Presentation given at the 2015 ASAE Technology Conference covering content personalization for websites. Session touches on personalization strategy, integration, user data, and offers a framework for developing a web content personalization strategy and plan.

1. Ray van Hilst
Director of Client Strategy
Vanguard Technology
Creating
Personalized
Website
Experiences

4. • Who has been tasked with creating a
“personalized web experience for members”
• How many of you are already personalizing
content on your website?
• Who has no idea where to start?
Expectations

5. “We bought the Maserati and have to drive
it. We can’t just park it in the garage.”
Sheila Vertino, NAIOP

6. Good reasons to
target site content:
1. Your audience can be
segmented in ways that are
meaningful.
2. Narrowing your message
provides incremental value to
your users.
3. Personalized content is tied to
specific KPIs or business
objectives.
Good vs Bad
Bad reasons to
target site content:
1. Because we can.
2. Some variation of #1.
http://alistapart.com/article/approaching-content-strategy-for-personalized-websites

7. • No technology… just process and strategy
• Give you a framework for implementing a
content personalization program
• Help you plan for a successful program
Today’s Goals

8. What is it? Why Now?

12. My son plays oboe, I recently
bought some sheet music.
I bought a Fitbit last year.
Guess what is going to be
under the Christmas tree!!

13. My son plays oboe, I recently
bought some sheet music.
I bought a Fitbit last year.
Guess what is going to be
under the Christmas tree!!
35% of Amazon’s revenue
is driven by product
recommendations!!
- Venture Beat (2012)

14. 74% of consumers
get frustrated when
website content
appears that has
nothing to do with
their interests.
http://janrain.com/about/newsroom/press-releases/online-consumers-fed-up-with-irrelevant-
content-on-favorite-websites-according-to-janrain-study/

15. 52% of digital markers agree that
”the ability to personalize web
content is fundamental to their
online strategy”
https://assets.econsultancy.com/images/0002/1120/
personalisation-infographic_adobeURL.png
• 41% are committed to providing that
personalized experience
• But technology is holding them back with
only 32% saying their CMS enables
personalization

16. Recipe for
Personalization

17. User Data
User
Segmentation
Content &
User
Experience

18. User Data
User
Segmentation
Content &
User
Experience
Goals!!!

19. Sophisticated personalization typically involves
leveraging a richer dataset, such as names and email
addresses, website and other browsing history, user
preferences, mobile app behavior, social data, device
location history and demographics, to name just a few
sources.
- Marketing Land
http://marketingland.com/hyper-personalization-leveraging-data-
build-loyal-customer-relationships-140530

20. • Explicit Data
• What we know about the user
• What the user has told us
• Implicit Data
• What we infer about the user
• What we figured out about the user
Personalization Data

21. Explicit Data:
• Name
• Member type
• AMS
demographics
• Purchase history
Personalization Data
Implicit Data:
• Location
• Browsing behavior
• Search queries

22. Dividing user base into subsets of
users that have, or are perceived to
have, common needs, interests, and
priorities, and then designing and
implementing strategies to target
them.
User Segmentation

23. Segmentation
User Segment
Name:
Give this user segment a name for tracking
Motivators: Describe this user’s motivators? What are they coming
to the site to do? What are their possible scenarios?
User Goals: Reinforce what we want the user to do? How will this be
a successful site visit?
What Data
Segments this
User?
From above, what data points or criteria put a user into
this segment?
Prioritize this user If multiple User Segments are created, give this segment
a priority level.

24. Marketing Mary
• Washington, DC
• Marketing Mgr
• Attends
conferences
Developer Doug
• Austin, TX
• Software Engineer
• Online databases
and webinars
Biz Dev Brian
• New York, NY
• Sales Director
• Attends networking
events

25. Marketing Mary
• Washington, DC
• Marketing Mgr
• Attends
conferences
Developer Doug
• Austin, TX
• Software Engineer
• Online databases
and webinars
Biz Dev Brian
• New York, NY
• Sales Director
• Attends networking
events
Industry Trends
Promotional
Opportunities
Leads and DealsLatest Technology

26. Marketing Mary
• Washington, DC
• Marketing Mgr
• Attends
conferences
Developer Doug
• Austin, TX
• Software Engineer
• Online databases
and webinars
Biz Dev Brian
• New York, NY
• Sales Director
• Attends networking
events
Exhibit at
conferences
Buy advertising
Attend conferences
Refer potential
members
Sign up for webinars
Buy products

27. • Lifecycle stage
• Engagement
level
• Tenure
Segmentation Options
• Location
• Member Type
• Industry Role
• Purchases
• Interests

29. “90% of consumers
find custom content
useful”
http://www.demandmetric.com/content/content-marketing-infographic

30. • Revisit your content strategy
• Bonus: Attend the Content Strategy Deep Dive!!
• 2:15 in this room
• Create content for your user segments
• Identify where and when to personalize the
content
Content for Personalization

31. This goes with what you
bought
We think you might like this

32. Taxonomy is
the foundation
of effective
content
personalization
Photo Credit: Flickr, Eric Spiegel
Learn more:
www.vtcus.com/taxonomy

33. Have a
plan
before you
try to save
the day…

34. • What do you want the user to do?
• What are your content goals?
• What are your business goals?
Define Your Goals

35. Planning for
Personalization

36. “If you don’t know where you’re
going, any road will get you there.”

