There was a time when customization was all the rage. It wasn't enough to just get your message out, you had to try to tap into what made the user tick and figure out what they'd do next based on what they just did. It turned out that too much personalization was a little creepy. After all, not all of us are that calculated as to know what our next move is, never mind the next book we'll read or song we'll download. Leave us alone, the user cried.But with the advent of the Semantic Web upon us, we are promised great fortune and fame, or at least the prospect of knowing that when I say "I'm fine", it really means that I want you to ask me more about my day. And the Semantic Web will ask, because it's determined to be everything the current Web isn't. Vignette understands that the pull of Web 3.0 is getting stronger. So they are taking another stab at personalization and have announced three new product releases, aimed at delivering more personal and engaging Web experiences to an organization's key audiences. The three releases each provide the ability for orgs to connect with users on a more "emotional level and understand the intent of an individual site visit". Consider it the kindler, gentler, more intuitive content management system. The Semantic Web it's not, but it will fill our void in the meantime.
Vignette Recommendations
By allowing organizations to deliver more targeted Web experiences to customers, the hope is that profitability will increase. Using content recommendations, product recommendations and social search tailored to a visitor's intent rather than their past history is the key focus of VR.Central to this approach is Vignette Recommendations ability to "identify and leverage the virtual communities of like-minded visitors on any given site". By dynamically recognizing a visitor's true intent, VR hopes to guide them to the right content, product or search result.
Web analytics Integration
Powered by integration with Omniture SiteCatalyst, it works to help organizations maximize the value of their online properties. In addition to SiteCatalyst’s comprehensive site reports, Vignette’s analytics integration helps customers identify and promote high value content and ads on media sites, optimize the mix and freshness of social sites, or refine a portal or knowledge repository to deliver what they hope will be "the best possible online experiences for their users".
Vignette Rich Media Services
An enhanced version of its Rich Media Services product module, it strives to significantly reduce the time it takes an organization to "ingest, manage, manipulate and publish media assets, enriching the end-user Web experience without the cost or complexity of a digital asset management system". Enhanced metadata capturing, right-to-left language support and an optional desktop client that allows users to quickly and easily manipulate images and the associated metadata are among the features on the new version. Already being used by many organizations, most cite the need to connect personally and intimately with their users as their rationale for selecting Vignette. All this technology just goes to show how vulnerable and insecure we are. We are so desperate to know what our users will do next, that we'll go to great lengths to expose their behaviors, when in theory, we should know our product well enough to deliver it with confidence. So let's take this next dose of personalization in moderation. Vignette Recommendations and the Web analytics integration are now available. The enhanced release of Vignette Rich Media Services will be available during the first half of 2008. For more information on the Vignette Web Experience Platform, visit http://www.vignette.com/vwep.
About the Author
Marisa Peacock has more than seven years experience as amarketing consultant and social media strategist. With a strong background, experience and interest in social media, emerging web technologies, web design and multimedia, Marisa has defined and developed web, social media and multimedia marketing strategies for non-profits, small businesses and independent schools. Connect with Marisa Peacock:
