Consumers understand that every time they engage with you online they’re sharing data with you. This includes not only the product or service they’re intending to buy, but also alternatives they’ve considered, the pages they’ve viewed, the devices they’ve used, and the locations from where they’ve browsed.

Now be honest. In your marketing, what are you responding with and how compelling is it? If it’s primarily re-serving up what they already viewed then you’re giving them what they expect but not necessarily what they want or need to make a decision.

Here are some responsive content tactics that can help convert prospects from browsing to buying. In the examples below, we’ve focused on a consumer looking to buy a travel product, but it could really apply to any product or service

1. First, try a little romance.
   If a prospective traveler explores a trip to Aruba on your web site, entice them with remarketing that features Aruba’s beautiful beaches, pictures of horseback riding on the beach, or the local Divi Divi trees. If they browsed family rates or destinations, customize the content with fun and adventure opportunities that appeal to children. If they were looking for two fares and one hotel room, then play up Aruba as a destination for a romantic adventure. Match up copy with the images to get the message across. Is the moon always bigger in Cancun or only when you’re in love?
2. Next, offer up some alternatives.
   Just because a traveler checks out a destination online doesn’t mean he or she has their heart set on going there. If they browse offers or content for Portugal why not suggest Spain? Or the Azores? Leverage your understanding of their past behavior and booking patterns of like customers to spark their imagination. If they’ve expressed through their page views an interest for a bicycle trip or a wine tour, suggest alternative packages or destinations in places they wouldn’t necessarily think of on their own. Italy always comes to mind for a foodie trip but how about Istanbul? Take advantage of destination events such as sports, music festivals or restaurant weeks by including them in your remarketing. Or if their behavior indicates they’re set on Portugal, help them turn their imagination into reality by offering them additional incentives to commit to the trip: imagine an email that says “Here’s what’s going on in Porto during the dates you viewed online.” Followed by a list of local events and activities.
3. Make sure you’re tracking and analyzing effects.
   Ideas are good but data is better. Make sure you understand what resonates with each traveler – not just the content & offers you put in front of them but also the channels they prefer to engage on. Learn & adapt over time to deliver a more relevant experience, rather than simply rinsing and repeating.
4. Automate the decisioning, recommendations, and personalization.
   Scaling true 1-1 personalization to thousands or millions of consumers is hard. Decision engines make real-time, personalized content possible using algorithms to associate consumer actions and behaviors with related content. They automate the process of drawing intelligent conclusions. The engines then automatically pull the appropriate content choices on the fly and deliver them back to the prospects at the right time – whether in milliseconds, or within hours or days.

If the consumer has purchase from you before, decision engines can leverage historic data to make smarter, more refined recommendations. Is the consumer checking out his family’s third ski trip to Colorado? A remarketing email that shares a snap shot of a family on the slopes at Alta and a headline saying You haven’t skied the west until you’ve skied Alta. will pique their interest and draw them in. By using their previous trip information to suggest a different destination or adventure – or a way to make a repeat trip more rich & memorable, you’re building loyalty to your company as a provider of service and information – not just fares and destination.

In other words, target their wishes, not just their wallets.

To learn more about decision engines, download Boxever’s ebook: Power of Decision Engines. 

Boxever is a customer intelligence and predictive marketing platform designed specifically for travel retailers. Companies like Air New Zealand, Ryanair, eDreams ODIGEO, and more increase conversion, drive revenue, and improve loyalty using Boxever’s cloud-based solution. Learn more at www.boxever.com or follow us on Twitter @Boxever.

Photo from Flickr