Most online shoppers are well aware of this phenomenon: once they have viewed or purchased an item on the internet, they will then see advertisements for similar products or accessories for weeks. Personalisation is one of the most important strategies used in online trading to reach customers. It is intended to make shopping a more pleasant experience. However, a survey by Idealo on this topic now strongly questions whether this is the actual effect.

Personalised ads often create annoyed customers

One of the key findings of the survey is that a majority of internet users – 53 percent – are annoyed by these ads. One of the main reasons for this effect is that they perceive the ads as irrelevant – an opinion that was shared by 52 percent of respondents. If the ads are not of direct interest to the customer, yet are overly obtrusive, then most users will find this behaviour annoying.

Customers often feel spied on

This personalization occurs when companies collect information regarding the surfing behaviour of their customers and then analyse the resultant data. However, many internet users have a fundamental problem with this approach. They fear that companies are gathering far too many personal details. Only 14 percent of respondents said they have no problem with data storage, while 56 percent said they were afraid of losing their privacy.

Used sensibly, personalisation can have positive effects

The results of the survey clearly show that personalisation requires great caution, otherwise companies are likely to be scaring off, rather than winning over, their customers. Therefore, it is important to use this tool wisely and not in ways that seem an unwarranted invasion of privacy. The survey also offers some insight into the circumstances in which customers are more likely to consent to the collection of their data: where they are able to decide for themselves, and can benefit from their action. For example, they will be more positive about personalisation if they receive discounts, or profit in some other way.

This article was originally published on LinkedIn.