How do you feel about your online searches being used to further target sales to you?

All the big online stores probably do it, but is it alright for them to target your purchase and future purchases at the store as they know what you have been looking at for the last 12 months.

I say fine if it also comes with a further incentive like a discount to make you hit the buy button. A new beta version of an app is going to be trialed shortly at an online store. Be interested to know how well it works. That being you have stalked a particular item in that store or elsewhere online and now when you go to this store it will push that product in your face. I know it's not new, but this algorithm is meant to be more targeted again.

Suppose it's all about making the sales experience better. I don't have to weave through pages of keyboards in the online store. The one I like will be the first that appears when I start searching. Saves time.

UPDATE: Said store had sales go up by $250k in week since beta app upload into their site. Must work. So you're looking at one item then suddenly your now spent another $800 on something else either associated with that original purchase or from your previous search on the internet.

Comments

  • +1

    Until some company pays to have their item appear first…

  • +1

    Can somebody translate?

    • When you now go to this online store it will pop up the most common product you have been looking at on that site and any other site from previous searches. Targeted advertising I suppose you could call it. So is that helpfull to you.

      • +1

        Like a lot to do with your cookies.

  • As OP says, it isn't new stuff.
    I actually find it annoying if I am targeted with items based on browser history etc., as I have either lost interest in buying it, or have bought it elsewhere (or even from that store).

    I also find targeted / suggested playlists and 'new shows that may interest you' on streaming services, etc., all really annoying. If I just watched or listened to the same / similar things over and over, I would become so bored I'd give up on those services. I like exploring and finding new and different things.

    Same with my shopping. What I thought I would like last week is different to this week.

    • +1

      From my experience with say Prime I found shows I wouldn't have known about pop up, because I flagged a particular genre or watched a particular series you get similar or new recommendations.

      • I don't want to always watch the same genre or a similar series.

    • i got offered discount on penis enlargement pills. its like they know…

  • I don't usually window shop so ranking items the shop thinks I'd be interested in would be more annoying. Most times I get linked to the item from the deals page here, I have an email with a direct link (pricehipster, camelcamelcamel etc) or I search for what I want at the shop.

    I prefer the Woolies rewards way where they send you a personalised discount based on your purchase history.

    • So you already get targeted stuff.

      • With the woolies rewards, yeh.

        I unsubscribe or opt out of shop spam.

  • I've got an interest in seeing ads because I make ads, and I really like the ads Facebook gives you. They are always little photos or videos that you can scroll past. I don't like Google ads and won't even pay attention to them, except for the paid top product search results sometimes. I don't even pay attention to paid top results in regular searches though, my brain doesn't think of them as real search results. Google targeted ads might be fine, but they target me only after I have bought something already. After I buy expensive headphones I don't need six months of ads for headphones from every little corner shop near me that has them, I only have two ears. Facebook targetted ads on the otherhands always seem to relate to stuff I'm still interested in. I never click on the ads, they still aren't actually targeted to my interests, but I find myself screenshotting them for reference in case I want to clone the ad composition.

    • facebook displays an ad on printed shirts of my dob - month/year & age

      • Cor, what are the chances of that happening randomly. Direct to garment printing is great.

  • nah, i just block all of them

  • So far all good:

    • Don't you love eBay, etc. refer same items for cheaper price?

    • I'm part of review community. I've found over the last year or so that I've been given specific things to trial based on my searches.

  • Why do you care?
    They can show me exactly what ive been searching for and if the price isn't good i won't be buying it from whatever store.

  • I love it.

    I have a varied interest and it confuses the crap out of the suggestions.

    Since reading up on "Black Magic Pandiths", I have been seeing a whole lot of weird shit pop up. Stuff I never knew I needed.

    Now waiting for the delivery of my ear wax candles. Description was hazy. Not sure if it is made from ear wax or for my ear wax.

    • Tried the beta upload this afternoon. Fail. Software guys must of knocked off early and very buggy. I was suggested a cheap coffee machine and robotic vacuum cleaner. Odd. Worked better when I went to mobiles and it suggested a case. That doesn't take much data to link.

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