8 examples of website segments to target for personalized eCommerce offers
In eCommerce, personalization is not just a trend—it's a necessity. With fierce competition and the need to stand out, effectively understanding and targeting your audience can transform your results.
Website segmentation is one key to unlocking these opportunities. It allows you to create personalized, effective on-site promotions that drive conversions, reduce abandonment, and increase spend per customer.
Understanding website segmentation
Website segmentation involves dividing your visitors into distinct groups based on specific characteristics or behaviors. This approach enables you to deliver tailored offers, enhancing the relevance and effectiveness of your marketing efforts.
For eCommerce marketers, segmentation is crucial for crafting personalized promotions that speak directly to each customer's unique needs and preferences.
Important factors for segmentation
Segment size
The potential impact of any segment hinges on its size. Large segments provide a broad audience for your personalized offers, maximizing reach and possible conversions. However, smaller segments can also be precious, offering opportunities for particular and focused interactions that can increase engagement and loyalty.
We recommend striking a balance by identifying segments that are significant enough to impact and specific enough to tailor unique and compelling offers.
Segment performance
Monitoring and analyzing segment performance is essential to harness the power of website segmentation. By doing so, you gain insights that empower your eCommerce strategy, ensuring each targeted offer achieves its maximum potential. Key performance indicators such as conversion rates, average order value, and customer retention should be at the forefront of your analysis. These metrics illuminate the effectiveness of personalized campaigns and allow for agile adjustments to enhance outcomes.
Moreover, by employing data-driven insights, you can confidently refine your segments and optimize offers, creating a more streamlined and satisfying customer experience that aligns perfectly with individual needs.
Actionability
A segment's value is intrinsically linked to its actionability. Actionability refers to your ability to effectively implement strategies that address that segment's specific needs or behaviors. This involves understanding the data that informs each segment, ensuring it is reliable and insightful, and empowering you to create immersive, personalized experiences.
Actionability transforms segments from mere data points into dynamic customer interactions, whether it's behaviorally driven prompts, demographic filters, or purchase history leverage.
Onsite promotions for conversions
Onsite promotions are a powerful tactic for optimizing customer behavior and driving conversions. By leveraging data from website segments, you can craft promotions that resonate with visitors and guide them toward purchasing.
Whether it's a discount for first-time visitors or exclusive offers for loyal customers, onsite promotions can significantly impact your bottom line.
Those example segments
1. New vs. returning visitors
New visitors
When new users land on your site, they're unfamiliar with your brand and need an incentive to take action. Offering introductory discounts, free trials, or limited-time offers can capture their attention and encourage them to purchase.
Returning visitors
These customers already know your brand, so focus on loyalty-building promotions. Exclusive returning customer discounts or product recommendations based on previous browsing can deepen their connection to your brand.
Tip: Use onsite overlays or banners that show personalized discounts for new and returning visitors as soon as they land on your site.
2. Visitors based on traffic source
Segmenting visitors based on how they arrived at your site can enhance the relevance of your promotions.
Paid traffic
Product-specific paid traffic should be targeted with promotions related to those specific products or categories. For example, if a visitor clicks on an ad for running shoes, offer them a discount on running gear.
Brand-related paid traffic is already familiar to your brand, so focus on building trust and loyalty. To incentivize conversions, offer free shipping or special discounts for multiple purchases.
Organic traffic
Offer general promotions or highlight bestsellers, as these users might casually browse or research. Conversion rates for paid traffic can be as much as 50% higher than organic traffic.
Tip: Tailor your onsite promotions to match the messaging and intent of the traffic source to increase relevance and conversions.
3. Number of pages visited
Visitors who browse multiple pages demonstrate a higher interest and intent to purchase.
Low page visits (1-2 pages)
Offer time-sensitive discounts or free shipping to nudge casual browsers toward conversion.
High page visits (5+ pages)
Use dynamic offers or personalized product recommendations based on their behavior to keep them engaged and lead them toward purchase.
Tip: Trigger a discount or offer for users who have visited a certain number of pages but haven’t yet added anything to their cart.
4. Categories and pages visited
Tailor promotions are based on the specific categories or products a visitor has shown interest in.
High-value categories
Offer incentives like bundled offers or product upgrades to increase average order value (AOV).
Niche categories
Provide specialized promotions or discounts for more niche product lines to capture interest and encourage purchase.
Tip: Use exit-intent overlays that show offers related to the specific categories visitors browse before leaving the site.
5. Shopping cart or basket value
Segment customers based on the value of the items they’ve added to their cart and offer tiered promotions to increase spend.
Low basket value
Promote promotions like “Spend $X more to get free shipping” to encourage users to add more items.
High basket value
Use upselling techniques, such as offering premium or complementary products at a discounted rate.
Tip: To increase AOV further, trigger upsell offers or bundle deals when users add high-value items to their cart.
6. Cart abandoners
Customers who have added items to their cart but haven’t completed their purchase are high-value prospects who need a final push.
Exit-intent promotions
Offer a discount, free shipping, or bonus gift to encourage them to complete their purchase.
Email follow-up
If they abandon their cart, trigger an email reminder with a limited-time offer to recover the sale.
Tip: Show a time-limited discount overlay to users who intend to exit after adding items to their cart but before completing the purchase.
7. High-spenders vs. budget shoppers
High-spenders
Tailor premium offers, such as exclusive bundles, product upgrades, or VIP discounts, for customers with a higher average spend.
Budget shoppers
Offer incentives like discounts on smaller items, free shipping, or product bundles that give them more value for their money.
Tip: Use dynamic offers to target high-spenders with upsell opportunities and lower-budget shoppers with value-based deals.
8. Returning customers and loyalty program members
Reward returning customers and loyalty program members with exclusive discounts or early access to sales. Personalized product recommendations based on past purchase history can increase their likelihood of repeat purchases.
Tip: Use onsite banners or overlays to highlight loyalty rewards, VIP sales, or personalized offers for repeat customers.
BONUS 9th segment - location-based promotions
Segmenting visitors based on location can help you create relevant and targeted promotions for different regions or countries.
For example, you could offer free shipping to customers in a specific country or region where shipping costs may be higher, or you could offer discounts on products that are popular in a particular location.
