The number of online stores in Brazil grew by 16.5%, increasing from 1,640,076 in 2022 to 1,911,164 in 2023, according to the survey ‘Profile of Brazilian E-commerce 2023,’ conducted by BigDataCorp. To stand out in a competitive market, personalization is no longer just a differentiator and has become an essential component of the consumer journey.
The study ‘CX Trends 2024,’ conducted by Octadesk in partnership with Opinion Box, reveals that for 65% of consumers, personalized experiences have a significant impact on their purchasing decisions. The research suggests that companies now need to go beyond the basics to attract and retain customers.
To win over the audience, simply offering products is not enough: it is necessary to provide a unique shopping experience tailored to the individual needs and preferences of each customer. The recommendation is to build a journey that is relevant and engages the consumer, from the moment they access the store to the finalization of the purchase, during the checkout and payment.
Thinking about this, the Brazilian Support Service for Micro and Small Enterprises (Sebrae) highlights that intelligently segmenting customers is one of the foundations for achieving personalization that guarantees results. This involves grouping consumers based on their behavioral, demographic, and purchasing preference characteristics.
This way, e-commerce businesses can offer promotions and communications based on the needs of each segment and, consequently, increase conversion rates, as Sebrae informs. Additionally, it is possible to provide service tailored to each customer’s preferences through the channels they use most, such as chats, emails, social media, or phone calls.
According to ‘CX Trends 2024,’ 67% of consumers see personalized service as the main factor in making a purchase. Meanwhile, 82% consider it important or very important for brands to offer real-time service.
The head of insights at Opinion Box, Julia Villela, notes that while it may seem simple, communicating with the audience is the easiest and most effective way to identify and predict trends. ‘Collect feedback, conduct surveys periodically, and this way, you can gain valuable insights that help better understand consumer behavior and anticipate what they expect from you,’ she suggests.
Artificial Intelligence can help with personalization
The study also shows that it is natural for companies to encounter difficulties when trying to offer a personalized experience on a large scale, as personalization is often associated with high costs and long execution times.
However, with the right approaches and technological support, it is possible to deliver personalized service. To achieve this, the recommendation is to use resources such as Artificial Intelligence (AI). Solutions to create a free online store also present themselves as an option to test personalization strategies without significant initial investments.
According to the survey, 42% of consumers have already interacted with AI during service, highlighting the relevance of this technology in the purchasing process. For them, among the advantages of this technology are reduced time spent in checkout queues (26%), more effective customer service (22%), and personalized offers (18%).
Additionally, 35% of respondents believe that AI is essential for offering more assertive promotions, based on purchase history and consumers’ online behavior.
Sebrae explains that offering personalized promotions is a way to engage customers.
Instead of treating everyone with the same approach, e-commerce businesses should use data about purchasing behavior, such as purchase history, special dates, and abandoned carts, to send personalized offers and coupons. This way, the brand demonstrates that it pays attention to the details and preferences of each customer.
Challenges for technology use
Despite its benefits, the research shows that there are also concerns regarding the use of AI in the shopping experience. Among the main concerns are the lack of personalized human interaction (41%), worries about data privacy (40%), and distrust in the accuracy of recommendations (21%).
Therefore, the study emphasizes that customer experience solutions should not replace human service agents. Ideally, they should work together, aiming to simplify workflows and repetitive tasks, allowing human agents to have more time to solve complex problems.
Regarding data security, companies should adopt strategies that emphasize transparency and security, communicating ethical practices, values, and privacy policies clearly, including detailing how customer data is collected, stored, and used.
