What is dynamic content?
Dynamic content (also known as personalized content) is website content that changes based on the individual user viewing it.
Usually, this content is personalized based on the needs, preferences, and behavior of the user. For example, a website might display different content to users based on their location, with one message for customers in the US and others for international customers.
Deciding whether (and where) to use dynamic content will depend on the specific needs and goals of the website.
Dynamic content vs Static content
Static content is content that remains the same for all users, and doesn’t change or adapt based on the individual like dynamic content does. It’s best used for delivering basic information that doesn’t need to be personalized, like an “About Us” page on a website.
Static content is typically created using basic HTML and CSS.
How is dynamic content created?
Dynamic content can be created using a variety of tools and technologies, such as JavaScript or PHP. For example, a website might use JavaScript to display different images to users based on their location or preferences. Similarly, a website might use PHP and a database to create a personalized homepage for each user.
Creating your own dynamic content from scratch is difficult and expensive. Luckily, there are other options that allow you to create dynamic content without needing to write a single line of code. OptiMonk is one great example of easy-to-use personalization technology.
OptiMonk helps ecommerce sites collect first- and third-party customer data to get the information they need to tailor content for their visitors. Whether it’s tracking user behavior (like exit-intent) or gathering zero-party data (like user preferences), OptiMonk helps online stores gather data and display the appropriate content to each user.
Overall, the process of creating dynamic content involves a combination of tools and technologies, as well as careful planning and design to ensure that the content is personalized and relevant to the user.
Dynamic content best practices
Here are some best practices for using dynamic content on your website.
Improve the user experience
You shouldn’t use dynamic content just for the sake of it. Rather, you should always be trying to improve the customer experience on your site.
Dynamic content personalization is very useful for delivering relevant content to your visitors based on their previous interactions with your website.
Personalize calls-to-action to improve your conversion rates
Dynamic content can also help improve conversion rates on your website. When you display relevant content (and calls-to-action), your visitors will be more interested in taking action!
Test your dynamic content
Like any other aspect of your website, it’s important to test your dynamic content to ensure it’s effective.
Use analytics tools to track the success of your dynamic content and run A/B testing to help you compare the performance of different versions of your personalized content. This is the best way to identify what works well and what doesn’t.
3 Dynamic content examples
Now, let’s check out a few examples of dynamic content.
1. Asos
Asos is a UK-based ecommerce giant. They sell both their own line of products and items by other designers. In the screenshot below, we can see two examples of dynamic content in action:
First, they have dynamic content on product pages offering a 20% discount for new visitors only.
Second, ASOS has a sizing system on their website that not only remembers your size but also converts it automatically to standard sizes from around the world.
2. Amazon
Amazon is outstanding when it comes to personalization and dynamic content, offering personalized experiences across their entire site.
On their homepage, you can immediately see that they deliver to your country. You’ll also notice recommendations based on your past purchases and browsing history.
Further down, you’ll see recommendations for “Featured items you may like”:
3. Care/of
Care/of is an ecommerce website that sells subscription vitamin and supplement plans.
To set their site apart, they use one of the most powerful tools for gathering relevant information about audience segments: a quiz that helps their customers understand which products are right for them.
The main call to action on the Care/of site is “Take the quiz,” as you can see on the landing page below:
After a site visitor takes the quiz, they get recommendations about the best vitamin regimen for them. Even if an individual doesn’t make a purchase, Care/of has still collected plenty of valuable information that will help them run personalized remarketing campaigns.
