The Art Of Personalization: 11 Powerful Tips To Learn From Sephora

Last updated on March 4th, 2024

“Personalization is the key to cutting through the noise and making a meaningful connection with customers.”                                            ~ Angela Ahrendts, Former SVP of Retail, Apple.                

Have you ever noticed a shopping platform recommending products similar to your previous searches or orders? Certainly, you have! The best part? We actually love those “based on your last search” product listings as they make our hunt easier and time-saving.

And there are over 71% of customers like us who actually expect brands to deliver personalized interactions. Interestingly, 76% actually get frustrated when companies don’t do this.

Undoubtedly, personalization has become the default consumer standard for engagement. From web to mobile and in-person interactions, consumers today only want to see what they are interested in.

Source: Mckinsey

Hence, personalization has become central to marketing strategies. Everywhere you look, brands are embracing personalization. For brands, it has become a powerful tool to cut through the noise and stand out. No matter whether the company is a brick-and-mortar player, a digital native, or a behind-the-scenes producer or supplier, personalization is everyone’s crucial capability.

And let me clear it, personalization isn’t the same as spamming customers with irrelevant or invasive messages. Instead, it’s about leveraging customer data to offer a more personalized and valuable experience that puts customers’ needs at the forefront.

But here’s the catch: Leveraging personalization to your brand success is an art. It’s not just about using your customer’s name throughout the page. It’s actually about DRIVING THE VALUE CUSTOMERS EXPECT.

When it comes to personalization, the popular cosmetic shopping brand, Sephora sets the bar high. Whether it’s in-store, in-app, or through email, Sephora meets customers where and how they want.

From personalized product recommendations to tailored promotions, Sephora has proven to be a game-changer in creating unique and engaging experiences for its shoppers. It’s Sephora’s art of personalization that keeps customers coming back for more.

But, how do they do it and keep at it?

Read the blog to delve into the 11 solid tips for mastering the art of personalization, drawing inspiration from Sephora’s success.

Also Read: How to Develop a Cosmetic Shopping App like Sephora?

11 Personalization Tips Inspired By Sephora’s Digital Success

Since its inception in 1970, Sephora has been a trailblazer in the cosmetics industry. Learn from the successful cosmetic brand how to master the art of personalization.

Understanding The Needs Of Your Customers

This is a foundational step in creating a successful and personalized customer experience. By tapping into what your customers want and value, you can tailor your products, services, and interactions to meet their expectations.

By understanding and adapting to the changing preferences of its customers (Millennials), Sephora turned every in-person shopping experience into a memorable one. This way, it made the store stand out from its competitors.

Here are key strategies for effectively understanding your customers’ needs:

• Conduct Comprehensive Market Research

Start with thorough market research to understand your target customers closely. Dive into demographics, preferences, buying behaviors, and pain points to gain comprehensive insights. Use surveys, focus groups, and data analytics tools to gather quantitative and qualitative data. This groundwork is essential for tailoring your strategies effectively.

• Build Buyer Personas

Craft detailed customer personas using data gathered from market research. These personas, representing different segments of your target audience, offer detailed profiles of their unique needs, preferences, and behaviors. Using these personas as a guide, you should customize strategies to resonate more effectively with each segment, driving personalized engagements.

• Use Customer Feedback

Engage with your customers proactively to collect feedback through surveys, reviews, and social media channels. Embrace both positive and negative feedback and use it to understand what customers appreciate and areas of improvement. Use feedback as a continuous source of valuable input for refining your offerings.

• Track Customer Behavior

Leverage analytics tools to track customer behavior across various touchpoints, including your website, social media, and customer interactions. Analyze data to identify patterns, popular products, and the customer journey. This information helps in predicting future needs and tailoring experiences accordingly.

• Engage in Conversations

Indulge in openly communicating with your customers. Interact with them through social media, live chat, and customer service channels. Pay attention to their questions, concerns, and even suggestions. Communicating directly with your customers offers valuable real-time insights into their needs and expectations.

Driving sales through personalization

Understanding your target customers is crucial. However, what matters is leveraging that information to create personalized strategies and drive sales.

Sephora gained a complete picture of its customers’ buying strategies by combining its digital and physical retail teams. It leveraged the combined data of digital and physical retail services to gain a complete picture of its customers’ buying strategies.

The beauty brand, then, used this data to enhance their customers’ sales journey through tailored retail experience for each shopper. This strategy helped them drive immense sales.

Here are actionable strategies to drive sales through personalization:

• Segment Your Audience

Divide your customer base into segments based on demographics, behavior, and preferences. Creating different customer segments can help you customize your marketing and promotional messages to resonate with the unique characteristics and needs of each group.

