As the web becomes more and more personalized the need for proper taxonomy or categorization of content is more important and relevant. If you want to know what your customers or visitors are reading, consider tagging all of your content with appropriate terms. It may give you a whole new view of what people are actually interested in. Tagging is a great way for tracking what is being read and directing some personalized info to the end-user experience. It may go a long way in your conversion strategy.
Here are four simple steps to tagging content and delivering personalized content.
1. Build a proper tagging structure.
This process is similar to an information architecture (IA) or site map of a website. There are multiple ways to accomplish this task. One method would be to start at broad tags and trickle down to more specific tags. Another method I like personally would be to start with your products and services. Tag them with keywords that best describe them. Keep it simple to two or three max. Then become broader in your terms to cover everything. All tags must revolve around your plan for your content. For instance, you wouldn’t create a tag for “internet marketing” if you have no content that really discusses that.
2. Revise your tags. Revise your content.
Now that you have your tags and your content planned out. It’s time to revise your tags and content and mold them together. It’s also recommended to ensure the tags you apply to the content also exist in the content itself. If applicable, created “weighted tags” in your content. Some content may hold more value to a tag than another piece of content.
3. Track visitor tendencies.
Web content management systems (WCMS) are coming out with more and more tools to track the content your visitors are viewing. Use the software to understand and find what your users are interested in. If possible, accumulate “scores” based on tagging and the content the user is viewing.
4. Deliver personalization.
This is the “payoff pitch.” You have tracked their progress and now it’s time to deliver something personalized to urge conversion. For example, if you offer training services and you have a customer looking at particular content or training references regarding a certain type of training it’s time to push a form or white paper to that user directly related.
This type of web personalization isn’t new, but it’s still largely unpracticed. I see most of this type of service on websites from Amazon, eBay and similar sites. Some e-commerce sites are doing this as well. It’s time more universities and businesses apply this same method. If I’m shopping for services on a web design – stop telling me about your awesome search engine marketing package. I don’t care for that. I want you to tell me about web design and maybe – show me a form about information for web design – not your newsletter.
It’s time to adapt to the user. They’re human. They’re not code in a website or someone who acts as programmatic as that code.
