Top 3 Elements of Personalized Search

Everywhere you go, there are conversations about personalization and making customer experience the top priority. Personalization is not easy as it sounds and every customer is an audience of one when it comes to curating experiences that match the lifestyle of customers.  

80% of customers say that they are more likely to buy from companies that offered personalized marketing experiences, and the same study supports that 90% of customers found personalized marketing appealing.

 

What is Personalized Search? 

When it comes to web search, there's no one-size-fits-all solution, emphasizing the importance of a personalized search experience.  

Personalized customer experiences are becoming more and more critical as we move into the age of the customer. Agile CRM found that 70% of consumers are likelier to do business with a company that offers personalized experiences.   

The main goal of adding personalized search features to your website is to improve customer experience. A website that doesn't offer results tailored to the buyer's demographics and behavior may show products that aren't relevant to them or return no results. 

According to a research, poor search experiences will cause 80% of shoppers to abandon a site. By contrast, integrating personalized search features will reduce bounce rates and increase conversion rates. By convention, people like to be at places where they get personal attention. 

So, what are the most important elements of a personalized search experience? Keep reading to find out!  

1. Relevance 

The first and most crucial element of a personalized search experience is relevance. Your results must be relevant to what the shopper is searching for on your website. You will not keep their attention for very long if they're not offered the exact products/services for which they visit your site. 

Find out How B2B personalization can help enhance digital customer journey to drive conversions.

2. Context  

The second important element of a personalized search experience is context. This is about understanding the shopper's situation and providing results that are relevant in that moment. 

For example, someone searching for "phone cases" on your website expects to find the styles that fit their mobile models. To make it a contextual experience, brands need to figure out which company mobile and model the visitor is using basis which they offer the top-selling phone cases.

Personalized searching also means using the customer's search and buying history to provide relevant information. When search is backed by customer data, it helps curate relatable, impactful search results that turn browsers into buyers. Technology such as Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) are the driving force behind great personalized search experiences. They help turn customer data into actionable insights that lead to increased customer engagement and brand loyalty.

Know more about customer journey mapping and its impact on customer loyalty.

3. Intent

The third and final element of a personalized search experience is intent. In simple terms, intent is nothing but the thoughts directing a consumer’s actions towards a particular purchase. When we talk about intent in personalized search, it is about understanding what the user tries to do with their search and providing results that match the query.  

For example, a shopper moves from the homepage of an eCommerce site to the category page of ‘Walking Shoes’. This action is indicative of the intention of buying shoes. When clubbed with the customer data from the past interactions, this session can increase the probability of the user purchasing the ‘walking shoe’ basis the demographics, color, budget, size and other aspects.

Power of Personalized Search 

1 in 3 customers leave a brand they love after just one bad experience. Stats of such kind leave no scope of error when it comes to customizing experience. In the below section, we will help you understand the top ways of delivering personalized experience. 

How can Your Website Deliver a Personalized Search Experience?  

Personalized customer experience helps brands create a favorable image and win over their competitors. Here are some things you can do to make sure your website delivers a personalized search experience:   

1. Use data and analytics to understand your shoppers and what they're looking for on your website.  

2. Use relevant keywords throughout your website content to ensure your site comes up in relevant searches.   

3. Leverage customer data, Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) to anticipate your shoppers' intent and improve customer experience.  

4. Use personalization tools like customer segmentation and dynamic content to deliver relevant experiences to your users.   

5. Give your shoppers a seamless user experience across all devices and platforms by leveraging customer insights 

Find out what B2B brands need to lay foundation for long-term growth.

Conclusion 

Personalized customer experiences are becoming more and more critical in the age of the customer. And the three most important elements of a personalized search experience are relevance, context, and intent. To achieve personalized search, you must gather commerce data (the combination of customer data and product data), use that data to efficiently show customers what they want, and achieve a healthy balance between customers' "in the moment" intentions and previously collected data. 

If you want more insights into building 1:1 personalization for your brand, you can write to us at marketing@altudo.co and we will connect you with our commerce experts for a no-obligation session.