• Personalized Product Recommendations

Implement advanced recommendation engines on your website and other digital channels. Analyze customer purchase history, browsing behavior, and preferences to suggest personalized product recommendations. Integrate these insights into your website, email campaigns, and mobile apps for a seamless personalized shopping experience that keeps customers engaged and drives conversions.

• Personalized Promotions and Discounts

Sending personalized promotions and discounts based on customer behavior and preferences can go a long way in achieving widespread customer loyalty and retention. Offer exclusive discounts on their frequently purchased products or provide special promotions on items of their interest. This targeted approach increases the likelihood of conversion.

• Personalized Landing Pages

Create personalized landing pages for diverse customer segments. Make your landing pages accessible to customers based on their interests or previous interactions. Customize the content, imagery, and promotions on these pages to create a more relatable and engaging experience.

Spread Awareness About Your Brand And Products

There’s no point focussing on personalized marketing if your brands and products are hidden from a majority of your target customers. Focus on creating effective brand awareness strategies to introduce your products to customers and create a positive and memorable impression.

Sephora, in order to make people aware of their products, used the following strategies:

• Had their employees provide authentic testimonials
• Partnered with popular beauty bloggers like Olivia Jade and Kyrah Stewart.
• Focused on building long-term relationships with influencers.

Here are key ways how you can enhance brand awareness:

Define Your Unique Selling Propositions (USPs)

Clearly define what sets your brand and products apart from the competition. Whether it’s unique features, exceptional quality, or a compelling story, having a strong USP helps create a distinctive identity that resonates with your target audience.

Create A Compelling Brand Story

Develop an interesting brand narrative that communicates your mission, values, and journey. A compelling brand story adds a human touch to your business, making it more relatable to customers. Share your brand story across various platforms, including your website, social media, and marketing materials for widespread reach.

Use Social Media Effectively

Use social media in the right way to increase brand visibility. Choose social platforms that resonate with your target audience and market. Consistently post compelling and informative content that speaks of your brand, interact with your audience, and use social media advertising to expand your reach.

Maintain A Consistent Brand Identity

It’s important to maintain your brand’s identity consistently across all platforms. Whether it’s your website, email, or social media, you should deliver a common brand message. You can achieve a consistent brand’s visual identity through logos, color schemes, and typography. Remember, consistency is important for building recognition, making it easier for customers to remember and associate your brand with specific attributes.

Invest in Content Marketing

Create compelling and shareable content that informs, entertains, or addresses the needs of your specific audience. Your content strategy should include blogs, videos, and infographics. It should reflect your knowledge and boost your visibility on search engines.

Amplifying Authentic Voices

Sephora leveraged this strategy by cultivating its own brand ambassadors instead of finding active influencers. They reached out to their customers and offered free products, professional training, and other incentives for promoting their products. This influencer campaign aimed to amplify the beauty community in a larger way and expand the number of voices and perspectives the brand was using in its work.

Authentic voices, in the form of satisfied customers, employees, and other stakeholders who genuinely advocate for your brand, can enhance brand credibility. It also fosters a sense of community and trust among your audience.

Here’s how you can achieve this:

• Encourage and Showcase Customer Reviews

Encourage your satisfied customers to share their shopping experience by leaving reviews and testimonials about your products or services. Display these reviews on your website, social platforms, and marketing materials. Authentic customer feedback serves as social proof, helping you establish trust in your brand.

• Implement a User-Generated Content (UGC) Strategy

Develop a user-generated content strategy by launching campaigns that inspire users to create content about your brand, such as photos, videos, or testimonials. Share this user-generated content on your social media, website, and marketing materials to improve your brand narrative with authenticity and diversity.

Additionally, showcase compelling customer success stories through newsletters, case studies, video interviews, and podcasts to humanize your brand. This will help you showcase real-world benefits across your marketing channels.

• Highlight Employee Stories

Make your brand more relatable by sharing stories about your employees, including profiles, employee testimonials, or behind-the-scenes glimpses. Authentic stories about your team help you establish a connection with your audience, showcasing the people behind the brand.

• Use Influencer Testimonials

Partner with influencers who genuinely appreciate your products or services. Ask them to share their real experiences through reviews, testimonial videos, or social media posts. However, make sure the values of the influencers align with your brand to achieve maximum authenticity.

1. Help Customers Make Informed Purchasing Decisions

With an assortment of about 3000 beauty products to choose from, Sephora added a “Help Me Choose” section for its customers. This section helped customers to choose the right products based on a series of guides and quizzes. Sephora used this strategy to help customers make informed purchase decisions.

