The one size fits all mentality simply doesn't work anymore especially when it comes to selling online. Just when you think you're aiming your marketing and creative efforts at the right target market, think again and think smaller. Segmentation is the key to generating higher conversion rates from your website and email marketing efforts. From displaying the right product using geo physical data to creating the perfect offer based on previous email click patterns, segmentation will help to ensure the right offer gets in front of the right person at the right time. Mass customization is here to stay and you better have the right tools to make it happen with your website and email campaigns.
Almost all websites are categorized based on product or service type however segmentation is the magic step that results from understanding consumer behavior. By digging deep into your web analytics, you should be able to tell who buys what from where and how. For example, if you're a sports apparel retailer just imagine how much more your chances of sale increase if you're able to display a Clinton Portis jersey to a Washington Redskins fan on the front page of your website. You might be thinking how would this fictitious sports apparel retailer know if a website visitor is a Washington Redskins fan? Well, since online retailers know their website visitor's IP address they can use geo targeting to display the jersey of an NFL team with the closest proximity.
The same principle applies to email as well. Every online retailer sends a weekly email campaign hocking their latest wares. But just because someone bought from an email campaign displaying digital cameras doesn't necessarily mean they are interested in upgrading the camera's memory card as a result of receiving subsequent email campaigns. When you integrate your email campaigns with your web analytics you get a clearer picture of customers click paths so you send customized follow up messages based on products they actually viewed or maybe have placed in their shopping cart rather than what you think they might purchase.