creating personalized website experiences: one site does not fit all!
TRANSCRIPT
Ray van HilstDirector of Client StrategyVanguard Technology
Creating Personalized Website Experiences
• Who has been tasked with creating a “personalized web experience for members”
• How many of you are already personalizing content on your website?
• Who has no idea where to start?
Expectations
“We bought the Maserati and have to drive it. We can’t just park it in the garage.”
Sheila Vertino, NAIOP
Good reasons to target site content:1. Your audience can be
segmented in ways that are meaningful.
2. Narrowing your message provides incremental value to your users.
3. Personalized content is tied to specific KPIs or business objectives.
Good vs BadBad reasons to target site content:1. Because we can.2. Some variation of #1.
http://alistapart.com/article/approaching-content-strategy-for-personalized-websites
• No technology… just process and strategy• Give you a framework for implementing a
content personalization program• Help you plan for a successful program
Today’s Goals
What is it? Why Now?
My son plays oboe, I recently bought some sheet music.
I bought a Fitbit last year.
Guess what is going to be under the Christmas tree!!
My son plays oboe, I recently bought some sheet music.
I bought a Fitbit last year.
Guess what is going to be under the Christmas tree!!
35% of Amazon’s revenue is driven by product recommendations!! - Venture Beat (2012)
74% of consumers get frustrated when website content appears that has nothing to do with their interests.
http://janrain.com/about/newsroom/press-releases/online-consumers-fed-up-with-irrelevant-content-on-favorite-websites-according-to-janrain-study/
52% of digital markers agree that ”the ability to personalize web content is fundamental to their online strategy”
https://assets.econsultancy.com/images/0002/1120/personalisation-infographic_adobeURL.png
• 41% are committed to providing that personalized experience
• But technology is holding them back with only 32% saying their CMS enables personalization
Recipe for Personalization
User Data
User Segmentation
Content & User Experience
User Data
User Segmentation
Content & User Experience
Goals!!!
Sophisticated personalization typically involves
leveraging a richer dataset, such as names and email
addresses, website and other browsing history, user
preferences, mobile app behavior, social data, device
location history and demographics, to name just a few
sources. - Marketing Land
http://marketingland.com/hyper-personalization-leveraging-data-build-loyal-customer-relationships-140530
• Explicit Data • What we know about the user• What the user has told us
• Implicit Data• What we infer about the user• What we figured out about the user
Personalization Data
Explicit Data:• Name• Member type• AMS
demographics• Purchase history
Personalization DataImplicit Data:• Location• Browsing behavior• Search queries
Dividing user base into subsets of users that have, or are perceived to have, common needs, interests, and priorities, and then designing and implementing strategies to target them.
User Segmentation
SegmentationUser Segment Name:
Give this user segment a name for tracking
Motivators: Describe this user’s motivators? What are they coming to the site to do? What are their possible scenarios?
User Goals: Reinforce what we want the user to do? How will this be a successful site visit?
What Data Segments this User?
From above, what data points or criteria put a user into this segment?
Prioritize this user If multiple User Segments are created, give this segment a priority level.
Marketing Mary• Washington, DC• Marketing Mgr• Attends
conferences
Developer Doug• Austin, TX• Software Engineer• Online databases
and webinars
Biz Dev Brian• New York, NY• Sales Director• Attends networking
events
Marketing Mary• Washington, DC• Marketing Mgr• Attends
conferences
Developer Doug• Austin, TX• Software Engineer• Online databases
and webinars
Biz Dev Brian• New York, NY• Sales Director• Attends networking
events
Industry Trends
Promotional Opportunities
Leads and DealsLatest Technology
Marketing Mary• Washington, DC• Marketing Mgr• Attends
conferences
Developer Doug• Austin, TX• Software Engineer• Online databases
and webinars
Biz Dev Brian• New York, NY• Sales Director• Attends networking
events
Exhibit at conferencesBuy advertising
Attend conferencesRefer potential members
Sign up for webinarsBuy products
• Lifecycle stage• Engagement
level• Tenure
Segmentation Options
• Location• Member Type• Industry Role• Purchases• Interests
“90% of consumers find custom content
useful”
http://www.demandmetric.com/content/content-marketing-infographic
• Revisit your content strategy• Bonus: Attend the Content Strategy Deep Dive!!
• 2:15 in this room• Create content for your user segments• Identify where and when to personalize the
content
Content for Personalization
This goes with what you bought
We think you might like this
Taxonomy is the foundation of effective content personalization
Photo Credit: Flickr, Eric Spiegel
Learn more:www.vtcus.com/taxonomy
Have a plan before you try to save the day…
• What do you want the user to do?• What are your content goals?• What are your business goals?