Let’s discuss the tips you can use to help customers make informed buying decisions.

• Provide Detailed Product Information

Make sure your product listings are clear and detailed covering specifications, features, materials, sizing, and other relevant information. Use high-quality images and videos to improve customers’ understanding of the products.

• Use Clear And Transparent Pricing

Customers are most interested in knowing the price of the products they are interested in. Hence, you should clearly communicate the pricing structure of your products, including any additional fees or charges. Avoid hidden costs, and be upfront about discounts or promotions. This transparency promotes trust, helping customers accurately gauge the value of their purchase.

• Offer Comparison Tools

Incorporate features or tools to your app or website that let your customers compare products simultaneously. Using a comparison table or tool, customers can evaluate the differences and similarities between products. This facilitates their decision-making process.

• Implement a Robust Product Filtering System

For brands with a vast and diverse range of products, implement a user-friendly filtering system. This enables customers to refine their choices by criteria, like price range, features, and customer ratings, simplifying their decision-making.

Optimize Customer Experience

One of the biggest advantages of online shopping is the convenience. It allows customers to find what they want without hassle, that too, in the comfort of their homes. However, to achieve great convenience, the onsite journey of your customers should be quick and easy. If it’s not, they abandon your cart.

Sephora realized this customer need at an early stage and created an organized and easily navigable shopping platform. This way, it offers an optimized customer experience that revolves around ease and comfort.

Here are some ways you can optimize customer experience on your Sephora-like platform:

• Understand The Customer Journey

Outline the entire customer journey, right from the initial awareness stage through to post-purchase interactions. Identify key touchpoints, areas of friction, and opportunities for enhancement. By comprehensively understanding the customer journey, you gain valuable insights to improve each stage, ultimately creating a more seamless and satisfying experience.

• Implement User-Friendly Website Design

Just like Sephora, design an intuitive and user-friendly interface for your shopping app. Optimize navigation, simplify the checkout process, and make information easily accessible. A well-designed website enhances the overall customer experience and encourages engagement.

• Prioritize Mobile Optimization

Optimizing your websites for mobile usage is crucial to expand your reach. Make sure that your website is responsive and provides a seamless experience across various devices, including smartphones and tablets.

• Optimize Website for Speed

Improving website loading speeds is a great way to reduce wait times for customers. Websites that load slowly can cause frustration among users leading them to abandon carts. Optimize images, use caching, and invest in a reliable hosting infrastructure to enhance page loading times.

Lead Unsure Visitors Through The Sales Journey

It’s simple: persuade visitors to complete their purchase! But how? Uncertain visitors may need additional information, reassurance, or personalized assistance to make a confident purchasing decision.

Let’s look at what Sephora did to ensure the conversion of unsure customers into actual buyers.

Sephora designed their online store to minimize confusion and decision fatigue by:

• Making navigation easier
• Adding important product information, such as key ingredients, additional information about products (its purpose, who it’s for, etc.), and benefits of using the product.
• Adding a “Questions and Answers” Section for added information.

This transformation guided unsure customers down the sales journey turning them into confident buyers.

Read More: Sephora Insider: Exclusive Offers, Discounts, and VIP Access

Here are some ways that can effectively lead your unsure visitors through the sales journey:

• Craft Compelling Product Descriptions

Make your product descriptions detailed and persuasive by highlighting key features, benefits, and unique selling points. Foresee and address potential concerns or questions that unsure visitors may have about the product.

• Implement Live Chat Support

Ensure real-time assistance to your customers by offering live chat support on your website. Actively engage with unsure visitors and answer questions regarding your products, checkout process, etc., to guide them through the decision-making process. Live chat adds a personalized touch to the online shopping experience.

• Utilize Interactive Content

Include interactive content such as product configurators, quizzes, or virtual try-ons on your site to engage unsure visitors. Such elements make the sales journey more dynamic while assisting visitors in finding products that match their preferences.

• Offer Clear Navigation

Make sure your website features clear and intuitive navigation paths. Visitors should be able to easily locate information such as product details, pricing, or customer reviews. Simplify the navigation to guide unsure visitors through the related sections.

Converting unsure visitors through their mobile app

If you’ve used Sephora, you’d know that it offers the same sales journey optimization on Android and iOS mobile apps. Aside from this, it also offers numerous other features, such as laser-targeted product recommendations, and communities designed to enhance customer engagement.

To achieve conversion of unsure visitors through a mobile app, you must have a strategic approach that leverages the unique capabilities of mobile devices. Mobile apps offer a more personalized and immersive experience, which makes them an ideal platform to guide users through the decision-making process.

