Groupthink

Kiss the saying “it’s not personal; it’s business” goodbye. Because the web is getting personal to meet your demands and win your business.

87% of 18 to 24 year-olds expressed a desire for personalized web content and 76% of 35 to 49 year-olds agree. As a result, companies are scrambling to bring you personalized web content that engages, influences and ultimately makes you a loyal customer. Get ready, personalized content is creeping onto the web in unexpected ways.

Sites are starting to use technology that monitors, analyzes and reacts to your online behaviors in order to create a unique user experience. We have moved beyond customizing your own content as we see with such sites as My Yahoo! Now, your web usage is being tracked and you’ll find yourself being served everything you want on a silver platter… before you even ordered it.

When you break it down, the concept of web personalization is simple. With everyone turning to the Internet for information, organizations are trying desperately to regain a personal relationship with customers. Anticipating customer needs with personalized content is a great way to start doing so. It communicates that you are paying attention, listening and delivering on your promise to quality customer service. [A must for 2009 - Read Modern-Day "Prophet-ability"]

The personalization concept may be simple but the technology to make it happen is not. Sure, you’re already seeing personalized content from our friends at Amazon. You go to make a purchase and low and behold “customers who bought this item also bought” presents recommendations for you based on your choices. But you have to create an account and only Amazon is tracking your moves.

In contrast, the future of web personalization is an overarching compilation of all your online activities. Rather miraculous? Well remember, you asked for it. So, welcome web users to your personal playground.

As the online user population continues to increase (almost 1.5 billion), so will user demands. Thanks to these demands, we will see this technology continue to advance beyond click-stream analysis and cookies and start building individual and user-community profiles in order to deliver users what they want, when they want it. If your business commitments to redefining “on-demand,” you will be rewarded by online users showing you the love.

See, contrary to popular belief, getting personal in business really pays off.