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Subject:RE: Web site personalization From:"Goldstein, Dan" <DGoldstein -at- DeusTech -dot- com> To:"TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com> Date:Tue, 25 Nov 2003 09:18:08 -0500
You quoted the theory as follows: "If you can present custom-tailored
content to each visitor, you'll build a special relationship that will lead
them to spend more with you." The hidden assumption is that most visitors
*want* custom-tailored content.
The Jupiter study (http://tinyurl.com/wd1z) suggests that the hidden
assumption, and thus the entire theory, is mistaken. The "if" part is not
(as you posited) essential: it is illusory. Why should we assume that what
works for Amazon ought to work for most Web sites?
Just because some really cool technology allows personalization, that
doesn't mean that people want it, and Web sites are not the only example. We
should not assume that the users of online Help want the Help system to base
its presentation on their past queries. We should not assume that the users
of public bathrooms want the stall to remember the last tune they whistled
there, and to play it back to them. Don't assume -- research. That's what
Jupiter did.
Dan Goldstein
> -----Original Message-----
> From: sheherazada -at- abv -dot- bg
> Sent: Monday, November 24, 2003 7:21 PM
> To: TECHWR-L
> Subject: Re: Web site personalization
>
<snip>
> I doubt that anyone will argue with the fact that "content is
> the king,"
> but just to mention that the theory states:
>
> "... IF you can present custom-tailored content to each
> visitor, you'll
> build a special relationship that will lead them to spend
> more with you."
>
> Don't you think that the "if" part is essential here?
> The fact that it works for Amazon and companies like it shows
> that not the
> theory is wrong but the applications are not well targeted.
<snip>
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