For decades, many retail stores have seen success not only from the products customers take home, but also the positive experiences. Small gestures, such as greeting customers when they walk through the door, helping them find exactly what they’re looking for, and engaging them with a friendly chat, are forms of personalized customer service that add up and make people want to return for repeat experiences. 

In today’s competitive digital landscape, personalized customer service experiences are more difficult, but also more important, than ever. The customer of today expects and often demands personalization. In exchange for a comfortable, accessible, and personal shopping experience, the customer shares their own information. 

In this blog, we discuss our strategy to create the personal shopping experiences your customers crave.

Why Is Customer Personalization Important?

Within two years, 86 percent of companies expect to compete primarily based on their customer experience. Unique customer experiences benefit both buyers and sellers, and the data only reinforces this. 

Companies must cater to the needs of the aware and empowered customer. This is necessary for businesses to not only survive, but thrive, as 33 percent of customers abandon businesses due to lack of personalization, and 77 percent recommend and are willing to pay more for a brand that provides them with tailored experiences. 

Customer Personalization and Segmentation

The most important aspect of selling a product is knowing who you are selling to. If you identify your target customer demographic, you can personalize your marketing to appeal to them. Better than identifying one demographic, however, is identifying several. For companies with a variety of product lines, like Nestlé, customer segmentation is their secret weapon. Follow these steps to successfully segment your customers into specific demographics. 

1. Collect Customer Data 

Segmentation is difficult to do without data collected from thousands of customers. As your brand continues to sell products, you can get an idea of what interests your customers through transaction receipts, surveys, polls, customer service, and by using software bots that track their browsing habits. 

2. Understand Your Audience   

Who are your customers, and what is their motivation? Begin profiling customers based on the feedback from the customer service team. Segment them according to: 

• Location – Use their shared coordinates to segment customers into local, regional, and global markets.  
• Age and Gender – Understand what roles age and gender play into buying characteristics. These roles vary depending on location. 
• Education and Salary – This information is best gained from surveys. Well-educated individuals tend to make the most data-driven decisions. 
• Online Shopping Habits – This depends entirely on the personal interests of your customers.  

3. Create Buyer Personas  

With enough information about your customers, use your segments to profile customer archetypes, called buyer personas. While not perfect, these generalizations can help you understand which kinds of people buy which kinds of products.  

4. Utilize Customer Feedback 

Customize your products and services based on customer feedback from user reviews, emails, and social media. Work backwards from the experience you want to deliver.   

5. Invest in the Latest Technology   

Use AI to enhance your customer experience through navigational and predictive personalization, which both use software tools to recommend similar items to what a customer is already browsing or something new in which they might also be interested. For FAQs or troubleshooting, many modern customers prefer a digital self-service tool (website, mobile app, or online tutorial) over a call or video chat.   

6. Watch Your Competitors   

For a clear picture of the industry, analyze both market trends and your competitors’ own personalization strategies. Take only the best elements to improve your own business. 

7. Learn and Evolve   

Continue collecting data, analyzing your results, and optimizing your experience accordingly. A customer experience strategy must continue to evolve to be effective. 

A Streamlined Ecosystem

It is imperative to create a consistent, streamlined brand experience across all channels – website, apps, email, and social media. For many customers, the journey is just as important as the destination. Reminder emails, promotions, or limited time offers are great tactics that can make customers feel immersed in your ecosystem and keeps your brand on their mind.

However, it’s important to not spam them. 70 percent of millennials are frustrated with brands sending them irrelevant marketing emails and prefer personalized emails. Creating the perfect balance and bringing people into your streamlined ecosystem creates loyal, repeat customers. 

Invest in Help

Personalized customer service provides a massive opportunity to create lifetime customers. With the right strategy in place, there are no boundaries for your company. However, we know that this is easier said than done. 

Investing in help is always a smart option for companies that lack the knowledge or expertise to create content that drives sales. Content agencies, like Tulfa, are a great asset to businesses that want to accelerate their growth. 

We’re here to help. Shoot us an email or reach out to us on social media. As one of eCommerce’s leading content agencies, we make sure customers notice your products. Check out our services for more information and a free sample of our work.