With so many businesses now offering a website as the first port of call for customers, not only can they greatly expand their offering, but they can offer even more deluxe interaction options without needing an army of staff members. The right program or plug-in integration can transform an online experience from a simple scroll, click, and buy into one that gets customers exactly what they want through more interactive means.
This has become the pursuit of many industry leaders. They want customers to be able to tailor-make their own experience through customization options and then use that to give them a more personalized experience. Given the stats that have come from customer surveys and sales reports, it’s easy to see why so many businesses are looking to harness the power of customization and personalization.
Customization and Personalization are Powerful Tools
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It’s easy to blend or confuse an approach of customization and personalization, but the two have very distinct angles. As detailed in this piece on the two tools, customization is a tool that gives the user control, while personalization is in control of the website. To put it another way, customers will customize their experience while sites can personalize their approach to the customer.
That same look at the power of personalization and customization relays studies that find personalization as increasing growth by as much as ten percent, and customization also being an accelerant for growth. We’re now in an age where not only do customers expect a tailored or the chance to tailor their interactions with a business, but also, attention spans are getting shorter.
So, personalization can catch a customer’s attention by tapping into their personal wants and preferences. Customization can draw them in for longer interactions by giving them control over their experience. In fact, it’s been found that three in five shoppers like businesses to personalize content to them when shopping, with this figure even greater for younger age groups.
Businesses Tapping into Customization a
and Personalization
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If you review the website offering of one of the biggest names in any given industry, you’ll likely find a way for a customer to customize their experience or for follow-ups from the business to be personalized. One example of customization in action can be seen in the ever-evolving space of sports betting. The bet builder option lets users combine a wide range of markets to form one, customized bet at enhanced odds. This shows how customization has evolved into an essential business format for some industries, and this only continues to develop.
The personal touch can combine the online experience with the in-person one. Virgin Atlantic, for example, have customers fill in details like their favorite drink. Then, as a part of the loyalty program, customers will be served that drink as they board the flight.
For a more explicitly online and digital approach, Grammarly sends weekly reports to its customers. These reports work on two levels. For one, the customer gets hard stats for their progress, words written, and notes on their overall tone and frequent errors. On the other level, these personalized weekly reports actually reinforce to the customer just how useful Grammarly has been for them, showing all the words the program has checked, how long it’s been in use, and the number of errors caught.
The approach to customization and personalization will be different for each business, but one thing’s certainly true throughout: a sound customization option or a personalized approach will spur growth.
