How do you use personalization and segmentation to improve your UX?

Random observations: 1. In recent moderated content testing, when asked if they felt content was "personal," participants quickly (and verbally) swapped that with "personable" -- noting that it seemed friendly enough. : ) 2. In too many cases, "personal" still feels intrusive. Where is the "we care about your specific needs" sweet spot?

Personalization is often interrupted too literally, insert value from the data table here. But the point of personalization is to understand customer’s motivation and needs with message speaking to that point, it is about relevance. Of course that’s an oversimplified version because people are complex and needs are a combination of factors and preferences are not static.

It's no longer as simple as adding ampscript (Dear %%Firstname%%). To add personalization goes deeper; look at user data, past-purchase history, website behavior, communication drop-off points, and knowing what kind of communications preferences each person prefers. Personalization is about serving up the type of content they've engaged with before and not spamming if they don't respond to one type of communication. You can also reduce friction by asking about preferences if it's unknown. And test! Try different subject lines or images, for example, and serve up what's getting better engagement. And geotarget - don't recommend or give offers for merchants who are not matched with someone's location. Make the experience personal.

Personalization is one of the critical marketing factors. It involves understanding our users and creating highly accurate content that resonates with their interests. This approach effectively engages our prospective users.

Personalization is the key to a successful content strategy because it ensures your message resonates with your target audience. It's about delivering the right content, to the right person, at the right time. Personalized content increases relevance, engagement, and ultimately, conversions. It shows your audience that you understand their needs, preferences, and challenges, which builds trust and loyalty. Moreover, with the amount of content available today, personalization helps your content stand out from the crowd, providing a unique, tailored experience that grabs attention and encourages further interaction with your brand. Therefore, personalization is not just a nice-to-have, but a necessity in today's competitive digital landscape.

Segmentation is a way of grouping things or people based on similar characteristics, interests, or behaviors. It helps us understand and cater to different groups more effectively. For example, imagine a clothing store that sells clothes for all ages. Instead of showing the same clothes to everyone, they use segmentation. They might have a "Kids" section with colorful and playful clothes for children, a "Young Adults" section with trendy and stylish clothes for teenagers, and a "Seniors" section with comfortable clothes for older customers. By doing this, the store provides a more personalized shopping experience for each group of customers, making them feel more valued and increasing the chances of them finding what they like.

Segmentation is internally categorizing your customers in order to deliver them with a personalized experience. People want, expect, and frankly deserve to have the content they consume be tailored to fit them. By segmenting your audience, you can speak to your perfect customer, with their perfect message. Everyone wins!

Demand led or a latent need From a common perspective, your segments would increase with the new consumer personas you discover in your TG. But here's another perspective I feel one needs to take: is the offering demand led, or a latent need? For offerings that serve an existing demand, your segments would be based on your past customer data or historical research. But for an offering that can serve a future need, or solve an undiscovered problem so to say, the consumer segments would have to be created based on all possible use cases and relevancy of the offering. Create potential personas to personalize your content for new or future readers who would relate to it once they discover your offering as a great solution.

Segmentation is important, however focusing on the old generational criteria like Gen X, Gen Z etc or ages is simply old news now and embedding the stereotypes further. It is time to segment by values, interest, life stages or needs.

Continuing with my thread on B2B, here are a few personas in B2B cycle. 1) Decision maker (CXO)- Focussed on how your product can add value to them/ their consumers. How are you adding value over a long term. 2) Direct reportees of (1)- Your point of contact. Clear, consistent communication of all aspects is important. 3) Procurement- Speak how your products add far more value than the costs 4) Technology- Convey how your products meet the best-in-class tech and security standards. 5) End user (From your direct buying company + their user)- Talk how your product is easy to use & a few more. Remember each company is different. Use multiple channels to communicate to your buyers. If you have customer testimonials, pls add them.

Audiences have high expectations about the way technology should serve them, and that means a custom experience that is thoughtful and suited to their needs. They assume data is out there and that companies should be using it to remember their preferences, offer spot-on recommendations, and send timely messages. This is how you show your audience you're paying attention to them and value their experience.

Personalization and segmentation are crucial for UX because they create tailored and relevant experiences for users. It fosters a sense of connection and understanding, driving repeat visits and long-term relationships. By understanding individual preferences, behaviors, and needs, businesses can provide personalized content, recommendations, and interfaces. This level of customization enhances user engagement, satisfaction, and loyalty. Segmentation allows businesses to target different user groups with specific messaging and offerings, optimizing the customer journey.

Creating a sense of achievement or personalization can significantly enhance user engagement and attachment to a product or system. When users feel like they've "hacked" the system or achieved a win, it taps into their desire for uniqueness and recognition. This emotional connection can foster loyalty and advocacy, as users become more invested in their experience. Acknowledging users as special and catering to their individual preferences can also establish a deeper bond. Personalization and tailored experiences show that the product or system understands their needs, enhancing their sense of value and importance. In a competitive market, these strategies can set a brand apart and contribute to long-term user satisfaction and loyalty.

