To Keep Up With the Customer, Get Personal—With Data

In the last quarter of 2023, Americans spent an estimated $285.2 billion buying goods and services online. That’s up 7.5% compared to the same period the year prior.

As consumers dedicate more time and money to shopping on the web, their expectations are evolving—and their behaviors are changing.

“The way customers are navigating our digital site is very different from two years ago,” Barbra Sainsurin, executive director of brand and digital marketing at retailer Anthropologie, said on stage at ADWEEK’s Commerceweek event in New York on Feb. 28.

One example: An increased number of people are entering Anthropologie’s website through product pages, which are more functional and technical, rather than the company’s homepage, which features more words and images meant to connect with shoppers at an emotional level.

One way to ensure brand messaging remains part of a person’s shopping experience is to deliver tailored content. Make it personal in a way that serves specific customers. To this end, Anthropologie created a separate section of its website that only features its home goods.

Another aspect to keeping pace with shifting attitudes among consumers is to embrace a proactive mindset.

“It’s really easy to take a very reactive approach to customer experience, where you’re just solving problems,” said Andrew Mok, chief marketing officer at car-sharing marketplace Turo. “We’ve all gotten those Slack messages or emails from angry customers, and you’re just trying to put out fires all the time.”

Mok noted that Amazon has set the standard for what consumers expect from ecommerce and online apps in general, as the company is always seeking to improve the entire sales process—from searching for items to having them delivered to people’s doorstep. This relentless focus on the customer has helped the online retail giant continue to drive its business forward.

As brand leaders, “we need to represent our customer’s voice,” Mok added.

Still, Sainsurin warned, brands must first know their customers before they draw any conclusions about what they want.

“Personalization is sold as a panacea, like it can cure everything and applies to everyone,” said Sainsurin. “We’ve quickly realized that if you don’t have enough data on someone, you really can’t personalize the experience.”