Your website is important. We don't really need to tell you that, but with 252,000 new websites being created daily, we do need to tell you that yours needs to be something special to stand out. One way to do this is to collect behavioral data that will allow you to create a website that shows distinct content to different users—also known as a dynamic site.
Imagine using analytics tools, cookies, or other tracking mechanisms to gather data on user behavior and letting that dictate specific interactive features and content to ensure your site caters to their needs. It's possible and even necessary in the modern competitive digital landscape.
Prioritizing the needs and preferences of the end-users
User-centered design results in sites that are highly usable, accessible, and satisfying for those who visit them. Behavioral data, including feedback, plays a crucial role in the iterative and data-driven nature of user-centered design.
As a result, the role of user-centered design in modern web development cannot be understated. It places the needs, preferences, and experiences of users at the forefront of the design and development process, and since we're all users at some point, this concept benefits everyone.
How to get started
Have you heard about Dynamic Facebook ads? They are product ads that target potential customers and existing shoppers based on specific user data, intending to increase the chance of a sale. We are taking this fundamental idea and stretching it out over your whole website. To do this, you can start by analyzing your collected data to understand user behavior patterns and preferences.
Step #1: Analyzing user behavior and installing tracking mechanisms
Collecting data to understand user behavior patterns can be done by adding a tracking pixel to your site to track user interactions. You can use this Pixel to collect data on page views, add to cart, purchases, and other relevant events. We recommend:
- Looking at age, gender, location, and other demographic information to identify trends in user engagement.
- If you advertise on Facebook, leverage Facebook Insights to understand user interests and analyze the performance of ads based on the interests of the target audience.
- Monitoring social media metrics such as likes, shares, and comments to see which content generates the most engagement.
- Creating custom audiences and analyzing their behavior to refine your targeting.
Some behavioral patterns to look out for are users who add products to the cart but don’t complete the purchase or those who regularly engage with your content. You can also identify seasonal buying patterns or see how users switch between devices during the buying process.
Step 2: Create user segments
Once you have this data, you can identify key metrics and determine the most relevant to your website's goals and user experience. From there, create user segments based on similar behaviors, demographics, or preferences, like users who frequently visit certain pages, make specific purchases, or abandon their shopping carts.
Step #3: Implement dynamic content based on user segments
When dealing with a lot of data, it's essential to ensure data integration and synchronization processes that simplify your life. When you understand your data, it's easier to use it to create a dynamic website.
This can include everything from having your website make personalized recommendations to using algorithms to suggest content or products based on users' past behaviors and preferences.
This data is fundamental when segmenting your audience and setting up your dynamic website for your segments’ behaviors. In fact, it can help you make decisions by suggesting the variables you need to take into account.
You can set up a database to store the data and activate recommendation algorithms such as collaborative filtering, content-based filtering, and hybrid models to do things like recommend items based on the preferences of users with similar tastes. You can adjust your recommendation algorithms to account for seasonality and changing trends, for example, promoting seasonal products or trending items based on user behavior and preferences.
Pro tip: A/B test different versions of your site to see which leads to better user engagement or even conversions, and analyze user journeys to identify potential friction points.
Examples of different types of dynamic content
Dynamic content transforms static web pages into personalized and engaging landscapes. From tailored product recommendations to real-time updates, the versatility of dynamic content enhances user experiences, captivates audiences, and adapts to the unique preferences of each visitor.
Real-time responses
Your website has to simplify things for the user, and the clever way to go about this is by making decisions based on user behavior. For example, suppose you have a pop-up offer that appears when a user spends a certain amount of time on a page or displays a targeted message after a specific action. In that case, you increase the chance of controlling their behavior toward your preferred action.
Take, for example, this pop-up that appears on the Pure Plant Protein website:
This appears after the user has scrolled halfway down the home page, spending a total of 30 seconds reading what has come before it. It offers a discount code for the products they are currently considering, helping to nudge them towards a sale, while also collecting their contact details to help the site build its mailing list.
Responsive design
As a result of the above, adjusting the website experience during a user's session based on their current behavior can help bring about the actions you hope the user will take. Adapt the site layout, content, or features so both you and your customers can reap the benefits. Everyone wins!
Pro tip: When looking for ways to integrate your data into actionable insights, you might want to make it as simple as possible. A SaaS integration solution is a tool to simplify cloud data integration challenges. This will help you maximize the value of on-demand applications by improving access to critical business information (such as behavioral data) and allowing you to move data into and out of hosted applications efficiently with cloud deployments.
Using retargeting ads or emails
Retargeting can trim down cart abandonment by 6.5%. When you tailor your communications based on a user's history, such as sending personalized newsletters or alerts, you position your campaigns for success.
Just be sure to adhere to privacy regulations and other ethical standards when collecting and using behavioral data by clearly communicating your data usage policies to users.
Understanding user journeys and optimizing touchpoints
Google Analytics provides powerful tools, like Multi-Channel Funnels and Top Conversion Paths reports, to help you identify key touchpoints and assets ripe for personalization. This is a simple way to gather learnings that can be applied to your dynamic site. For example, Multi-Channel Funnels offer a panoramic view of users' diverse pathways before converting. These are insights about the various channels, sources, and mediums contributing to conversion over time. By delving into this report, you can comprehensively understand the complexity inherent in your user journeys.
The Top Conversion Paths report in Google Analytics is another option that looks at the specific sequences of interactions that lead to conversions. This report is invaluable for identifying the channels and assets that play pivotal roles in driving successful outcomes.
Armed with these insights, you can design a user experience transcending the entire customer journey on your new dynamic site. Remember that the key is to create a cohesive and seamless experience that caters to user needs at each stage.
Developing dynamic web pages: Pros and cons
Dynamic web pages require a more intricate development process, complex software, and additional scripting languages. They connect to databases and external applications. The downside of this is an increased risk to security. On the flip side, they offer a range of advantages that cater to the evolving needs of modern online experiences.
For example, dynamic websites simplify the maintenance process for developers. Automatic updates can be applied to multiple pages simultaneously. You can then utilize AI marketing tools and streamline content management across the site. Users can register accounts, create posts, and engage with the site in ways that static websites cannot facilitate, and because dynamic websites empower developers to easily integrate search engine optimization tools, keeping content optimized for search engines is much more straightforward.
Sell more with the ultimate performance marketing platform
You can make your new dynamic website even more powerful with a tool that takes your performance marketing to the next level. That tool is Marin Software, the easiest way to collect, understand, and share marketing data in your organization. Take your performance marketing to a new level with our help.