Here are steps to convert unsure visitors through your mobile app:

• Optimize App Onboarding

Simplify the onboarding process for new users by ensuring they can easily grasp the app’s features and advantages. Offer a concise tutorial or walkthrough highlighting key functionalities and explaining how they can benefit from using the app.

• Personalize User Profiles

Encourage visitors to create profiles within the app. Collect relevant information to personalize their experience, such as preferences, past interactions, and saved items. Personalization enhances engagement and guides users toward products or services that match their interests.

• Implement Push Notifications

To re-engage your unsure visitors, leverage push notifications strategically. Send personalized notifications based on their search behavior, such as abandoned cart reminders, special promotions, or updates on products they’ve shown interest in. Make sure to send notifications timely and that they provide value.

• Offer In-App Assistance

By implementing app chat or messaging features within the app, you can offer real-time assistance to your visitors. Let your users ask questions, seek product recommendations, or get clarification on any concerns they may have. In-app assistance provides a convenient way to guide unsure visitors through the decision-making process.

• Use Mobile-Optimized Product Pages

Optimize your product pages for viewing on mobiles to offer a seamless and visually appealing experience to users. Use high-quality images, concise product descriptions, and easy navigation. Mobile-optimized product pages will deliver a high-quality experience to mobile users, despite their different browsing behaviors.

Leveraging YouTube To Drive Conversions

To boost conversions, you must leverage the power of video marketing through YouTube-one of the most effective social media marketing platforms. According to a Google study, over 90% of shoppers accepted they discovered a brand or product by watching YouTube videos.

Despite gaining profitable outcomes from the website and app. Sephora turned to YouTube to interact closely with potential customers. They posted videos of tips on hair and skin care, makeup tips and tricks, and expert guides for creating specific looks using Sephora’s products. In no time, YouTube became a crucial part of Sephora’s inbound marketing strategy. It helped the beauty brand generate leads, enhance brand awareness, promote products, and drive sales.

Post Compelling & Relevant Videos Consistently

Create engaging video content that resonates with the needs and expectations of your visitors. Focus on topics that hit their interest, address their pain points, and provide valuable insights.

• Diversify Your Video Content Strategy

Having a diversified video content strategy helps you engage with your viewers in various ways. You can create a mix of informational, entertaining, and inspirational content. Creating product demos, how-to videos, customer testimonials, and behind-the-scenes footage can offer a comprehensive experience for your audience.

• Optimize Your Videos for Searchability and Visibility

Make it easier for your potential users to find you by optimizing your YouTube channel and videos well.

Create attention-grabbing titles and descriptions for your videos. Use relevant keywords that potential customers might use to search for content similar to yours.

Provide a brief overview of the video’s content in the description. Use a mix of broad and niche hashtags to optimize your content’s reach. Design and add eye-catching thumbnails that attract more visitors to your videos.

• Promote Your Videos On Social Media

To gain a wider reach, promote your video content on social media channels. You can also collaborate with influencers to expand your reach.

• Utilize YouTube’s Community Features to Improve Engagement

Build a loyal and engaged YouTube community to achieve long-term business growth. You can leverage various YouTube community features to encourage engagement and build a more personal connection with your audience.

Nudge eager customers to complete their purchases

Having addressed influencer marketing and optimized the sales journey, Sephora moved its focus from conversions to enhancing sales. The brand sought a strategy to boost its average order value (AOV) and encourage its customers to complete their purchases.

To achieve this, Sephora began offering free shipping to customers on their orders above $50. It led to an increase in their AOV, which meant the customers spent more money on their orders. This strategy also helped them reduce cart abandonment.

Besides offering free shipping, Sephora also offers additional incentives, which include:

• Free samples with every order
• Discounts to shoppers enrolling in the Sephora Credit Card Program
• A rewards program

So, what can you do to nudge your customers to complete their purchases? Here are some tips:

Offer Limited-Time Discounts

By providing limited-time discounts or promotions, you create a sense of urgency in shoppers, encouraging them to purchase their wishlist orders. Inform that the offer is time-sensitive to encourage customers to complete their orders to take advantage of the special deal.

Use Retargeting Ads

Implement retargeting ads across various platforms to reconnect with customers who showed interest but did not complete the purchase. Display dynamic ads featuring the specific products they viewed, along with persuasive messaging to encourage reconsideration.

Implement Abandon Cart Emails

Establish automated abandoned cart email campaigns to remind customers of items left in their carts. Craft captivating subject lines and personalized content that encourages them to revisit the website and complete the purchase. You might also add limited-time offers or discounts to motivate them to take action.

