Insights
Personalization at the Heart of Experience-Driven Commerce
Actionable Insights from BigSummit
- Article
- 3 MIN READ
- May 2, 2025
-
Sarah HackettSenior Vice President, Growth
Summary
Earlier last month at BigCommerce’s BigSummit, Apply Digital Director of Commerce, Adam Wilson and some of our key clients had the privilege of participating in a panel focused on a topic that sits at the core of modern digital strategy: Experience-Driven Commerce.
Moderated by Al Williams (VP & GM for B2C, BigCommerce), and joined by Steve Borg (Technology and Transformation Director, White Stuff), Will Lockie (Global Digital Director, Noble Panacea), and Ben Greener (Senior Technology Manager, Andertons Music), the panel explored how their brands are using technology to turn data into better experiences — and how they determine what ‘better experiences’ mean for their customers. In this article, I highlight two of the biggest insights from the panel and how businesses can turn them into action to deliver better experiences and ultimately, long-term loyalty.
1. Turn insight into impact: What data-driven UX really looks like
While each brand shared a similar goal, the way they achieved it points to a larger truth around truly exceptional user experience — there’s no one-size-fits-all solution. It’s about understanding your unique customer base and meeting them where they are. In short, it’s personalization on a macro level.
Done right, great user experience begins with empathy — and scales with insight. For any strategy to succeed, businesses must go beyond surface-level metrics and invest in tools like heatmaps, interviews, behavioral analytics, and A/B testing to understand pain points and opportunities across the entire user journey.
The results of doing so speak for themselves. During the discussion, Steve Borg from White Stuff shared that their improved performance came not from a visual overhaul, but from seeking to better understand their customers and actioning on data that showed where users were dropping off. He highlighted that it was this commitment to addressing the issues with quick load times, rich content, and a seamless checkout process that helped them achieve a 40% boost in conversion rates. That’s the power of precise, personal, data-driven user experience improvements.
Of course, a particularly important finding from our recent survey on personalization to keep in mind when implementing shows that 61% of consumers are willing to share personal information in exchange for a better experience — but only if they feel they have control over that data. That balance between delivering a valuable user experience and maintaining trust in how that information is used must inform every decision we make.
How to boost the ROI of your UX strategy
Great UX is more than a feature — it’s a mindset. It means shifting from aesthetics-first design to intent-first experiences. One key point emphasized during the discussion was that data isn’t valuable unless it leads to action. With that in mind, some of the key steps to creating a compelling data-driven user experience include:
Map the end-to-end customer journey — not just touchpoints — by pairing behavioral analytics with qualitative feedback to identify friction points and opportunities
Make A/B testing an ongoing part of your approach — not a one-off exercise tied to major launches
Give users real-time control over their settings and explain how it enhances their experience
Don’t let insights sit siloed within UX or marketing, and maintain a culture of curiosity and iteration across your entire organization
2. Find the right fit: Why a flexible tech stack is key
As with any digital strategy, success hinges on having the right infrastructure, yet in our recent survey, 43% of businesses cite outdated tech as their biggest blocker. This is where composable infrastructure becomes a game-changer.
Ben Greener from Andertons highlighted how it was the flexibility of tech like BigCommerce and Constructor that enabled them to quickly and easily embed their YouTube videos directly on relevant product pages for a big boost to conversions. He also emphasized how this flexible tech stack allowed them to simultaneously improve site speed and allow for faster deployment of new product pages, while also tailoring the online journey for first-time versus seasoned musicians.
One thing the panel all agreed on was that a flexible tech stack enables brands to respond quickly to customer needs, add or test new features without a full rebuild, and support complex personalization strategies. The panel also focused on the importance of embracing “crawl, walk, run” strategies — starting with the foundational elements and scaling into more advanced capabilities over time.
What to consider when moving to composable
When considering a move to composable tech, I always advise leaders to start with the customer. What do they expect? Where is your current stack falling short? Then work backwards from that ideal experience. Some key steps to follow in order to achieve this include:
Identify which classic personalization tactics you’re currently using that could be enhanced with AI or other tech, and invest accordingly
Review data protection infrastructure and security practices to ensure consumer protection and trust
Ensure financial, customer, and commerce data are not siloed and are available for personalization initiatives
Develop KPIs to measure the effectiveness of personalization enhancements to ensure investments are delivering value for money
The future is getting increasingly personal
The common thread throughout the discussion was that exceptional customer experience is a critical factor for businesses looking to lead in today’s environment, and I want to follow that up by saying that personalization is the key to delivering it. Personalization is the connective tissue between UX, technology, and brand loyalty. It’s gone from a ‘nice-to-have’ feature to a core element of the digital experience, and in a market where expectations evolve faster than ever, brands that listen to their users — and act with agility — will lead.
At Apply Digital, we’re also building the future of personalized experiences with AI-driven platforms like TasteMaker, developed in partnership with Kraft Heinz. Recently featured during Google Cloud CEO Thomas Kurian’s keynote at Google Cloud Next 2025, TasteMaker exemplifies how AI can drive meaningful personalization at scale — reducing time-to-market, lowering costs, and empowering internal teams with content that resonates.
If your business is looking to reduce friction, deepen relationships, and future-proof your commerce experience, bringing that personal touch to your UX is no longer optional. To explore what’s ahead, I encourage you to download our latest report: 2025 Leadership Priorities in Personalization: AI, Data, and the Future of Customer Experience. Inside, you’ll find insights to help you prioritize your next moves in this rapidly evolving space. Or, if you’re looking for a more custom approach to your personalization strategy, click here to schedule a conversation with one of our experts today.
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