What Does A B2C Website Use To Track The Items You Select On The Website?

Have you ever noticed how an online store seems to remember the items you were interested in the last time you visited? Or maybe it offers a discount on something you left in your cart or suggests similar products. It’s almost like the website has a stored memory of your preferences. 

But how does it do that?

The secret behind these personalized shopping experiences is a tracking technology used by many B2C (business-to-consumer) websites. With this, they are able to track what you click, browse, and select is more than just a way to remember your shopping cart. This way they are able to keep you engaged and coming back for more.

In this blog, we’ll break down how B2C websites track the items you select, the tracking techniques they use, and why it all matters for both businesses and consumers.

What is B2C Tracking?

Generally, B2C tracking refers to the methods and technologies websites use to track and analyze user interactions on their platform. 

Every action (e.g. clicks, hovers, purchases, and abandonments) a user takes is captured, stored, and analyzed to build a more comprehensive understanding of their behavior. This is then used to personalize the website experience, recommend products, and optimize the sales process.

Keep in mind that tracking is not just about remembering what you added to your shopping cart. It’s more about understanding what draws your attention, what products you find interesting, and how you move through the site.

For B2C websites, this data is invaluable because it allows them to cater to individual preferences. Thus, allowing them to offer a customized shopping experience that’s solely catered to you.

Why It’s Essential for Personalized Shopping

Personalized shopping has become the gold standard in the digital age. Imagine going to an online store and being greeted by an endless list of products that don’t relate to anything you want or need. 

Not a pleasant experience, right? 

Now, think of visiting a site that already knows what you like, offering recommendations based on your previous searches, and even reminding you of items you might have forgotten. That’s the power of B2C tracking at work.

For businesses, it’s a win-win. By utilizing data to personalize experiences, B2C websites not only enhance the shopping experience but also increase conversions, reduce cart abandonment, and foster long-term customer loyalty.

What Does A B2C Website Use To Track The Items You Select On The Website?

There are various metrics that B2C websites use to track the items you select on their site. But one thing to take note of is that these metrics are used to understand your behavior, preferences, and interactions, which helps personalize your shopping experience. 

Here’s how they do it:

1) Clicks and Hovers

When you click on a product or hover over an item, it’s recorded by the website. These interactions help the site understand which items attract your attention. By tracking which products you select, B2C websites can personalize your experience by showing you similar or related items.

2) Cookies and Session Data

Cookies store data about the items you’ve interacted with during your session. When you add a product to your cart, view a product page, or visit certain categories, cookies track that information and store it for future visits. This allows websites to remember what you were interested in – even if you leave and come back later. 

3) Machine Learning and AI

B2C websites use machine learning algorithms to analyze your behavior and make predictions based on the items you select. If you frequently browse a certain category, AI can recommend additional products that align with your preferences. Over time, these algorithms refine their predictions, learning more about your preferences and the products that you’re most likely to buy.

4) Behavioral Tracking Tools

Websites use tools like Google Analytics, Hotjar, or Mixpanel to track how you engage with specific items. This includes how long you view a product, if you add it to your cart, or if you abandon it. 

The data collected helps businesses identify popular products and optimize their website layout. In turn, improving the overall shopping experience by showcasing items that attract more clicks or conversions.

Techniques that Use Tracked Data to Make Recommendations

Once your behavior is tracked, websites use various techniques to analyze the data and make personalized recommendations based on your selections:

1) Recommendation Engines

These systems analyze your tracked data (such as products you’ve viewed or added to your cart) to suggest other products you might like. For instance, if you browse a pair of shoes, a recommendation engine might show you matching accessories or other footwear based on your browsing history.

2) Collaborative Filtering

Collaborative filtering works by using the behavior of similar users to make recommendations. So if you and another shopper both viewed and purchased the same items, collaborative filtering would suggest products bought by others who have similar preferences to yours. This method relies on comparing your actions with those of other users to offer personalized recommendations.

3) Content-Based Filtering

Content-based filtering analyzes the specific attributes of the products you select (e.g., category, brand, price) and recommends similar items based on those attributes. For example, if you frequently browse for red dresses, the site might suggest other dresses in red or similar styles based on the content of the items you’ve shown interest in.

Conclusion

B2C tracking has come a long way from simple session cookies. Today, advanced tracking techniques enable businesses to create highly personalized, engaging shopping experiences that keep customers coming back. If you’re a B2C business owner, now’s the time to consider how you can leverage these tracking technologies to improve your website’s performance and user experience.