Nurture long-term customer relationships

It’s important to drive new customers. However, it is even more important to retain existing customers. The more your retention rate, the better your credibility and overall business profitability. Studies reveal that a 5% rise in customer retention can boost profits by 25% or more.

Sephora, in order to retain customers, launched a reward program, the Beauty Insider program. It uses a three-tiered membership to incentivize shoppers to return every month. So, the more the customers spend, the more benefits they gain. Sephora’s reward programs helped it nurture long-term relationships with its customers.

Here’s how you can achieve the same:

• Implement a customer loyalty program

Establish a loyalty program that incentivizes customers to repeat purchases. Provide points, discounts, or exclusive perks for their ongoing loyalty. A well-strategized loyalty program encourages future purchases and enhances the emotional bond with your brand.

• Celebrate Milestones

Acknowledge and celebrate customer milestones, such as the anniversary of their first purchase or reaching a certain loyalty status. Send personalized messages, exclusive discounts, or small gifts to express appreciation for their ongoing support.

• Gather and Act on Customer Feedback

Actively collect customer feedback through surveys, reviews, and various channels. Utilize this feedback to enhance your products or services, resolve issues, and demonstrate to customers that their input is highly valued. This commitment to ongoing improvement fosters trust and strengthens customer relationships.

• Offer Exceptional Customer Service

Satisfy your customers with consistently exceptional customer service. Respond timely to inquiries, address issues with empathy, and go the extra mile to exceed customer expectations. A positive customer service experience contributes significantly to long-term satisfaction.

Exceptional Features of Sephora App That Make It Stand Out

The Sephora app typically offers the following features:

Product Search and Browse:

Search functionality for finding specific products.

Browse categories and collections to discover new products.

Personalized Recommendations:

Personalized product recommendations based on user preferences and purchase history.

Virtual Try-On

Virtual try-on features using augmented reality (AR) allow users to visualize products on themselves before purchasing.

Barcode Scanning

Barcode scanning capabilities for quick access to product information and reviews.

Shopping Cart and Wishlist

Shopping cart for adding and managing items for purchase.

Wishlist functionality to save and track desired products for future consideration.

Exclusive Offers and Promotions

Access to exclusive offers, discounts, and promotions for app users.

Beauty Insider Program Integration

Integration with Sephora’s Beauty Insider loyalty program, allowing users to earn and redeem points.

In-Store Experience Enhancement

Features to enhance the in-store shopping experience, such as locating nearby stores, checking product availability, and accessing in-store promotions.

Order Tracking and History

Order tracking to monitor the status of current orders.

Order history for reviewing past purchases.

Beauty Services Booking

Booking appointments for beauty services available at Sephora stores.

Beauty Tips and Tutorials

Access to beauty tips, tutorials, and product demonstrations to enhance users’ makeup and skincare knowledge.

User Reviews and Ratings

Read and contribute to product reviews and ratings from other users.

Push Notifications

Push notifications for alerts about new product launches, exclusive events, or personalized promotions.

Secure Payment Options

Secure and convenient payment options for making purchases within the app.

Store Locator

A store locator feature to find nearby Sephora locations.

Important: Sephora Sensations: Must-Have Products and Pro Tips

Partner With iTechnolabs To Achieve Your Cosmetic Business Success Through Personalization

As a leading web and app development company, we can help you achieve business success by implementing tech solutions tailored to your brand’s and customers’ specific needs.

Here are some ways we can assist you

Data Analysis

We can employ various data analytics methods to understand your customer preferences, purchase history, and behavior patterns. This information can be used to personalize marketing campaigns, product recommendations, and loyalty programs.

Customer Relationship Management (CRM) Systems

Our specialists can implement CRM systems to track customer interactions and personalize communications based on individual preferences. This can help you deliver more personalized experiences and improve retention rates.

E-commerce Personalization

We hold immense experience in developing personalized e-commerce experiences, such as personalized product recommendations, targeted promotions, and customized landing pages, based on customer data.

Augmented Reality (AR) Integration

We can integrate AR technology into your web and mobile platforms to provide immersive experiences, like virtual try-ons. This enables customers to virtually test your products, which helps them make informed purchasing decisions and try out different looks.

Social Media Integration

By integrating social media platforms into your tech solutions, we enable you to collect customer insights and personalize marketing campaigns based on social media interactions and interests.

It’s essential to collaborate closely with technology and consulting partners like us to align our services with the specific goals and values of your Sephora-like brand. So, if you want our experts to assist you in developing personalized tech solutions for your brand, get in touch with us.