In the past few years, new companies have emerged offering more personalized goods and services: from custom subscription boxes and personal shoppers to monogrammed products. The personalized shopping experience is on the rise.
Beyond Product Choices
Customers are looking for personalized experiences because they impart more meaning and intentionality. They want to be treated as more than a debit card or a number. Increasingly they expect companies large and small to recognize them and speak directly to their preferences.
Think about your Netflix or Amazon home page, both are great examples of how huge companies customize content for their customers. They may not always get it right, (how many times has something completely bizarre shown up in your "You may also enjoy x" feed?) but they understand the importance of trying.
Generic Messaging Creates Frustration
According to Forbes (February 18, 2020) some quick statistics give us a better picture:
- 71% of consumers feel frustrated when a shopping experience is impersonal. - Segment
- 70% of millennials are frustrated with brands sending irrelevant emails. - SmarterHQ
- 74% of customers feel frustrated when website content is not personalized. - Instapage
Because of numbers like these, companies are changing how they reach out and pitch to customers. They're investing in algorithms and staffing up on customer service personnel to talk directly to customers and handle their questions and concerns. The days of one-size-fits-all are clearly over.
The Influence of Social Media
Who hasn't been surprised by the direct access to celebrities and companies that social media offers? You can now send a direct message to huge companies via Instagram or Facebook and they'll respond almost immediately. Social media has been a game changer in terms of how companies approach their relationship with their customers and it's introduced a new direct style of communication.
Viral videos are much the same. A generations-old venerable company like Ocean Spray can plug along for years with traditional advertising on television and print, but one guy on roller blades singing a Fleetwood Mac song can change everything. Viral videos are often the opposite of companies traditional reaching out to customers-- they're often customers reaching out to companies and companies responding.
Building Relationships
We started ShoreBags by building close relationships with our customers. We've reached out to ask which design our customers would like to see put in production. We've surveyed them to ask direct questions and we've posted their reviews and comments to our site.
From the beginning, we've offered personalized goods-- monogramming or silkscreening-- to create one-of-a-kind products that fit our customer's needs. And for larger customers, we've offered private label goods and custom designs suited to their brand. We have great flexibility when it comes to personalization because we understand that personalization helps build relationships and delivers a better customer experience. It's what we're all about.
Introducing Personalized Handwritten Notes
We're thrilled to announce that we now offer handwritten personalized notes to included with your gift order. When you're checking out from our site, you'll see "Is this a gift?" and by checking yes, you'll get a notes box where you can write in what you'd like included on the card. We'll slip this into the gift order so the lucky recipient has a personalized note from you.
More than anything, we want to build a business that's centered on improving the lives of our customers and being good stewards of the earth. Our mission is to help reduce the negative human impact on the environment while adding value to our customer's everyday lives.
Thank you for joining us on this adventure!