37. Personalization
Framework
Define Goals
Define User
Paths
Identify Data Define Segments
Identify
Opportunities
Create
Personalized
Content
Test, Measure,
Refine

38. • Why are we doing this?
• Use SMART Goals (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant,
Time Based)
• Potential Goals
• Sell products or membership
• Promote specific content
• Reduce user friction to relevant content
• Identify metrics
• Google Analytics - Goals and campaigns
• Form completions
• Sales
Define Goals

39. • What do we want user to do?
• Define actions and goals
• Conversion
• Nurture
• What is the target content
• Define target content
• Tie to persona and scenarios
• How would user get to this content without personalization?
Define User Paths

40. • What segmentation data is available?
• AMS
• Member type, volunteer roles, demographics, purchases
• Web behavior
• Geo-location, referral sites
• CMS
• Pages viewed, previous history
• What specific data segments users?
Identify Data

41. • Create initial user segments
• Start with personas and use cases
• Define data points to segment users
• What demographics/data puts a user into segment?
• Prioritize user segments
• Users may fall into more than one segment
• Define segment priority
Define User Segments

42. • When are they they ready for personalized content?
• Tie to user path
• Define personalization opportunity
• Unique content
• Calls to action
• Conversion or nurturing points
• Merge with personalization goals
• Destination
• Action
Identify Opportunities

43. • Create content for each segment
• Specific content
• Content variations
• Consider all content types
• Content widget
• News & Blog widget
• Images
Develop personalized
content

44. • Implement
• Start small, with specific tests before implementing multiple
segments
• Configure personalization in CMS
• Measure
• Have the goals established and metrics in place (e.g.
Google analytics, product sales, form completions, etc.)
Test, Measure, Refine

45. Case Studies

47. Sigma Theta Tau
International
• 135,000 members
• 85 countries
• Diverse roles:
• Administrators
• Clinical nurses
• Policy
• Researchers
• Educators
• Students

48. • Global members feel the organization is too
North American centric
• Website was treating diverse audiences all the
same
The Challenge

49. • Deliver personalized web content to visitors that
encourages a primary or secondary action.
• Track numbers of primary actions completed through
Google Analytics.
• Establish baseline of completed primary actions
originating from STTI site.
• Increase number of completed primary actions by __%
for subsequent years.
Personalization Goals v1

