Having it both ways: online shoppers want greater personalisation and more privacy

Some fascinating new research in this week’s newsletter suggesting online customers are at odds with their desire for personalised digital experiences from brands and their demand for privacy.

The research finds that while more than half of global consumers want brands to place a higher priority on respecting their online anonymity in 2020, an even higher percentage want companies to prioritise personalisation as much as they did last year.

The Episerver survey of more than 4,000 online shoppers in five countries reveals personalisation – when brands use customer data to provide a relevant digital experience to individuals – is positive for both retailers and customers. A quarter of respondents, for example, said they’ve returned to a retail website to make a purchase after being retargeted with ads because the ads reminded them of what they wanted to buy.

Commenting on the research Alex Atzberger, CEO of Episerver says. “Companies are facing a digital experience paradox. Digital is a necessity to compete, but it’s getting more difficult and expensive to compete on digital alone as the golden standard for digital experience isn’t right for every company and customer, and yet the requirements keep increasing. We’ve been sold on experience, but hindsight is 20/20. Understanding what customers want, giving them control over how and where their data is used, and leading them to the next best content and action is how retailers ultimately solve these contradictions.”

Sage words from Alex Altberger as customers become ever more savvy and demanding. The opportunities and challenges thrown up by this research will be examined in detail at our upcoming CX Marketing Summit in June. A must attend date for your diaries.