Personalizing Shopping Experiences Can Turn Browsers Into Buyers

Instead of a one-size fits all approach to web visitors, online merchants can benefit by using personalization techniques that deliver information based on user behavior, product relevance, product popularity and merchandising strategies, said Cliff Conneighton, senior vice president of e-commerce technology provider ATG, at the Internet Retailer Conference & Exhibition 2008.

Throughout the shopping experience, retailers can present offers based on click-through sources, a shopper’s purchase history or participation in a loyalty program, Conneighton said at last week’s session, “Personalizing the Web Experience.” For example, if there is a promotion for a sweater on a web site’s home page and a shopper leaves and returns from a bicycle site, the home page offer could be changed to a bicycle-related product to increase the chances of piquing the shopper’s interest, Conneighton said.

Search results can also be personalized by delivering products based on a shopper’s browsing behavior, a products’ popularity and the type of customer browsing—such as placing the newest style of sweaters higher in results for users who are fashion conscious, Conneighton said.

[Full Story at Internet Retailer]