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 What
is "personalization"?
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personalization
is the concept of deciding - given a large set of possible choices
- what has
the highest value to an individual.
As used on the Internet, the term Personalization has come to
mean "person-specific content." Personalized content
may be advertising, items for sale, screen layout, menus, news
articles, or anything else we see via the Internet.
Personalization is the result of technology integrated into
a website that allows the server to modify what is presented
to each viewer. With personalization technology working, two
individuals accessing the same website simultaneously may see
two completely different sets of information. |
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Are
there different types of personalization?
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name recognition
check-box
segmentation & rules-based
preference-based |
Personalization takes a variety
of forms, identified here as four major categories.
From simplest to most complex, they are:
1) name recognition;
2) check box;
3) segmentation and rules-based; and
4) behavioral preference-based. These methods can coexist. Each
type has a specific purpose, and two or more can be blended
to produce a seamless, comprehensive personalized experience
at a website. |
Name Recognition
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| Name recognition, such as mail addressed
to "Arthur Dent or current resident" is familiar to
anyone who receives unsolicited printed material in the mail.
This sort of mass personalization is one step above "Dear
Homeowner at 123 Main Street..." but a few years ago it
marked a turning point in mass marketing techniques. Name recognition
continues to be used because it still has value; most people
like to be acknowledged by name. |
Check-Box Personalization
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| Check box is the short name for
user-provided information. Check box personalization comes from
questionnaires, surveys, registration forms and other solicitations
in which the user answers specific questions. An example of
this would be the registration page for a software purchase.
Registration forms often ask for information about the program
you just bought as well as additional information, such as store
location, whether it's for home or business use, whether you're
the head of household, etc. You check the box beside the appropriate
answer. A website using check-box personalization presents content
based on your answers. |
Segmentation and Rules
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| Segmentation and rules-based personalization
uses demographic, geographic, psychographic profile, or other
information to divide or segment large populations into smaller
groups. Data such as income level, geographic location and buying
history is aggregated to identify groups of people. Websites
using these types of personalization systems deliver content
based on "if this, then that" rules processing. |
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Preference-Based Personalization
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Preference-based personalization
seeks to understand the behavioral preferences of a specific,
individual user and then delivers website content specifically
targeted to that user. This type of personalization operates
on more complex algorithms than the other types and is able
to factor more details into each interaction. It works by tracking
user activity, comparing that activity with other users' behavior,
and predicting what the user would like
to see next. Some preference-based personalization systems are
learning systems that allow them to become more precise over
time. A news website using preference-based personalization
might follow this sequence for content delivery: "Repeat
visitor Bill Wessel clicked on Houston weather for 0.8 seconds,
along with clicking on the Chicago Cubs Banner, and searched
for 20 stock quotes during his previous visit. Therefore, the
web page will load southwest weather news, last nights Chicago
Cubs' Score, and the Nasdaq report at top of page upon his next
visit." |
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