Required for effective personalization is knowing thy visitor.
You can infer intent by referral campaigns and keywords, on-site searches, site navigation, wishlist activity and cart contents. Or segment customers based on profile information, device type, geolocation, new vs. returning visitor status, or past behavior. You can use the “wisdom of the crowds” to predict what a visitor will want to see or what action they are likely to take.
But asking for information is an underused tactic that can help you target more creatively and effectively.
Here are just a few ways to do so: