The online world is changing. Did you know that people are spending twice as much time on the internet as they did 5 years ago and double the amount of money online as they did 10 years ago? It’s no wonder that knowing at a personalized level who your online customers are is more important than ever. In a digital age where customer loyalty is difficult to generate, it’s hard to capture and keep the attention of the average consumer.
So how can your company get the competitive advantage in this fast-paced online world? The key lies in personalization.
With proven higher efficiency and returns than A/B testing, here are 5 key advantages to personalizing your website:
1. Personalized websites generate more traffic
A 2013 Infosys study showed that 58% of companies who offered personalization saw a rapid increase in online traffic to their website. With more and more people spending time online, personalized experiences have become key to what people view and buy. Whether in retail, news, entertainment or any other industry, providing users with the personalized experiences they’re looking for is the way to direct traffic to your website.
2. Personalized websites have more loyal users
Research has shown that users who get a personalized experience will keep coming back. Nearly three-quarters of companies in a survey cited increased visitor engagement as a main benefit from personalization. A/B testing-based websites can only create an experience tailored to the biggest segment of their users. As a result, they leave many behind. Personalizing allows you to get ahead of the curve and keeps people coming back. Showing relevant, timely content makes it seem like your website is made just for them.
3. Personalized websites improve sales, click-through rates and conversion rates
Of course, you know that it’s not just about getting people to come to your website, it’s also about getting them to click through your pages once they’ve arrived. A 2014 HubSpot study of over 93,000 Calls to Action (CTAs) on websites found that CTAs personalized to users had a 42% higher viewer-to-submission rate than ones that were the same for everyone. And when comparing personalized websites to A/B-tested or one-size-fits-all websites, 74% of companies who had personalized experiences saw sales figures improve on average by 19%. With companies such as Amazon and Netflix pioneering the personalization movement, going the extra mile for your potential customers promises massive rewards.
4. Personalized websites keep content fresh and users engaged
One of the great things about personalization is that it enables you to enrich the customer experience by continuing to learn about their interests, histories and purchasing intents over time. While A/B testing allows you to create a website that fits your “winning segment’s” preferences, it is slow to adjust to inevitable changes in those preferences. According to Janrain, 74% of online consumers get frustrated with content that has nothing to do with their interests. By personalizing, you take the guesswork out of showing your customers what they want, and keep them excited to see fresh content.
5. Personalized websites are easier to adapt
Winning the battle to engage your users online is all about speed. The ultimate goal is to attract visitors and creating loyalty as quickly as possible. Personalization holds a key advantage is in its flexibility. The inevitable narrowing-down process of A/B testing simply cannot provide this. With personalization, your website works on a 1:1 level and narrows preferences for each individual as soon as they visit your website. Because of this, your website can adapt to changing preferences with each click. That means no more waiting, and you don’t lose customers along the way!
Whatever your online business, it’s difficult to grab a customer’s attention and keep them engaged. It’s even more difficult to get them to act. While A/B testing tools can help drive conversions and test theories, implementation time and inflexibility leaves it severely lacking. But personalization runs like an A/B test that is always on. By doing so, it automatically adjusts for each and every one of your users. It’s the future of the web!
