Personalization is a cornerstone of the online shopper’s journey. It delivers data-driven, customized experiences to customers, and makes shopping convenient and enjoyable, helping ecommerce businesses thrive in the age of online shopping. For brands selling on an ecommerce platform like Shopify, tools like Rebuy and Klaviyo can help leverage the power of personalization and merchandising. 

A study by McKinsey & Company found that 71% of consumers expect companies to deliver personalized interactions and brands that do will benefit with 40% more revenue. At Barrel, we aim to optimize ecommerce websites to provide a unique and compelling experience, which means personalization is an important component of our strategy for clients.

We’ve put together five examples of personalization, some implemented directly with our own clients, to help highlight how personalization can impact the ecommerce experience:

1. Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning 
2. Product Recommendation & Customized Experiences 
3. Tailored Subscriptions 
4. Mobile Experience (M-Commerce) 
5. Personalized Email Campaigns 

Personalization Trends in 2023

Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning 

More brands are implementing artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning for personalization. One example is direct-to-consumer (DTC) e-grocer, Misfits Market, which launched an algorithm that automatically places items people are likely to order in shoppers’ carts.

Personalizing product recommendations eliminates time by selecting items based on the customer’s purchase history. Customers can also select items to pair with their chosen products in the “discovery” channel.

Product Recommendations and Customized Experiences

Quizzes are a great resource for building robust customer profiles to support the buyer’s journey. This approach provides customers with highly personalized recommendations that are tailored to their needs. 

By integrating these tools with Klaviyo or other ESPs, the personalization doesn't stop when the customer completes the quiz. Brands can follow up with emailed quiz results, or even take customer’s answers and tailor future emails based on customer preferences.

For Macmillan Publishers, an international publishing company, Barrel implemented a Book Finder Product Quiz that reduces friction in the browsing process. This gives users the ability to filter through their expansive catalog by category. 

The product detail page accounts for a diversity of reading experiences, allowing customers to shop by their preferred format and watch related videos. By visually displaying Macmillan’s titles as if they were on a bookshelf, we were able to emulate the familiar bookstore shopping experience. 

For brands on Shopify Plus, the use of in-checkout cross-sells can increase AOV. For our client Rowing Blazers, we implemented Rebuy’s in-checkout cross-sell feature to suggest products based on Rebuy's recommended products algorithm. This allowed a quick beckon for a compelling offer prior to checkout without affecting the flow of the billing process. 

Product recommendations provide customers with desired products without browsing or searching through lists of services. To drive conversions, personalizing the navigation menu acts as a roadmap for product discovery.

Tailored Subscriptions 

Our mobile first design for Instead, a one-of-a-kind fertilizer and grass seed program made from real, natural ingredients, creates a seamless experience between the desktop and mobile ordering flow.

Our technical approach ensured that customers were recommended the best plan for their lawn’s needs. Collecting the users’ data based on the selection of their zone is useful in providing the best curated subscription service. Prior to choosing a plan, Instead outlines each seed variety with detailed description to match the customer’s preferences. 

This increases customer lifetime value and entices subscribers to explore different options on the site. Landing pages tied to email campaigns trigger opportunities for A/B testing structure and messaging. Barrel implemented automated emails to add an educational onboarding experience tailored to the customer’s shopping journey. 

Seamless Mobile Experience (M-Commerce) 

As more users shop online with their mobile devices, customers expect convenience and instant access to information. Brands can use mobile notifications to personalize the shopping experience by announcing exclusive sales and upcoming launches.

For our client, Oishii, Barrel designed flexible product pages to make it easy for customers to buy the berries online – with a seamless checkout process that provides the option for customers to receive orders via direct delivery or by pre-order, where customers can pick up orders from local stores on a selected date.

Mobile push notifications don’t just enhance personalization, they can also increase app engagement by 88%. As more users opt for shopping via mobile devices over in-store purchases, brands need to prioritize mobile-friendly designs that will help streamline checkouts and provide accessibility. 

Personalized Email Campaigns 

A prime example of personalized emails are abandoned cart flows, where users get reminders about products they looked at. Other email flows pull info collected from users to serve personalized emails. Customer properties are saved in Klaviyo and marketing can pull those into emails. 

Barrel collaborated with Rentacrate, a DTC moving company, to design transactional emails that keep customers updated across every touchpoint of their move. The photography and video art direction within these emails demonstrate how Rentacrate is revolutionizing the moving experience.

Additionally, their emails calculate the eco savings from renting Rentacrate's crates versus cardboard boxes and educates customers through an email newsletter. The data is customized based on the user's purchase and travel distance. 

The Importance of Personalization for the Future

To continue meeting the demands of the consumer expectations, build loyalty, and entice new customers, brands need to engage with customers at every touchpoint. Through personalization, brands can create a unique end-to-end experience and promote brand loyalty with repeated purchases. Ultimately, a personalization strategy will benefit your brand across all channels by optimizing conversion rates and improving the customer’s experience.