Commentary

Personalization Popular, But Held Back By Budget And Skill

According to Evergage and Researchscape International, the new annual study on the State Of Personalization found that 85% of companies are now implementing some form of personalization. However, most companies’ personalization initiatives barely make the grade, with the majority of marketers (55%) giving their own, and their competitors’ (63%), efforts a grade of “C” or lower.

When it comes to the importance of the marketing initiatives that organizations are implementing, search engine optimization (SEO) is “very” or “extremely” important to 79% of respondents, closely followed by email marketing and content marketing (78% and 75% respectively) and personalization (74%).

55% of respondents from organizations that are not implementing any personalization yet, plan to use website or in-app personalization (web or mobile) within the next year. Of those already using personalization, 89% report an improvement or “lift”, and of those, 53% have seen a lift of 10% or more, relying most heavily on personalized messages or experiences in inline content and information bar, says the report.

Search engine optimization (SEO) is very or extremely important to 79% of responding organizations implementing, closely followed by email marketing and content marketing and personalization of all types.

Marketing Initiatives In Order Of Importance For Your Organization

Marketing Initiative

Very Important

Extremely Important

Search engine optimization SEO

42%

37%

Customer loyalty

33

41

Email marketing

43

35

Personalization

40

34

Content marketing

41

34

Adwords/PPC

45

28

Mobile marketing

31

35

Social Media Communications

33

22

Source: Engage/ResearchScape International, June 2016

A majority of organizations surveyed are personalizing email and their website. Only 27% are personalizing their mobile website. Mobile and web applications are the least selected channel for personalization.

Use of Personalization

Personalization Utilization

% of Respondents

Email

67%

Website

56

Mobile website

27

Mobile app

20

Web application

19

None of the above

15

Source: Engage/ResearchScape International, June 2016

The two most-used types of personalized messages are inline content (text or images inserted dynamically within the page content) and information bars (messages across top or bottom of page.) Only 12% of respondents don't use any of the listed personalization message types.

Types Of Personalized Messages Or Experiences Used (All That Apply)

Content

% Using

Inline content

53%

Information bars

48

Pop-ups

42

Call-outs

40

Inline edits

34

Survey questions

33

Other

4

None of above

8

Source: Engage/ResearchScape International, June 2016

The majority of respondents using website/in-app personalization realize the following benefits:

  • An increase in conversion rates (65%)
  • Increased visitor engagement (62%)
  • Improved customer experience (61%)
  • 46% and 45% respectively see increased lead generation and customer acquisition
  • 36% reported increases in customer lifetime value/loyalty

The greatest obstacle to making real-time personalization a bigger priority in the respondents’ organizations is the lack of budget, with lack of personnel a close second. Lack of knowledge/skills is the third most common obstacle, says the report.

The Greatest Obstacles To Making Website/In-App Personalization A Bigger Priority In Organization? (All That Apply)

Obstacle

% of Responses

Lack of budget

59%

Lack of personnel

50

Lack of knowledge/skills

48

IT department constraints

29

Poor technology solutions

21

Lack of business case

20

Access to data

19

Lack of executive sponsorship

18

Too many technology solutions

17

Company culture

14

Source: Engage/ResearchScape International, June 2016

 The report from Evergage is available with sign-in here.

            

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