Define Your Goals
Planning for Personalization
“If you don’t know where you’re going, any road will get you there.”
Personalization Framework
Define Goals Define User Paths Identify Data Define
SegmentsIdentify
Opportunities
Create Personalized
Content
Test, Measure, Refine
• Why are we doing this?• Use SMART Goals (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant,
Time Based)• Potential Goals
• Sell products or membership• Promote specific content• Reduce user friction to relevant content
• Identify metrics• Google Analytics - Goals and campaigns• Form completions• Sales
Define Goals
• What do we want user to do?• Define actions and goals
• Conversion• Nurture
• What is the target content• Define target content
• Tie to persona and scenarios• How would user get to this content without personalization?
Define User Paths
• What segmentation data is available?• AMS
• Member type, volunteer roles, demographics, purchases• Web behavior
• Geo-location, referral sites• CMS
• Pages viewed, previous history• What specific data segments users?
Identify Data
• Create initial user segments• Start with personas and use cases• Define data points to segment users
• What demographics/data puts a user into segment?• Prioritize user segments
• Users may fall into more than one segment• Define segment priority
Define User Segments
• When are they they ready for personalized content?• Tie to user path
• Define personalization opportunity• Unique content• Calls to action• Conversion or nurturing points
• Merge with personalization goals• Destination• Action
Identify Opportunities
• Create content for each segment• Specific content• Content variations
• Consider all content types• Content widget• News & Blog widget• Images
Develop personalized content
• Implement• Start small, with specific tests before implementing multiple
segments• Configure personalization in CMS
• Measure• Have the goals established and metrics in place (e.g.
Google analytics, product sales, form completions, etc.)
Test, Measure, Refine
Case Studies
Sigma Theta Tau International
• 135,000 members• 85 countries• Diverse roles:
• Administrators• Clinical nurses• Policy• Researchers• Educators• Students
• Global members feel the organization is too North American centric
• Website was treating diverse audiences all the same
The Challenge
• Deliver personalized web content to visitors that encourages a primary or secondary action.
• Track numbers of primary actions completed through Google Analytics.
• Establish baseline of completed primary actions originating from STTI site.
• Increase number of completed primary actions by __% for subsequent years.
Personalization Goals v1
• Global Users by Region• IP Address
• Nurse Students• AMS data• Behavior
• Nurse Clinician• AMS data• Behavior
• Nurse Researchers• AMS data• Behavior
Initial User Segments
Change hero image based on region
Member story based on role
Featured Program based on role
Change products based on role
• AMS Data• Other projects in pipeline• Roles not assigned in data• User profiles incomplete or missing demographics
• Content• No content for defined segments
Detours
For Launch• 7 Global Regions• Change image
• Books products and services• US Targeted Content with discounts• Targeted ads to other regions
Black Friday Promotion
“As STTI becomes more international, it was important to
present an international image and not a US based look and
feel. Now members see familiar faces or landmarks on the
web site no matter where in the world they are.
We recently had our International convention and members
loved the site.”
Tim RinglespaughCIO
Sigma Theta Tau International
What’s Next? Content!!• More member stories
• Global regions• Member types
• More member photos
Personalization Framework
Define Goals Define User Paths Identify Data Define
SegmentsIdentify
Opportunities
Create Personalized
Content
Test, Measure, Refine
Lessons Learned
Do you have all your ingredients?
Do you have the member data? (explicit)
Can you map based on user behavior? (implicit)
Do you have the content to support it?
Includes taxonomy
Is the user journey mapped out?
Manage Expectations
Start slow… Go with what you have first
Set attainable goals
Plan, test, repeat
Develop a long term strategy
Commit the time and the resources
46% of marketers cite lack of time as the biggest hurdle to content marketing personalization.
http://therealtimereport.com/2014/03/24/88-of-digital-marketers-consider-realtime-marketing-critical-to-their-efforts/
Not a one time project
Becomes a process and an evolution
Assign resourcesWeb managementDataContent
Wrapping Up
73% of B2B content marketers are producing more content than they did one year ago.
88% of marketers are considering adding content marketing personalization to their plans.
“94% of marketers agree personalization of the web experience is critical to current and future success”
Are you one of them?
http://www.monetate.com/2013/05/the-tipping-point-for-personalized-website-experiences
Ray van HilstDirector of Client StrategyVanguard [email protected]
Questions? Get in touch!
Whitepaper: 7 Tips to Personalize Members’ Online Experienceswww.vtcus.com/personalization-tips