\/a> for \u201cEmily Ratajkowski crop top\u201d after the model stepped out sporting the style. Refinery29 has since dubbed it the \u201dpin top<\/a>,\u201d but fashion brands are describing their takes on the trend in more utilitarian terms. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOpen front<\/a> with singular hook and eye closure\u201d and \u201cdiamante closure<\/a> at front bust\u201d aren\u2019t exactly easy search terms for shoppers. For fashion-forward consumers who know what this emerging trend looks like and want to try it, a quick visual search can return exactly the right results with significantly less hassle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Personalizing the ecommerce experience is impossible without access to the right data.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Through ViSenze\u2019s sophisticated customer journey analysis, retailers can uncover broader and deeper customer insights that provide visibility into style preferences, engagement with product recommendations, purchasing behaviors, and more. This data can be used to optimize onsite personalization, inform behavioral targeting and lead to more or improved customer experiences across the customer journey.<\/p>\n\n\n\n ViSenze Discovery Suite<\/mark><\/strong><\/a> acts as a flexible, scalable ecommerce personalization engine. Contact us<\/mark><\/strong><\/a> to learn more about how ViSenze helps retailers globally deliver exceptional shopping experiences and receive a complimentary Discovery Optimization Report<\/strong> of your website with actionable insights.<\/p>\n\n\n\nWhy do customers crave personalized shopping experiences?<\/h2>\n\n\n
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<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\nWhat\u2019s the benefit of offering personalization? <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\nBigger orders<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Better brand experience<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
11 Tactics to personalize the ecommerce customer journey<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
1. Offer similar product recommendations <\/h3>\n\n\n\n
2. Make styled images shoppable<\/h3>\n\n\n
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<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n3. Provide complementary product recommendations <\/h3>\n\n\n\n
4. Encourage shoppers to pick up where they left off<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
5. Display the most popular products in a style category<\/h3>\n\n\n
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<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n6. Create a style quiz ending with personalized recommendations<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
7. Show customers product recommendations based on past purchases<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
8. Make suggestions based on what\u2019s in a shopper\u2019s cart<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
9. Retarget with ads on social media<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
10. Enable shoppers to search using images<\/h3>\n\n\n
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<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n11. Delve deeply into customer insights<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Improve personalization and product discovery with ViSenze<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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