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9 Top eCommerce Personalization Trends To Try in 2023
DynamicWeb
Looking to improve your customer engagement? Read on to learn 9 top eCommerce personalization trends to try in 2023.
One of the top reasons customers have flocked to eCommerce over the years is the convenience of fast, personalized experiences. A whopping 88% of online shoppers surveyed in 2022 indicated that personalization makes them more likely to continue shopping on retailer sites, and 45% of Gen Z shoppers are likely to leave a website if it is not in tune with their interests, wants, and needs.
However, the very concept and delivery of a personalized experience are not fixed because preferences, buying behaviors, and technology are constantly changing. So, companies must stay on top of the trends. By periodically taking the time to understand customers and their needs and look ahead at what is on the horizon, companies take a customer-centric approach that fosters trust and simultaneously boosts sales.
In this guide, we explore 9 top eCommerce personalization trends that companies can incorporate into their eCommerce sites as these features will likely be increasingly important to buyers in 2023.
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1. Real-Time Website Personalization
Real-time website personalization, or contextual personalization, relies heavily on multiple forms of data to present tailored eCommerce experiences. The right eCommerce/CMS solution can let you set personalization settings on individual rows and modules of your website to reveal customer-specific content based on their purchase history, customer type, or other data based on onsite behavior. CRM integration allows you to connect sales channels and customer relationship management software to work together seamlessly. Successful ERP integration enables the automation of sales orders, inventory, and customer details. When all of your solutions work in harmony, you can achieve a unique, agile, and rich real-time experience for each and every eCommerce visitor.
2. Communications
In a survey among consumers in the United States in 2022, 79% of millennial respondents and 57% of Gen Z respondents stated they liked being contacted by brands via email. Another survey revealed that 37% of consumers feel that a brand's regular email newsletter would influence them to purchase. In short, email communications continue to be necessary, and they are also incredible opportunities for personalization, and once again, eCommerce integration is vital for success. To personalize and automate communications at scale, your email marketing system needs to be fully integrated with your eCommerce, ERP, and CRM data so that customers can be precisely segmented and targeted with the right message.
3. Tailored Promotions and Exclusive Offers Based on Purchase History or Customer Status
80% of consumers are more likely to complete a purchase when provided with a personalized eCommerce experience, and the reverse is also true. Tailored promotions and exclusive, personalized offers are excellent ways to show customers you care about their interests and desires. For example, a buyer of one product might see an exclusive promotion for product X when they land on the homepage, while a different customer sees a promotion for product Y.
4. Product Recommendations and Related Products
If you still need to personalize your customers' experiences with tailored product recommendations, now is the time to add this feature to your site. Customers expect to be elegantly guided through their buying journey and increasingly rely on eCommerce experiences to remind them of their needs. Display product recommendations and additional upsell or cross-sell opportunities throughout various customer experiences, i.e., on product pages, content pages, homepage, and email follow-ups.
5. Predictive Search
For an eCommerce visitor, a predictive search feature feels intuitive and quickly leads them to the products they seek. Predictive search uses AI and Machine Learning to complete customers' search bar inquiries based on past searches, common queries, and data-based insights into customers' wants and needs. In 2023, we are likely to see more and more eCommerce stores deploying predictive search features to accelerate the buyer journey and improve the customer experience.
6. Customer-Specific Pricing
Another excellent opportunity to expand eCommerce personalization in 2023 is through customer-specific pricing. This is particularly relevant in B2B scenarios where accounts have unique pricing based on trade agreements or contracts that lock them in at a special price. Ensure the customer sees their actual price on the front end to make the buying process smooth and efficient.
7. Anonymous Personalization
Anonymous visitor personalization will be a significant trend in 2023 because many shoppers prefer to "continue as a guest" but still hope for a personalized experience. New privacy features and the plans to discontinue third-party cookies are changing the customer engagement landscape. To personalize the anonymous user experience and real-time browsing data, leverage in-app and in-browser messaging and integrate a cross-channel approach.
8. AI for Product Recommendations
Product recommendations driven by alternate reality and other technologies have created personalized experiences for years. It is essential to follow up on this discussion because today's technologies are infinitely more advanced than those of just a year or two ago. Throughout 2023, more companies will likely integrate or expand their use of AI for product recommendations. One of the most important ways for companies to stay competitive with AI product recommendations and predictive personalization is to work to anticipate each customer segment's needs continually.
9. Abandoned Shopping Cart Emails
A shocking 67% of all shopping carts are abandoned without completed transactions. Abandoned shopping carts are excellent opportunities to connect personally with interested consumers and also hot opportunities to increase sales. Reactivation can improve total eCommerce revenues by as much as 12%. A gentle reminder to return the cart may be a welcome email to shoppers who have forgotten about their pending purchase during their busy day. To add extra incentive, offer a special promotion to guests who choose to complete their purchase.
All this being said a great way to stay on top of eCommerce trends and fulfill the personalization dreams of your customers is to partner with a company that has your back. At DynamicWeb, our mission is to simplify eCommerce for our customers and partners. With over 20 years in business and over 12,000 websites developed, we have the experience and software necessary to create robust eCommerce solutions.
To learn more, watch our free webinar, eCommerce Strategy: Designing eCommerce Experiences that Inspire Conversions. To see how we can help you take your eCommerce personalization to the next level, book a free demo today.