Cultural Personalization Strategy Best Practices

[#1]

Whether you’re deploying e-commerce websites in countries you’re unfamiliar with, or if you’re at the initial brainstorming phase of your organization’s personalization strategy, there are several sources of inspiration at your fingertips to maximize your ROI: 

• Analyzing your data from your analysis tool, which can provide you with information about your users' behavior with Adobe Analytics 
• Benchmarking 
• Applying psychological principles
• Adapting your website to local cultures 

The last point is often overlooked due to a lack of awareness, technological limitations (CMS),  or industry codes (ex: luxury world). In this article we will explore some ideas you can test or improve to attract and retain customers.

Thank you to David Baker, Brent Kostak and Nicolas Mériel for the review.

Customer service & contacts :  

• The need for human relationships and contact is more developed in southern countries, so we suggest that you highlight the different customer service channels on the header of your site, or at least on a part of your website that does not need to be scrolled:   
  • Live Chat 
  • A free local phone number is highly recommended 
  • Email address  
  • Do not hesitate to add the name of one of the members of your team ex: ‘Call Luca at XXX’  

• Multilingual support: offer customer support in the local language  
• Adapted hours: adapt customer service hours to local time zones to ensure maximum availability.  

How to deal with it?   

• Search for local websites! Small local merchants instinctively apply these tips.   
• Always ask local colleagues for feedback.  

  

Language: 

• Translation to the local language should be applied to all site content, including product descriptions, FAQs and return policies, in the local language. Use local idioms and expressions to make content more familiar and engaging. For example, use the informal form of address ‘Tu’ if you are targeting Spanish people. 
• Localization is key for your product and service description. It should be applied to currencies (Euros vs Dollars), date formats, distance (kilometers vs miles), weight (kilos vs pounds), temperature (Celsius vs Fahrenheit) 

How to deal with it:  

• Search for local websites and ask local users/translators to review the content and weigh in their recommendations. 

   

Product adaptation: 

• Product selection: offer products that meet local needs and preferences. For example, don't only sell mobile air conditioners to Mediterranean countries, but also sell fixed ones since half of the countries in the European southern countries live 5 months a year with average annual temperatures above 30°C (= 86° Fahrenheit). Apply this same principle to clothing selections. 

• Packaging and instructions: adapt product packaging and instructions so that they are understandable and appealing to local audiences. Example: In the US you will see more XL size food packaging vs other countries. 

How to deal with it? :  

• Visit physical local stores to gain these insights and adapt your products 
• Use our Adobe Target features to test and recommend the best products. Take a look into our documentation for more information: Adobe Target A/B or Adobe Target Recommendations 

  

Navigation: 

The product adaptation has a clear impact on the ergonomy of your website, and you will need to prioritize the tabs with the most impactful products for the specific country/audience. 

How to deal with it?  

• Visit physical stores to give you an idea about the most popular products 
• Confirm your choice by using the A/B test and Multi Variate test features in Adobe Target to  offer the best products in  the right place. Take a look into our documentation for more information: Adobe Target A/B and MVT. 

    

Payment methods:  

• Local payment options: Integrate payment methods that are popular and secure in the local market, such as specific credit cards, local online banking services, and mobile payment systems. For example, cash on delivery is still used in Italy. Italy has a higher adoption of COD than France for example, although this method is declining in the country. Historically, it was a popular method due to the mistrust of online payments.  Postepay (prepaid card) should also be highlighted -  this is not always the case from foreign brands with activities in Italy. 

How to deal with it ? :  

• Ask a local partner or work on a benchmark based on e-commerce websites 

  

Marketing and promotion: 

• Local advertising campaigns on your website: create ads or images that resonate with local values and interests. For example, Italians strongly value interpersonal relationships, family and conviviality, so characters are frequently at the center of advertising stories, enabling an emotional connection with the audience. German ads tend to be more direct, informative and product oriented. 
• Use social networking platforms popular in the region, and promote them on your website by sharing best practices of product usage. 
• Adapt your communication by planning promotions and special offers around important local holidays and events, for example: Mothers Days /Fathers days. You’ll need to be careful to ensure that they are not celebrated on the same days.  Create a calendar with the main events for each country – they're easy to find on the internet and will help tailor your messaging to what is relevant with your audience. 
• Newsletters should be adapted as well: subject, product recommendations, visuals, etc. 

How to deal with it?:  

• To create quick visuals & ads, you can use our AI generative tool Adobe Firefly 
• To display personalized products on your newsletter you can use Adobe Target Recommendations 

  

Logistics and shipping: 

• Collaborate with reliable local shipping companies to offer fast, cost-effective shipping options and display the name of the partner on the website to develop a trusting relationship. 
• Return policies: establish clear return policies adapted to local expectations to reinforce customer confidence. 

  

Compliance with local regulations is an obligation: 

• Make sure your site complies with local regulations concerning e-commerce, data protection and consumer rights.  
• Manage taxes and customs duties transparently to avoid unpleasant surprises for customers. 

    

Colors: play a crucial role in e-commerce site design, influencing visitor perception, user experience and purchasing decisions. Obviously, colors of your website must be consistent with your brand’s identity as it helps reinforce brand recognition and communicate brand values and personality. 

That said, if you've got some leeway to decide on CTAs, surveys or any part of your website, think about the following two suggestions: 

• Colors psychology: colors can evoke specific emotions and perceptions. For example:   
  • Red is often associated with urgency, passion, or excitement, encourages quick actions 
  • Green is linked to nature, health and tranquility and is common for organic or eco-responsible products. 
  • Black symbolizes luxury, sophistication and elegance. Often used for high-end products. 

• Cultural symbolism: colors have specific cultural meanings that vary from country to country. They can symbolize emotions, beliefs or values deeply rooted in a culture. For example:  
  • Red: often associated with luck and prosperity in China, it also symbolizes revolution and courage in many countries. Whereas in South Africa, it is associated with grief and loss. 
  • White: represents purity and peace in many Western cultures, but is often associated with mourning and death in some Asian cultures. 

How to deal with it?  

• First think about colors related to psychology or symbolism and then 
• Use our A/B test feature to test and propose the best colors at the right place. Take a look into our documentation for more information Adobe Target A/B

Now you know what the cultural principles are to offer a personalized experience and build a relationship of trust with your customers. Do not hesitate to test and perfect them with our tool! 

With Adobe as a leader in A/B testing, you’ll definitely want to check out the following  documentation to learn more about its incredible capabilities. 

If you want to learn more about how the Adobe Ultimate Success teams and the Adobe consulting services teams can guide you on your personalization strategy, take a look into the links shared, or email us directly Ultimate Success Solution CSM - we’d love to hear from you! 

Come across this kind of situation?  Tested or improved upon your cultural personalization strategy?   If so, please add your comment below and let’s discuss!