Website Personalisation
Have you ever visited a website and felt like it was speaking directly to you? Maybe it greeted you by name, recommended products you might actually like, or even changed the layout to suit your preferences. This isn’t magic – it’s website personalisation technology in action. And no, it’s not just for the big brands like Amazon or Netflix. With the right tools, even smaller websites can provide a personalised experience for visitors.
In this post, I’ll explain what website personalisation tech is, why it’s important, and how you can start using it to boost engagement, customer satisfaction, and even sales. Don’t worry, I’ll keep the jargon to a minimum, and throw in a few tips to get you started.
What Is Website Personalisation?
At its core, website personalisation is about tailoring the content, layout, or experience of your website based on who’s visiting. This could involve:
- Showing different content to users based on their location, browsing history, or past purchases.
- Customising calls-to-action (CTAs) that are more relevant to different visitor segments.
- Adjusting the design for users based on their preferences, like showing a dark mode version or larger fonts.
In essence, personalisation uses data to create a more relevant and individualised experience, improving the likelihood that a visitor will engage with your content or make a purchase.
Why Bother with Personalisation?
Personalising your website isn’t just a gimmick – it has real-world benefits:
Higher Conversion Rates: Personalised CTAs perform up to 202% better than generic ones. If you’re running an e-commerce site, showing product recommendations based on a visitor’s browsing history can increase conversion rates by 20-30%.
Improved User Experience: A website that understands what your visitor is after and adapts accordingly creates a smoother experience. It feels more like a helpful guide rather than a digital billboard.
Reduced Bounce Rates: If a website delivers relevant content right away, users are more likely to stick around rather than click away to a competitor.
Increased Customer Loyalty: Customers are more likely to return if they feel like your website “gets them.” For instance, 44% of consumers say they are more likely to return to a site that provides personalised recommendations.
So, the case for personalisation is pretty solid. Now, how do you go about implementing it?
How Does Website Personalisation Work?
The tech behind personalisation ranges from simple cookie tracking to sophisticated machine learning algorithms. The good news is that you don’t need to be a tech wizard to start personalising your site. Many tools exist to help you get up and running with minimal effort.
Here’s a breakdown of the key ingredients behind website personalisation tech:
- Data Collection: This is the foundation. You can’t personalise content without knowing something about your visitors. There are several ways to collect data:
- Cookies: These small data files help track user behaviour across your site.
- Forms: When a user fills out a form, you can capture preferences, interests, or even location data.
- Third-Party Data: Tools like Google Analytics or marketing platforms can provide demographic information.
Segmentation: Once you’ve gathered some data, segment your audience into different categories (e.g., new vs. returning visitors, shoppers vs. blog readers, etc.). This makes it easier to personalise the experience for each group.
- Personalisation Rules: These are the “if this, then that” rules that determine what content to show to different user segments. For instance:
- If a visitor is from Australia, show pricing in AUD.
- If a visitor has previously purchased product X, recommend product Y.
Content Customisation: This is where the magic happens. Based on the rules you’ve set, the website dynamically changes the content or layout. This could involve changing text, images, CTAs, or even entire sections of the site.
- Automation: For larger sites, automation tools can help scale personalisation efforts by automatically serving personalised content without manual intervention. These tools often use AI or machine learning to predict what users might want to see.
Popular Personalisation Tools to Consider
If this sounds like something you want to try out, here are a few tools that make website personalisation simple:
Optimizely: A powerful platform for A/B testing and personalisation. It allows you to create different experiences for different audiences without needing to write code.
HubSpot: A marketing, sales, and service software that also has website personalisation features. It can personalise emails, landing pages, and more based on a user’s interactions.
Monetate: Used by major e-commerce players, this platform allows for real-time personalisation and product recommendations based on user data.
Google Optimize: Free to use and integrated with Google Analytics, this tool allows for basic personalisation and A/B testing. Great for beginners.
Unbounce: A landing page builder that lets you personalise pages based on location, ad campaigns, or search terms.
Getting Started with Website Personalisation
Alright, so you’re sold on the idea, but how do you actually start personalising your website? Here’s a simple step-by-step guide:
Identify Your Audience: The first step is understanding who’s visiting your site. Are they first-time visitors, long-time customers, or people in a specific geographic location? Tools like Google Analytics can help break down your audience.
Pick Your Personalisation Goals: What do you want to achieve? Maybe you want to increase conversions, reduce bounce rates, or boost customer retention. Defining clear goals will help you craft effective personalisation strategies.
Choose a Personalisation Tool: Depending on your budget and needs, pick one of the tools mentioned above. Most of them have free trials or entry-level pricing, so you can experiment before fully committing.
Create Segments: Start with a few basic segments. You could create different experiences for new vs. returning visitors, desktop vs. mobile users, or even by location. Don’t overcomplicate it at first.
Test, Test, Test: Don’t just assume personalisation will work right away. A/B test different versions of your site to see what performs best.
Scale Up: Once you’ve nailed the basics, you can start adding more advanced personalisation features like product recommendations, dynamic pricing, or even chatbots that tailor their responses to user queries.
Final Thoughts: Personalise With Purpose
Website personalisation can be a game changer when done right, but it’s important not to go overboard. Bombarding users with too many changes can feel intrusive or even creepy. The key is to use personalisation thoughtfully – make sure it enhances the user experience, rather than making visitors feel like they’re being watched.
So, whether you’re running a blog, an e-commerce site, or a small business homepage, personalisation technology offers a lot of value. Start small, track your results, and you might just see an uptick in engagement, conversions, and loyalty.
Happy personalising!
Do you have any personalisation tools or tips you’ve used? Let me know in the comments below, and let’s share the knowledge!