Customization vs Personalization – What is the difference?

The difference is subtle but important. Our software does both, yet we’ve noticed many of the people we talk to will use the terms interchangeably.

The TL:DR version

In a nutshell, customization is the ability for someone to choose from a set of pre-determined selections. Personalization refers to an ability to create something unique that goes beyond a finite set of combinations. For example, putting your name on a product vs choosing between two colours on the side of a shoe.

Customization Defined

The Cambridge Dictionary defines customization as “The action of making or changing something according to the buyer’s or user’s needs”. But in a practical business context, this is a broad statement. Let’s look at the definition of Personalization to compare.

Personalization Defined

They define personalization as, “The process of making something suitable for the needs of a particular person.” So the distinction between the two here is really a modification of the product that may suit the needs of more than one person vs just one individual.

Product Customization was difficult until now

Every customer wants a product customized exactly to their needs but it’s technically difficult for any store owner to offer product personalization or customization on a website. This was always a complex, costly nightmare for website owners to offer. It’s far easier to sell standardized products off the shelf.

But we’ve fixed these problems with the new Spiff 3D Product Customizer app.

Find out how Spiff technology can assist your needs

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Josh Shampo

Josh Shampo is a developer on this site and should assign all posts to a new user.