Personalization has become so important in the business world that some have gone so far as to employ the expression “hyper-personalization” to describe the detail of customizability they wish to have with their content/service. This expression, however, over-analyzes this method of business; business is merely personal or impersonal. Attempts to make your business too personal will detract from actually connecting with people on their level. You must care about the customer as a person and demonstrate to them that you value them as such.
Who are your customers?
Taking a look at demographics give you a basic understanding of your customer base, but in order to maximize success with personalization, you need to get to know your customers directly. Talking with your customers on the phone and getting feedback with surveys are great ways to improve your business. But if you really want to be personal, don’t just ask questions about their experience with your services. Ask them about their own lives, interests, and wishes. Compile this information and compare it with your statistics; create fictional customers based on that information. Then, shape your product/service according to those personas.
How can you meet THEIR needs?
Now that you have an understanding as to who you’re dealing with, you can create what are called “content maps” that depict your customer base. Start by mapping out the customer’s journey from a content perspective. What do they want to see? What order do they need to see it in? Where would they likely be seeing it? Don’t be afraid to remove content from your business if it doesn’t match the personas. A removal of something they might find unnecessary or confusing would improve their personal experience. Simplifying information may also be necessary. It may make sense to you, but it may not to them.
How can I maintain their satisfaction?
A critical part of personalization that will keep or lose customers is consistency. From the very start, your business must be conversational, or you will not get the customer’s attention. If at any point in the relationship your business neglects conversation, you may lose the customer.
Source: Marketing Profs