Cybersecurity at risk: 15% of companies neglect training against hacking attacks 

The number of virtual stores in Brazil grew 16.5%, from 1,640,076 in 2022 to 1,911,164 in 2023, according to the survey “Profile of Brazilian E-commerce 2023”, carried out by BigDataCorp. To stand out in a competitive market, personalization is no longer just a differential and has become an essential component for 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 great impact on their purchasing decisions.The survey suggests that now companies need to go beyond the basics to attract and retain consumers.

To win the preference of the public, it is not enough to just make products available: you need to offer a unique shopping experience adapted 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 he accesses the store to the finalization of the purchase, during the checkout and payment.

Thinking about it, the Brazilian Micro and Small Business Support Service (Sebrae) highlights that segmenting customers intelligently is one of the bases to obtain a customization that guarantees results. This implies grouping consumers based on their behavioral, demographic and purchase preferences characteristics. 

In this way, e-commerce can offer offers and communications based on the needs of each segment and, consequently, increase the chances of conversion, as Sebrae informs. In addition, it is possible to offer a service adapted to the preferences of each customer, through the channels that he uses most, such as chats, emails, social networks or phone calls. 

According to the “CX Trends 2024”, 67% of consumers see personalized service as the main factor to buy. Already 82% consider it important or very important that brands offer real-time service.

Opinion Box's insights head Julia Villela reckons that while it may seem simple, speaking to the public is the easiest and most efficient way to identify and prevent trends.“Collect feedback, conduct surveys periodically, and so you can gain valuable insights that help you better understand consumer behavior and anticipate what they expect from you”, she suggests.

Artificial intelligence can help personalization 

The study also shows that it is natural for companies to encounter difficulties when trying to deliver a personalized experience on a large scale, as personalization is often associated with high costs and a long runtime. 

However, with the right approaches and the support of technology, it is possible to deliver personalized service.For this, the recommendation is to use resources, such as Artificial Intelligence (AI) free virtual store they also present themselves as an option to test customization strategies without large initial investments.

According to the survey, 42% of consumers have already interacted with AI during service, highlighting the relevance of this technology in the purchase process.For them, among the advantages of this technology are the reduction of time in cash queues (26%), the most effective customer service (22%) and personalized offers (18%). 

In addition, 35% of respondents believe AI is essential to deliver more assertive promotions based on purchase history and online consumer behavior. 

Sebrae explains that offering personalized offers is a way to captivate customers. 

Instead of treating everyone with the same approach, e-commerce companies should use data about their purchase behavior, such as purchase history, special dates and cart abandonments, to send personalized offers and coupons.

Challenges for the use of technology

Despite its benefits, research shows that there are also concerns regarding the use of AI in the shopping experience. Among the main ones are the lack of personalized human interaction (41%), the concern with data privacy (40%), and the distrust regarding the accuracy of recommendations (21%).

Therefore, the study highlights that solutions for the customer experience should not replace human service agents. Ideally, they work together to simplify workflows and repetitive tasks, allowing human agents more time to solve complex problems.

On data security, the company must adopt strategies that emphasize transparency and security, communicating ethical practices, values and privacy policies clearly, which includes detailing how customer data is collected, stored and used.