In B2B, there is a set of people involved in decision making (Refer my post above). From my banking experience, here is how specific personalisation and segmentation helps in UX across personas: 1) Leader- Needs best-in-class dashboards and action items displayed on UI homepage. Prefers simple UX where she doesn't have to navigate. Short, simple user journey, but UX needs to convey everything at fingertips. 2) User- Doesn't have much time to go through multiple clicks. UX should be such that they are able to complete the task in minimum steps possible. So, your product's UX is assessed differently by personas, basis their underlying needs and motivation. So, think about UX holistically.

The suggested segmentation methods "research, surveys, interviews, or analytics," often lead to wrong results. When you reach users out of context and ask them about their opinions, it is hard to get honest answers as most often, surveys are only filled out to get a reward for answering the survey. There is no benefit for the survey taker to answer truthfully. In order to get honest answers about a user's preferences, you must offer a benefit for answering truthfully. One way to do that is by injecting a few market research questions into a personality test, for example. Readers take personality tests for themselves. They want to learn more about their personality traits and therefore answer the questions honestly.

Implementing personalization and segmentation in UX design involves several key steps. First, collect user data through interactions, preferences, and behaviors. Next, analyze this data to identify patterns and segment users based on common characteristics. Then, tailor content, recommendations, and user interfaces to meet each segment's specific needs. Provide customization options for users to personalize their experience. Continuously monitor and refine the personalized UX based on user feedback. This approach ensures a more engaging and satisfying experience for users, leading to increased loyalty and retention.

People think B2B personalisation and segmentation is complex. No, your B2B counterparty is also a human who basis her judgment on a combination of emotional and rational aspects. Pls keep it simple. Here's a few suggestions: 1) Identify top 3-4 areas that matter the most to your personas. Go deep and ensure right messaging in right context, for each persona (Refer my previous post for the types of buyers in B2B) 2) The B2B buyer never buys at first attempt. Show content at multiple places (emails, LinkedIn) to increase brand recall. 3) Invite personas who will be involved in B2B process for various offline events, if feasible. More relevant for high value purchases 4) For low value purchases, have a well-defined lead nurturing process.

Using quizzes and personality tests enhances user profiles for segmentation, gathering data willingly. This content is engaging and valuable to readers. Before storing data, ask users if combining personal details with quiz data is acceptable, ensuring choice. For instance, instead of a direct survey about car preferences, create a test like "What color matches your style?". Sneak in a question linking car and color, e.g., "You see a black limo, what do you think?". Follow with a choice of car types, asking their preference if they won the lottery. Readers, keen on their color match, will answer honestly. This data can optimize ads or tailor content to reader preferences.

Over-personalizing can be risky, but if you're going for it, make sure your data, journeys and timing are solid. Confirm with all channels so you're 100% sure of where each person is in their journey. One wrong move will accomplish the opposite of what you were attempting to do. And yes, your user personas and segments will change, so monitor, learn, and adapt.

1. Collect Relevant Data: Gather user preferences, behavior, and demographics. 2. Identify User Segments: Define distinct groups for targeted content and offers. 3. Personalized Recommendations: Use data for tailored product suggestions. 4. Dynamic Content: Create adaptable web pages and emails. 5. Contextual Messaging: Deliver relevant messages at the right stage. 6. A/B Testing: Test personalized experiences for optimization. 7. Privacy and Consent: Prioritize data privacy and obtain user consent. 8. Utilize AI and Machine Learning: Analyze data, predict behavior. 9. Cross-Channel Consistency: Offer a cohesive experience. 10. Measure and Adapt: Continuously monitor and adjust based on insights.

Agree with @Sandra Chun here that there is a chance to get things wrong too with personalisation. On top of this, I find there is nothing more annoying than someone sending me a personalised message for something I'm not interested in but happened to have stumbled across on the web, or the purchase is over. I keep getting bombarded about stuff I don't care about or have already bought. Marketers will need to think of a new way in very soon.

"We see you. We understand you. And we're here to make your life better." By leveraging the meticulously collected data, this could be the meticulously designed message’s ultimate purpose. I mean, personalisation could be strong tools for a superb user experience. We're all about users feeling understood, cared for, and special – keeping it brief while ensuring uniqueness. But, on the downside, there's potential for a hint of manipulation. This concern arises as businesses, especially in E-commerce, aim to shape behaviour or sell unnecessary items.

Personalization through relevant, insightful and anticipatory content at the right time is a value add in all the clutter and noise consumers are facing today. Connecting their behavior in a way that not only identifies the why behind their needs, but anticipates them and continues to be one step ahead of their implicit needs is a valuable brand building and loyalty creating skill and tool. Investing in not only data and analytics, but taking the time to analyze, draw conclusions and act on this will make a difference in who keeps the loyal consumer in the future.