Online retailers need to re-think the way they target shoppers, with half of UK consumers saying the digital content they receive from retailers is ‘irrelevant’.
That’s according to new research from Optimizely based on insights from 100 marketers and 1,000 consumers in the UK.
The research found there is a growing disconnect between customer expectations and the digital experiences they receive from retailers. In 2023, 48% of consumers felt that the content they received was targeted to their interests, now in 2024, that figure has dropped to just 42%.
This belief that campaigns are not effectively targeted and personalised is also being felt across different channels. Only 54% of consumers believe that email marketing campaigns are effectively tailored to them, down from 63% in 2023.
Similarly, only 59% of consumers feel website content is tailored to them, down from 71% in 2023. Just 55% believe social media content is personalised for them compared to 69% last year.
To address this, Optimizely’s report argues that brands need to focus on experimenting with new approaches to personalisation. According to the data, 75% of UK marketers believe experimentation is essential for creating truly personalised content. Two in five marketers (40%) are also turning to artificial intelligence to help them create more targeted and personalised content and campaigns.
Optimizely says its findings underscore the need for brands to refine their personalisation practices and invest in experimentation. By doing so, marketers can discover new ways to enhance targeting and maximise relevance in their digital communications.
“Personalisation is an incredibly powerful tool for retailers, but there is no one-size-fits-all approach,” said Shafqat Islam, President at Optimizely. “While most brands are already using some degree of personalisation technology, they simply aren’t evolving at the same pace that customer expectations are. Marketers must focus on optimising their personalisation practices by investing in experimentation in order to find new ways to improve targeting and maximise relevance.”
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