50. STTI Website Personalization Worksheet
Updated: June 30, 2015
Phase I Phase I Phase I Phase I
Segment Name Segment 1: Global Visitors Segment 2: Nursing Student Segment 3: Nurse Clinician Segment 4: Nurse Researchers
What is the internal name for referring to this segment?
Unique Motivator
Describe this user’s motivators? What are they coming to
the site to do? What are their possible scenarios?
Segment Goals
What do we want the user to do? How will this be a
successful site visit?
Segmentation Data
What data points or criteria put a user into this segment?
- AMS Data
- Geographic
- On site behavior
- Referral URL
- Landing Page URL
Personalization Opps
What specific content or content variations can we
develop?
Personalized Content
Specific Instructions pertaining to “look & feel” and
messaging
Metrics/Results
How will you measure? Record final metrics and
observations.
Comments/Notes
Anything else we need to consider?
Highest priority = Renew and Register for convention
We want this user to Renew and Register for Events and
CE opportunities
Track number of renewals, event registrations, purchases,
Job Board resume submissions
May want to consider this a more general "non-member" to
include Early career, invitee or potential member
Highest priority = Join or Renew
"I want to learn and access general information about STTI."
Potential questions could include:
What is STTI?
Why should I join?
What’s in it for me?
Who are the members?
Will I fit in/belong?
What is the cost?
Career information
- Complete the induction process and join
- Find their chapter's site
- Use the career center to look for a position
CMS Behavior
- Page visited = "Resources for Student" or multiple pages
within "Why STTI" section
AMS Data (one of the following)
- Member Role = Inductee
- Member Type = Student Member
Featured member stories is an early career nurse or
graduate student
Change out the Primary item in the Featured Programs
Section on the homeage
CTA for Find a Chapter
CTA for Career information
Featured NKI resources/products
Member Story - Develop specific member stories
CTA - need custom CTAs for Find a Chapter and Career Info
NKI - Identify specific NKI applicable products and get
images
Track number of joins, purchases, Job Board registrations
Member Story - Develop specific member stories
CTA - need custom CTAs for a specific ongoing course
NKI - Identify specific NKI applicable products and get
images
Renew Membership
Career/job information
Find CE, book or professional development
Register for an event
Volunteer
- Renew their membership
- Take continuing education
- Pursue all the career advancement opportunities
available
CMS Behavior
- Pages visited = at least 2 of the following pages:
"Resources for Clinicians"
AMS Data
- Role = Clinician (based on work address being a non
academic institution)
Featured Member Story to a Nurse Clinician
Change out the Primary item in the Featured Programs
section on the homepage
CTA to relevant continuing education (change out the
products in the NKI section)
"That this organization is for me and is focused on an
international audience (or at least isn't totally North
America focused)"
Homepage Slider
Engage beyond the homepage
Geographic Regions based on STTI's 6 Regions:
- North America
- Latin America & Caribbean
- Africa
- Asia
- Europe
- Oceania
- Middle East
Globally recognized nurse leaders, in job settings.
Convention photos.
Access Scholarly Journals and publications
Grant Information
Renew Membership
Career/job information
Find CE, book or professional development
Register for an event
CMS Behavior
- Pages visited = at least 2 of the following
pages: "Resoruces for Researchers", "Research",
"Research Resources" or "Research Grants"
- Visitor visits the site from the Virginia
Henderson Library
AMS Data
- Role = Researcher
- Access Research-specific content (Henderson
Library, etc.)
- Apply for a grant
- Register for an Event
- Download or purchase materials
Featured Member Story to a Researcher
CTA to research resources
Change out the Primary item in the Featured
Programs section on the hompage
Change out NKI products to specific items
Track number of joins, purchases, Job Board registrations
Highest Priority = Renew and Register for
Congress
Track number of renewals, event registrations,
book/CE purchases, grant application
Member Story - Develop specific member stories
CTA - need custom CTAs about Hendrson
Libarary
NKI - Identify specific NKI applicable products
and get images

51. • Global Users by Region
• IP Address
• Nurse Students
• AMS data
• Behavior
• Nurse Clinician
• AMS data
• Behavior
• Nurse Researchers
• AMS data
• Behavior
Initial User Segments

52. Change hero image based on region
Member story based on role
Featured Program
based on role
Change products
based on role

54. • AMS Data
• Other projects in pipeline
• Roles not assigned in data
• User profiles incomplete or missing demographics
• Content
• No content for defined segments
Detours

56. For Launch
• 7 Global Regions
• Change image

58. • Books products and services
• US Targeted Content with discounts
• Targeted ads to other regions
Black Friday Promotion

59. “As STTI becomes more international, it was important to
present an international image and not a US based look and
feel. Now members see familiar faces or landmarks on the
web site no matter where in the world they are.
We recently had our International convention and members
loved the site.”
Tim Ringlespaugh
CIO
Sigma Theta Tau International

60. What’s Next? Content!!
• More member stories
• Global regions
• Member types
• More member photos

61. Personalization
Framework
Define Goals
Define User
Paths
Identify Data Define Segments
Identify
Opportunities
Create
Personalized
Content
Test, Measure,
Refine

62. Lessons Learned

63. Do you have all your
ingredients?

64. Do you have the member data?
(explicit)
Can you map based on user
behavior? (implicit)
Do you have the content to
support it?
Includes taxonomy
Is the user journey mapped
out?

65. Manage
Expectations

66. Start slow… Go with
what you have first
Set attainable goals
Plan, test, repeat
Develop a long term
strategy

67. Commit
the time
and the
resources

68. 46% of marketers cite lack of
time as the biggest hurdle to
content marketing
personalization.
http://therealtimereport.com/2014/03/24/88-of-digital-marketers-
consider-realtime-marketing-critical-to-their-efforts/

69. Not a one time project
Becomes a process and
an evolution
Assign resources
Web management
Data
Content

70. Wrapping Up

71. 73% of B2B content marketers
are producing more content than
they did one year ago.
88% of marketers are
considering adding content
marketing personalization to
their plans.

72. “94% of marketers agree personalization of the
web experience is critical to current and future
success”
Are you one of them?
http://www.monetate.com/2013/05/the-tipping-point-for-personalized-website-experiences

73. Ray van Hilst
Director of Client Strategy
Vanguard Technology
rvanhilst@vtcus.com
703.439.1990
Questions? Get in touch!
Whitepaper: 7 Tips to Personalize Members’
Online Experiences
www.vtcus.com/personalization-tips