Personalization in eCommerce: attention that sells

Imagine: you visit a website, and instead of the usual catalogue, you are offered something you were thinking about not long ago — products that unexpectedly match your tastes, interests and even your mood perfectly. The website ‘remembers’ what you viewed, what you added to your basket, and which pages you opened two days ago on your phone. It responds to your actions — and adapts to them.

Have you ever heard the opinion that one-to-one marketing and personalisation in eCommerce are expensive? This is a common misconception, according to marketers at Halla Systems Korea. And the figures tell a different story. The effect of targeted recommendations — an increase in average basket size, conversions and repeat purchases — pays for itself many times over in the first few weeks.

How it works

Scrolling through our feed, browsing dozens of websites, skipping the latest news, we only stop when we suddenly realise that ‘this is about me and for me.’ That is the essence of personalisation.

Today, less than 5% of website visitors generate more than 90% of turnover. And that is what forms the basis of the eCommerce business.

Modern consumers are tired of spam and mass mailings. According to McKinsey, companies that have implemented personalisation earn on average 40% more revenue than their competitors who ignore this approach.

The website tracks user activity — what they view, add to their basket, and purchase.
The system collects data and uses it to ‘guess’ what might be of interest.
The website or emails display products selected specifically for that user. Installed plugins add blocks such as ‘We recommend’, ‘Similar products’, ‘Customers who viewed ... bought ...’.

Analyze purchase history

A user visits a website, browses product pages, adds something to their cart, leaves, and returns — all of these actions create a wealth of information that can be used for personalised offers.

Purchase history provides a real understanding of customer preferences, interests, order frequency, product categories, average cheque, seasonality, and repeat purchase patterns. Experts at Halla Systems company claim that even basic analysis allows you to move from mass mailings to targeted actions. This is the first step towards personalisation. For example, if a person returns to the same product several times but does not buy it, show them this offer with a small discount. Tool: Google Analytics.

Segmentation — from RFM to ‘live’ clusters

Personalisation is impossible without segmentation. It is easier to segment by common characteristics: behaviour, interests, activity, and purchasing habits. A segment is not just a list. It is a context setting: who to show what, when, and how.

Divide your audience by recency, frequency, and monetary value of purchases (RFM analysis), and then combine users into dynamic groups: ‘new,’ ‘dormant,’ ‘abandoned carts,’ ‘loyal,’ and ‘fans of specific categories.’

Recommendations and scenarios

For an offer to really interest a customer, it must be related to their current interests — what they have recently searched for, viewed or selected. But that's not enough. It is important to consider which segment the user belongs to: they may be a new customer, a regular buyer, or someone who has not ordered anything for a long time. Each has their own context, and each needs to be addressed in their own language.

It is equally important that the offer does not stand out from the overall user experience. A sudden recommendation of a luxury brand to someone who buys inexpensive, practical items is more likely to repel than interest them. And, of course, all this must happen at the right time. Showing an offer when a person is ready for it means helping, not imposing.

Legal and ethical aspects

Any personalisation should start with transparent data collection. When collecting data, it is important to obtain explicit consent for marketing cookies, minimise the amount of information collected, and provide users with transparent mechanisms for opting out and deleting data. Only collect data that you really need for your business.

Personalisation is an ongoing dialogue

Personalisation of large user segments is no longer relevant. It is being replaced by individual marketing with its targeted optimisation. Personalisation allows you to tailor messages, commercial offers and content to the specific needs and interests of users or customer segments.

Even a small online store can start with basic personalisation: set up events in GA4, create the first RFM segments, and connect a ready-made plugin for ‘Similar Products’. Halla Systems offers a full range of solutions for dropshipping businesses — from ready-made personalisation tools to customising individual elements for your business. Halla Systems Co. Ltd acts as a partner and agent, helping to sell products, connecting dropshippers and manufacturers, and working with niche online stores in South Korea.