A Situation - Page 7

Let's take a look at a typical (though fictional) Web site - ACME Lawnmowers. These guys have a regular ol' Web site, database driven, but without any other dynamic content. Sales have been good, but they have been watching new fangled companies spring up that offer fancier Web sites, and post large sales results. (Companies like e-Lawnmowers, MyLawnmowersOnline, etc), and want to get in on the revolution.

Note: As an aside, this scenario is often more typical than we imagine. Many "old staple" companies are watching high-tech online-only companies spring up with high-tech schemes of luring customers. Thus, this situation is ideal for a case study.

After determining the need for personalization, let's examine what types we may need by first looking at why other companies are doing well, and why we're not. First of all (after examining log files and data mining results), it seems that customers often leave the site after they get to the checkout page. That's one key area. Second, customers often add multiple lawnmowers to their shopping carts (though hardly any buy more than one at a time) and spend much time "browsing around" before moving to the checkout page. Finally, repeat visitors often follow the same trail, going to specific sections of the site, and neglecting others.

Let's examine the third problem first, as it is probably the simplest to address. This seemingly provides an obvious solution — provide the users the ability to customize their views of the site, and allow them to easily get to or view their favorite sections. We'll examine this issue further in the next step.

The first problem, dropped shopping carts, is a bit more difficult to find a solution for. How do you stop customers from leaving once they hit the registers (aside from lowering prices)? Well, one way traditional (brick and mortar) stores have combatted this, is by enticing the customer with a bevy of other, possibly related, goods at the checkout. For instance, remember the last time you went to a grocery store? Remember all the little items by the registers, such as candy, magazines and shaving cream? These are all (mostly) things that all people love, so they stick around.

Note: We may be exaggerating here (customers in brick and mortar stores don't leave the register because they've made up their minds already, usually), but the reasons do apply, however subconsciously to the customers.

Another way to fight this is by streamlining the process. The faster a customer can get through the checkout, the less time they have to change their minds. And the time that is spent waiting, can be better used to further entice or provide information to the buyer.

Finally, the issue of "browsing around." The most common reason behind this (even in brick and mortar stores) is that a customer is not sure what they want. They wander around either comparing things, or finding something that sparks their interest. This one can be taken care of in multiple ways — let's find out more.

Everything you Need to Know About Personalization: Part 2 - Page 6
Everything you Need to Know About Personalization: Part 2 - Page 6
Step 1 - Making Customers Happy - Page 8