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Personalization deepens

Many of you know that I spent the last few years at ibm.com, focusing in large measure on personalization. Eight years ago, when we first started looking at personalization, Amazon was the only Web site doing it successfully, but times have really changed. I realized how much has changed last week while travelling in Canada.


I was sitting in the Trudeau airport in Montreal, watching as several flights home were cancelled due to bad weather. But I was connected wirelessly and trying to knock a few items off my to-do list while sitting around. My wife had installed a great backup solution from Argentum that she uses to back up our personal files from her computer and my kids’ computers—I have had it in my list for a while that I should get it to back up my personal files, too, rather than using the cumbersome system I do now.
So, I visited the Argentum Web site to order the software. I was surprised to see the currency default to Canadian dollars. Even though I know all about geolocation, I was surprised to see it in use from a small company. I was able to quickly correct the order to US dollars and easily completed my purchase, but it left me realizing how many Web sites are using personalization techniques considered sophisticated just a few years ago.
Personalization is becoming more deeply entrenched in the Web. While Google makes headlines with personalized search, unknown companies are experimenting with personalization each day.

Mike Moran

Mike Moran is a Converseon, an AI powered consumer intelligence technology and consulting firm. He is also a senior strategist for SoloSegment, a marketing automation software solutions and services firm. Mike also served as a member of the Board of Directors of SEMPO. Mike spent 30 years at IBM, rising to Distinguished Engineer, an executive-level technical position. Mike held various roles in his IBM career, including eight years at IBM’s customer-facing website, ibm.com, most recently as the Manager of ibm.com Web Experience, where he led 65 information architects, web designers, webmasters, programmers, and technical architects around the world. Mike's newest book is Outside-In Marketing with world-renowned author James Mathewson. He is co-author of the best-selling Search Engine Marketing, Inc. (with fellow search marketing expert Bill Hunt), now in its Third Edition. Mike is also the author of the acclaimed internet marketing book, Do It Wrong Quickly: How the Web Changes the Old Marketing Rules, named one of best business books of 2007 by the Miami Herald. Mike founded and writes for Biznology® and writes regularly for other blogs. In addition to Mike’s broad technical background, he holds an Advanced Certificate in Market Management Practice from the Royal UK Charter Institute of Marketing and is a Visiting Lecturer at the University of Virginia’s Darden School of Business. He also teaches at Rutgers Business School. He was a Senior Fellow at the Society for New Communications Research and is now a Senior Fellow of The Conference Board. A Certified Speaking Professional, Mike regularly makes speaking appearances. Mike’s previous appearances include keynote speaking appearances worldwide

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