Image by: ota_photos
By Dexter Lunde

As a businessman, what do you look for when you’re out shopping? Do you pay attention to how other companies advertise their products? Do you watch how they lay out their wares? Well, for this next year, may I suggest that you watch how they are personalizing their services and products for their customers?

Amit Kapur (the CEO and founder of Gravity) has been talking about a personalized internet for everyone since he started Gravity four years ago. He suggests that this trend will take off this year. As such, businesses that rely heavily on their website to sell their products should take note of this in order to stay above the curve.

So what are different ways that you can personalize your website or Facebook page for your customers (whether you run strictly from your site or have a storefront as well)?

#1) True Customization

Truly customizing and personalizing an experience for an online customer requires that you cater to your customers. How do you do this? Often that requires a little of extra elbow grease, and also some great support technicians.

There are different ways that you can cater your customer’s experience based on their preferences. Automated customer service is a product of the past. These days, customers are driven by the statement, “I need it now” and “it” never refers to an automated voice system. However, human interaction rarely concludes with an immediate answer, so why do customers want it so much? Because they would rather have their experience personalized and meaningful.

#2) Personalize Their Inquiries

Sometimes, when you call a customer service department, your query gets a number. While some people feel frustrated and utter things like, “I’m just a number”. This act serves various purposes. The most important is that it give both you and your customer something to refer to if this problem arises again.

This number system can also help you take a look at your various complaints and see if there are any patterns. You can also further personalize this by attaching the number to this case file and placing that case file in the customer’s record with your company. You can see what they’ve bought and what complaints they have to further personalize their experience with you.

Letting your support technicians have access to your clients’ shopping cart, purchasing histories, and different types of support documentation will help personalize your customers’ queries and customer support service experiences with you also. Giving someone a number doesn’t normally mean that you are giving them a personalized service unless you know how to use this system well.

#3) Remember Their Interests

When we’re talking about personal preference, Caribou Coffee’s Website is a great example of what to do. The website remembers what your searched and purchased in your previous visits and will show you products which are related to those which you purchased in the past.

Guys, if you’re looking for the best mobile app which reflects personalization, look no further than Delectable which personalizes your wine list based on pictures that you’ve taken and ratings that you’ve made of various wines that you’ve enjoyed. Or wines that you’ve not enjoyed as much…

#4) More Examples of Great Personalization – Emphasis on Personal

Our wives and girlfriends know exactly what we mean about personalization if they’ve shopped online for underwear. There are more and more underground, indie undie shops popping up online. Shops like Adore Me base a customer’s experience by a quick questionnaire. That means that even if you’re a first-time shopper, you will get an experience that was made just for you.

These indie undie sites ask questions that pertain to the customer (and the questionnaire contains a lot of pictures), which means that the customer will give honest answers and will stay interested.

#5) Tagging Your “Friends”

A lot of businesses don’t add their clients, customers, and consumers as “friends” on their Facebook. They only allow their customers to “follow them”. Adding your loyal customers as friends will allow you to do things like tag them in pictures. Of course, I’m not telling you to tag them in advertisement pictures, that’s just obnoxious.

However, as they come into your store, give them a personal, positive experience, take their picture, ask them if you can put it up on your Facebook page, and then tag them. Their friends will see them tagged in your picture and will be drawn to your page. It is a positive way to get people to check out your Facebook page, possibly gain more customers, and to recognize your loyal customers while giving them a great experience.