Unlocking the Power of Website Personalisation in 2025 (with Umbraco Engage)

Think about the last time you opened Netflix or Spotify. You weren’t faced with a random list of films or songs, you were shown recommendations chosen just for you. It feels effortless, but behind the scenes it’s a carefully crafted experience designed to keep you watching, listening, and coming back for more.

Now compare that to the experience most websites still deliver: the same homepage, the same messaging, the same calls to action, regardless of who you are. For visitors, that lack of relevance is jarring. It’s like walking into a restaurant and being handed yesterday’s menu - irrelevant and disappointing. 

In 2025, audiences expect more. Personalisation is no longer a nice extra; it’s fast becoming the baseline for a successful digital experience.

Why personalisation matters now

The online world is changing rapidly. Your website isn’t just a digital shopfront or brochure, it’s often the first and most important touchpoint your audience will have with you. Whether they’re a prospective customer, member, or donor, they arrive expecting relevance, and want to see information that speaks to their needs, not a generic one-size-fits-all message.

This shift is being fuelled by three big forces.

1. User expectations

User expectations are higher than ever, shaped by global platforms like Amazon and Netflix that have normalised hyper-personalised journeys.

2. Competition for attention

Competition for attention is fierce. If a visitor doesn’t see what they’re looking for quickly, they’ll bounce to another site that serves them better.

3. Data Handling

The way we handle data is changing. With the decline of third-party cookies and the rise of stricter compliance regulations, organisations need to get smarter with their first-party data to deliver personalisation in a secure, trustworthy way.

The reward for getting it right is huge: higher engagement, stronger loyalty, and ultimately more conversions.

Bringing this to life

Personalisation doesn’t have to be complex to make an impact. Imagine you’re a charity running several fundraising campaigns, and a supporter visits your site and spends time reading about your clean water project. When they return, instead of seeing the same generic homepage, they’re presented with updates on that very project, impact stories from the field, and a clear donation prompt. Suddenly, the experience feels tailored, like you remembered them.

Or think of a membership organisation. A long-standing member who regularly attends events in the healthcare space should see relevant new sessions highlighted first, rather than content about a sector they’ve never shown interest in. The principle is the same: relevance breeds connection.

Best practices for website personalisation

Before diving into tools, it’s important to understand the fundamentals of good personalisation - technology can enable it, but the strategy has to come first. Some best practices include:

Start with segmentation, not individuals

You don’t need to personalise to each user one-to-one. Begin with clear audience segments based on behaviours, interests, or goals.

Keep it meaningful

Personalisation should enhance relevance, not distract. If it doesn’t add value for the user, it risks feeling gimmicky.

Respect privacy

Be transparent about data usage and always operate on a foundation of trust. People want tailored experiences, but not at the cost of their security.

Measure and iterate

Test, learn, and refine. Personalisation should be dynamic, not ‘set and forget’.

Balance personalisation with consistency

Core brand messages and values should remain consistent, even when delivery is tailored.

By following these principles, organisations can build personalisation strategies that feel authentic, relevant, and effective. Platforms like Umbraco Engage then make it easier to put these ideas into practice.

How Umbraco Engage helps

For Umbraco users, there’s now a powerful way to make this kind of personalisation simple. Umbraco Engage is a new add-on that puts analytics, personalisation, and optimisation tools directly into your CMS.

With Engage, you can:

• Build richer visitor profiles through first-party analytics
• Deliver personalised content and calls-to-action based on behaviour and intent
• Run A/B tests within Umbraco to optimise messaging and layouts
• Keep control of your data with server-side analytics, ensuring compliance and accuracy

In practice, it means your website can adapt intelligently to each visitor, just like your best salesperson would.

Why this matters for you

The real story here isn’t just about new features. It’s about rethinking what your website does for your organisation. A static site that treats every visitor the same is no longer enough. As longstanding providers of digital strategy services, we can tell you that your digital presence needs to:

• Engage audiences with experiences that feel relevant and personal
• Build trust and loyalty by showing that you “get” their needs
• Drive measurable outcomes, from donations and sign-ups to sales and retention
• Stay future-proof by relying on first-party data instead of third-party cookies

At Reading Room, we’re already helping organisations across sectors bring personalisation strategies to life. Tools like Umbraco Engage make it easier than ever to deliver journeys that feel intuitive and human, without the cost and complexity of heavyweight enterprise platforms.

If you’re ready to turn your website into something more than a brochure, and start creating meaningful digital experiences that convert, we’d love to talk. Our Umbraco web design agency experts are ready to explore what personalisation would mean for your organisation. Find out more about our website design services, as well as our web development consulting services today.