How to Build a Personalization Strategy That Delivers Tailored Shopping Experiences

We’ve all had that moment—you scroll past a pair of shoes once and suddenly they follow you across the internet like a lost puppy. Personalization gone wrong feels invasive. But when it’s done right? It’s the digital equivalent of walking into your favorite shop and being greeted by name—with your favorite coffee waiting.

At Irish Titan, we believe good personalization should feel magic. Not manipulative. That’s why we’re breaking down how to build a personalization strategy that delivers real value using tools like Nosto, Bloomreach, Rebuy, and Data Ships. Ready? Let’s personalize some pixels.

Step 1: Start with the Right Data (AKA: Don't Guess, Know)

Before you can deliver tailored experiences, you need to actually know your shoppers. That means collecting more than just email addresses and hoping for the best.

Here’s what to focus on:

Behavioral data: Clicks, views, purchases—aka what they do.

Transactional data: AOV, cart contents, order frequency.

Zero-party data: The goldmine. Tools like Data Ships help you ethically collect user preferences through quizzes, forms, and subtle “choose your adventure” experiences.

CRM/ESP connections: Integrate with Klaviyo, HubSpot, etc. to create rich profiles and segmentation power-ups.

💡 Pro tip: Don’t hoard junk data. Prioritize what helps you deliver a better experience—and toss the rest.

Step 2: Plug in the Right Personalization Tools

Here’s where your strategy gets some serious horsepower. Choose tools that fit your tech stack and your customer journey.

Our faves:

Nosto – For on-site magic like personalized recommendations, banners, and dynamic merchandising.

Bloomreach – The content-and-search whisperer. It delivers tailored landing pages and smart search that feels eerily accurate (in a good way).

Rebuy – The Shopify-native AOV hero. Think upsells, cross-sells, post-purchase magic, and bundles.

Data Ships – For building deep preference profiles with zero-party data. Great for compliance, even better for conversion.

Bonus points if you integrate everything via Segment or API so your data isn’t sitting in different corners of the sandbox.

Step 3: Segment Like a Strategist (Not Like It’s 2012)__

Say goodbye to “Men” and “Women” segments. Your audience deserves better.

Smarter segments to try:

• VIPs who purchased 3+ times in the last 60 days

• Window shoppers: People who browse but never buy

• Cross-sell candidates: Bought A, not B

• Lapsed lovers: Customers who haven’t come back in 6+ months

Tools like Nosto and Bloomreach let you build these dynamically. That means customers automatically enter/exit segments based on their behavior—no manual elbow grease needed.

Step 4: Serve Up Dynamic Experiences That Feel Personal (Not Robotic)

Here’s where things get real. Turn those segments and data points into customized journeys that feel like they were handcrafted.

What to personalize:

• Homepage content based on previous browsing

• Search results tailored to what they care about

• Product recs that actually make sense (looking at you, “You may also like” sections)

• Emails and SMS that don’t just say “Hi [FIRST NAME]”

Rebuy and Nosto are your best friends here for real-time product suggestions. Bloomreach lets you personalize entire pages. And don’t forget to let Data Ships guide your message tone, offer timing, and product categories.

Step 5: Test, Learn, Optimize, Repeat The best personalization strategy? One that evolves.

Track:

• Clicks on personalized blocks

• Conversion rates by segment

• A/B test results for recommendation styles

• Revenue impact from upsells and post-purchase offers

Review your setup quarterly. Sunset what’s not working. Double down on what is. And always, always test your “gut” against real data.

In Summary Personalization ≠ Creepy. It = Conversion (When Done Right)

Today’s shoppers expect brands to know them. The good news? Tools like Nosto, Bloomreach, Rebuy, and Data Ships make it easier than ever to give your shoppers what they want—before they even know they want it. Build trust. Be useful. Make people feel seen. That’s personalization done the Titan way.