Consumers want a personalized experience when shopping online yet are increasingly aware of the dangers of shared data.
While they appreciate the convenience personalization delivers, a recent PWC survey found that 86% of consumers call it the responsibility of the companies they do business with to protect consumer data. The biggest data companies are listening and setting the pace: Google and Apple have made changes to move away from cookies that use personally identifiable information (PII) to respond to market forces and other technology advancements.
In this consumer-lead environment, how should a responsible company balance customer desire for a personalized experience with the need to protect privacy?
At SearchBlox, we set out to solve this problem by developing a search solution that doesn’t store user data in the first place. Instead, SearchAI Search Personalization uses anonymized visitor information to create an aggregated “search behavior persona” that can predict a user’s needs without relying on personally identifiable information. Marketers can also layer in data from existing profiles of known user segments to speed up the learning curve.
More data sources, more privacy protection.
SearchAI products work together to add information to search behavior profiles, all while following PII protocols and compliance.
Three ways companies are using search personalization to drive better engagement:
Example 1: Customize on-page advertising for related products
Before they even log in, an online banking customer is segmented by the task they want to perform, like pay the mortgage or open a new checking account. SearchAI simultaneously delivers search results and uses their search behavior profile to display other bank products that complement that user’s needs, without relying on personally identifiable information.
Example 2: Streamline search results on an e-commerce site that also has a knowledge base
With search behavior personas, a visitor to a large e-commerce site is instantly identified as a customer looking for product recommendations versus someone who needs to download a user manual for an item they already own. Instead of showing them a long list matched by keyword, the search tool predicts their needs and directs your customer to the right information faster.
Example 3: Create a safer self-service environment for employees and customers
Imagine someone on your team has witnessed or experienced something they need to report anonymously. From the time they search for the “whistleblower” form on your self-service portal to the moment they hit “submit” they need to believe that their identity is protected. An enterprise search solution that doesn’t collect their personal data as they search creates a safer environment for every team member.
The creative applications for this technology continue to evolve, and so do user’s concerns about who controls their data. The SearchAI suite of products creates a platform with privacy compliance built into its foundation, which means it’s ready-made to drive higher engagement from your customers and the opportunity to rest assured your organization is handling search data responsibly.