Online consumer behaviour is changing and research from e-tail ‘voice’ IMG suggests that we are becoming increasingly focused on tracking down bargains on cost for products and services, rather than any other factors. The research has shown that, whilst conversion rates and overall sales have risen by 15% on those for this time last year. The implication from this information is that we are doing less and less in one place online, instead happy to shop around for bargains on a whole range of products and services and then jumping on the right deal when we find it. The danger here is that businesses start to compete solely on the basis of price – after all, the lowest price is what consumers seem to want. However, there is one way to offer more than just the lowest price on whatever it is you sell – and to defeat those who are under cutting you – and that’s to personalise your marketing plan.

Personalised consumer marketing is fast becoming an integral part of not only securing work or a sale, but also in building a loyal customer base. It is essentially using marketing to account for the differences between individuals, so that experiences and interactions become relevant and unique on a personal level. This is realised by providing (often option-rich) content that is specifically aimed at helping customers achieve their individual goals. In order to do this businesses need to understand the wants and needs of their consumer, either through conducting research, focus groups or even using questionnaires, and to customise their offerings according to their findings.

‘Relevance, uniqueness and convenience,’ were once suggested as the three central tenets of personalised marketing in an Adobe Digital Marketing White Paper. There are many ways in which these three magic steps can be achieved by businesses and customer service is probably one of the most important areas. Mobile phone provider Orange, for example, provides customer service via its website for both customers and non customers as instant messaging – hitting the criteria for being both relevant and convenient. There is no need for the customer to go through reams of FAQs that could be relevant or irrelevant to anyone, as they are instantly connected directly with someone who can specifically help them.

To have an effective personalised marketing strategy a business needs to ensure that its offering is presented in such a way that it meets a customer’s individual needs. This means focusing on providing those services customers want or tailoring products or services to requirements, as revealed by customer research. Are products or services being offered in such a way as to meet customers’ needs in terms of timing, location, flexibility, and is there communication in place that clearly conveys the products or services on offer, as well as their benefits?

Can you identify what makes you different from competitors and are you successfully getting this across? These are the key questions for those looking to develop a personalised online marketing strategy.