Our Love Hate Relationship With Personalized Tech

If you have been around for a bit of time, you will have noticed how search engines have changed in their results. Due to the evolution of the algorithm, your search results are personalized for you. Spend enough time on Facebook and you will notice that not only does your feed reflect what you are more likely to want to see, the ads on Facebook are also personalized for what you are more likely to shop for. While it may not surprise many of us, it does create a certain uneasiness and fear for what is yet to come in our online experiences.

It’s A Bit Startling

Ask the everyday online shopper and many of them will tell you that there is some inner alarm at the idea of E-commerce Personalization Software that is designed to show the shopper what they are most likely to purchase next. Additionally, these programs will also entice them towards the end of their purchase with items that are slow to sell or on clearance but are similar to what they are purchasing at the moment. Think of it like the impulse shelves at the checkout counter.  These programs track every move the shopper makes on the website and makes predictions. Most of these sites use cookies and that helps track you if you are a repeat visitor. The most popular example is your Amazon account. It often will tell you what you viewed, what you recently purchased, and make suggestions for you. Having anyone predict your shopping habits does sound a little like “big brother” watching but there are other benefits to the shopper!

IMAGE: PEXELS

It Really Isn’t All That Bad

For many people, they do see the great benefit to websites tracking and making predictions on what you are likely to buy. [pullquote]Let’s face facts, the internet is far larger than we can possibly comprehend in our mind.[/pullquote] If our searches weren’t personalized for us, we would be overwhelmed at how much is truly available. When it comes to online shopping, it makes finding what you want or need and purchasing it much easier. In our society, we are used to instant gratification and the same is true for shopping. While my mother and grandmother may have spent a few hours roaming around a store or mall randomly looking around, I can spend 15 minutes in a Google search to find exactly what I need or want. Lots of folks love the catered experience because it makes them feel special. You have to admit that when Amazon recommends a book based on another book we purchased, we are more likely to respond positively to that recommendation. We feel like Amazon cares enough about us to fulfill our desires that we express with every Amazon search.

Why Personalized E-Commerce Is Good

Overall, the use of personalized e-commerce software is a fantastic thing. Firstly, it’s a huge success for websites that actually use the software. Those sites see a major increase in traffic, sales, and repeat business. Successful businesses make our world go around! Additionally, it saves the customer from wasteful spending. If you are looking for a specific set of golf clubs and you can find them at four different prices, you are able to save yourself big money. Same goes for free shipping. Everyone loves to make purchases that qualify for free shipping and when you can compare stores and calculate big savings with free shipping, it’s a lot less in wasteful spending.

What about warning us of potential dangers? With personalized searches, we are able to learn about recalls and read reviews on products more than we could have in the past. We won’t have to learn the hard way about a dangerous or faulty project!

Our world is changing at a rapid rate and most of us are slow to adopt change. It’s in our nature to be a little cautious of what is about to happen. But with a careful understanding of the software programs, we can see the major benefits they bring to our lives and make things simpler for us.

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IMAGE: PEXELS