Enhancing Online Shopping Experiences Through Personalisation
Acquiring goods may be the final outcome of shopping online but, for consumers, the shopping experience is as important as buying the product. Google research reveals that “most fashion, beauty and home shoppers spend up to two weeks researching products before they buy them”. eCommerce personalisation can play a big part in enhancing that research, and nudging shoppers towards your product. Let’s consider how it works.
Online Shopping is About Identity and Inspiration
65% of consumers surveyed by Google said that much of their online browsing is about a search for inspiration. This, they note, most often happens when they’re not actively searching to buy. Maybe it’s a colour palette, or a style which is screen grabbed and saved. Online searching is as much about constructing who we are, and how we express ourselves, as it is about buying. Personalised shopping can contribute to this process.
What is eCommerce Personalisation?
Shopping in the High Street environment tends to be a social experience; something to be enjoyed with friends. Decisions about style, identity and taste happen communally through conversation and experience.
The online eCommerce browsing experience is very different. It tends to be more solitary, with less opportunity for social interaction. eCommerce personalisation can help to reproduce the High Street experience by interacting with shoppers as unique individuals. eCommerce personalisation may include the following examples:
- Recommendations based on style/colour preferences.
- Individually customised products, or subscriptions.
- Quizzes to determine tastes and style.
- Personalised emails with alerts to selected promotions.
- Offering a ‘Try Before You Buy’ experience.
- The facility to chat easily about the products on offer.
What are the Benefits for eCommerce Brands?
Reproducing the offline experience of shopping for online consumers takes effort. So, what are the benefits for brands? We take a look at 5 ways in which personalised shopping can boost your sales.
1. Engaging With Customers Grows Sales
A survey by Accenture found that 75% of the consumers they asked, would be more likely to buy from an online store that recognised them by name. That’s quite a pay-back. Add in the potential for product recommendations and ‘try before you buy’ and you’re moving towards a store that customers feel is designed around them.
2. Customer Control Builds Trust
The internet can feel impersonal and unfriendly. eCommerce brands that work to create an experience where their customers feel safe, and in control of their online environment, will enhance trust and engagement. Ensure that customers can navigate seamlessly to pages that are relevant, that they can save their searches, and chat easily about products.
3. Maximise Customer Lifetime Value
As eCommerce brands get to know their customers better, it becomes easier to offer helpful suggestions. A shopper who regularly purchases a particular cluster of products may find a subscription useful. Someone browsing seasonal products may be interested in your product customisation service. Get the offer right and customers will value the suggestion you make – and spend more.
4. Differentiate Your Brand
The goal of every brand is to be memorable. eCommerce personalisation is an excellent way to put distance between your brand and all the rest. Giving shoppers a personal experience is something that they will talk about to friends and family. As a result, you get free publicity and a growing interest not only in your product, but also in the way you treat your customers.
5. Grow Your Understanding of Your Customers
Data collection is the natural trade-off of eCommerce personalisation. The more you get to know your customers, the more data you have at your disposal. Understanding their preferences allows you to order stock more efficiently, structure your marketing materials more effectively, and create CTAs that have impact.
Ready to Personalise Your Customers’ Shopping Experience?
If you like the sound of eCommerce personalisation but you’re unsure where to start, Prolog Fulfilment would love to talk to you. We’re committed to providing our 3pl partners with a range of value-added services that make personalisation a part of how your brand speaks to customers.
We don’t just offer the basics; at every stage of the fulfilment process, we provide a personalised service which is tailored to your brand. We’re designed to deliver great service to you and your customers.
