Personalisation – making online shoppers come back

by Alicja Krzeminska, Flubit

Retailers and sellers are constantly looking for new ways to attract shoppers and in turn generate more sales. Most multi channel ecommerce businesses have already made an effort with personalisation and how they communicate this with their shoppers.

But shoppers now expect more. The majority of UK shoppers expect all retailers to create a tailored, personalised experience just for them. What does it exactly mean and how can multi channel ecommerce retailers do that? If you’re an online seller, you have half of the job done for you. When your shoppers buy products you gather a big chunk of data with each purchase. What does it exactly mean and how can retailers do that? If you’re an online seller, you have half of the job done for you. When your shoppers buy products you gather a big chunk of data with each purchase.

You know who they are, often where they live and most importantly what kind of items and products they are interested in. It’s up to you to utilise that information and there is few ways you can use it to make their shopping experience more personal.

1. Add an incentive but make it relevant

Etailers often send “thank you” emails to shoppers who made their first purchase with vouchers for free delivery or discounts. This can be a great way of making personalisation work for you.

But quite often it can be hit or miss. A shopper who just bought a pair of lady’s running shoes probably won’t be interested in a voucher giving them 20% discount off all home accessories – it might not be a good enough incentive for them to come back again.

But creating offers and discounts based on the data you already have can help you personalise them and make the shopper much more likely to come back.

2. Show them only what they need to see

We know how tempting it can be to show shoppers all the products you want to sell. Maybe they have forgotten to buy something and you can remind them? Maybe. But over 80% of online shoppers come prepared – they have done their research and they know exactly what they want to buy. So make sure to keep distractions to minimum and show only the most relevant products which are related to their purchase.

3. Listen to what your shoppers have to say

Make sure to analyse data you have carefully to see how you can improve the shopping experience for your customers. Feedback from them can be very important. Screen reviews, ask for feedback and make sure to incentivise shoppers that are happy to share their thoughts with you. That way you have more chance to constantly optimise the shopping experience for your customers.

You might have to go a little further to ensure that shoppers will come back to your website. But it’s worth it. Stores providing personalisation and unique experiences have higher conversion and retention rates. Here at Flubit, our shoppers are up to six times more likely to come back than in any other marketplace or online store.