6 behavioral segmentation examples and ideas from leading brands

Every product user or customer who visits your website brings their own unique story—different needs, preferences, and connections to your brand. It’s up to you to design customer journeys that resonate with each one.

These 6 behavioral segmentation examples and ideas will help you sort your way to an optimized digital experience for every one of your users. In this article, you’ll see how direct-to-consumer (D2C), B2B, and SaaS companies are successfully analyzing customer behavior and turning insights into action. Plus, we share practical tips to help you apply these strategies to your own business.

3 examples for consumer brands

For consumer brands like ecommerce stores, subscription boxes, or lifestyle products, understanding behavioral insights is the key to solving user pain points. But it’s about more than just knowing your audience—it’s about uncovering what drives their actions and fixing what’s holding them back.

Whether you’re dealing with cart abandonment or high churn rates, behavioral segmentation shows you why these behaviors are happening and helps you work out how to turn things around to improve their overall customer experience.

1. FIGS: how to fine-tune the user experience

FIGS, a D2C medical apparel retailer, dedicates itself to empowering healthcare professionals by helping them look and feel their best every day. Challenged with ensuring a seamless online shopping experience for their busy customers, FIGS turned to behavioral segmentation. Their goal was to better understand and cater to their customers' needs and optimize their digital experience.

How they’re using behavioral segmentation: to tackle this challenge, FIGS integrated Heap, part of the Contentsquare group, with Shopify. This integration automatically transferred essential customer data—like order ID, customer ID, and order metadata—from Shopify into Heap without manual tagging.

FIGS used this setup to break down customer behavior into different segments, such as how visitors from various marketing channels behaved or which users interacted with specific site features. They also implemented A/B testing, tracking how changes affected metrics and KPIs—like repeat customer purchases and average order value (AOV) over time, not just immediately—and what was influencing their purchase decision.

Why it works: using behavioral segmentation gave FIGS a clear, data-driven understanding of what their users were really doing and how changes on their site impacted their shopping habits. 

For instance, they discovered some design updates or new features might not show immediate results but could improve over time as customers became familiar with them. This insight allowed them to refine their strategies, leading to better conversion rates, a higher AOV, and a more satisfying shopping experience for their users and potential customers.

How to implement FIGS’ behavioral segmentation techniques: use behavioral segmentation to break down your target audience into meaningful groups of customers based on actions like pageviews, interactions, and purchasing history. For example, you can analyze the buying patterns and purchasing behaviors of your high customer lifetime value (CLV) customers and use this segment to understand what drives loyal customers. Then, you can implement similar strategies to nurture users with lower CLV.

Use Contentsquare to dive deeper into these insights by mapping out customer journeys and identifying friction points. The platform’s Journey Analysis capability helps you visualize how customers move through your site, while frustration scores automatically surface the biggest friction points. 

By analyzing these results, you can optimize your site’s design and features for a more engaging and profitable customer experience.

Journey Analysis lets you see how users progress through your site, page by page, from entry to exit

2. On the Beach: how to segment A/B test results

Top online travel agency On the Beach was facing a challenge common to many consumer brands: how to increase conversions on their website. 

With a vast array of hotel options available, they wanted to guide users toward the best choices while also understanding the distinct preferences of different segments. Their challenge was to highlight top hotels effectively to increase bookings while also tailoring their approach to both new and returning visitors.

How they’re using behavioral segmentation: to address this challenge, On the Beach implemented behavioral segmentation using Contentsquare.

They decided to experiment with adding ‘Our Pick’ and ‘Bestseller’ badges to the top 50 hotels on their site. By segmenting their A/B test results into new visitors and returning users, they could closely monitor how each group responded to these badges.

The company tracked user interactions over multiple sessions, analyzing which hotels each segment gravitated toward. They discovered new users were more likely to book hotels marked with the ‘Bestseller’ badge, indicating a preference for social proof. Returning users, who’d developed a level of trust with the brand, were more inclined to choose hotels labeled as ‘Our Pick,’ showing a stronger reliance on the brand’s expertise.

The On the Beach badge test variations

Why it works: by understanding the behavior of new vs. returning users, the company could build a better customer profile and deliver more personalized experiences that resonated with each group. 

Without market segmentation, on the Beach might have concluded that the ‘Bestseller’ badge was universally more effective. Instead, they gained a nuanced understanding that enabled them to optimize their segmentation strategy and gain 200 additional bookings for those hotels within just 2 weeks.

How to implement On the Beach’s behavioral segmentation techniques: use Contentsquare’s user segmentation to categorize customers as new or returning, and see how different segments interact over time. With the Contentsquare and Optimizely integration, these insights feed directly into your A/B tests, giving you a clearer picture of what works for each audience.

Next, test new features or marketing messages and strategies on specific segments. Follow On The Beach’s lead and experiment with badges, then analyze how different groups respond. Optimizely’s web experimentation tool makes it easy to run these tests, while Contentsquare provides the insights you need to refine them.

Finally, tailor your content and recommendations based on what you learn for new customers and returning.

💡Pro tip: checking user behaviors at a single point is good for quick fixes, but following them long-term uncovers deeper insights for lasting change.

Contentsquare’s user segmentation feature is a game-changer for understanding user behavior over time. By tracking how users interact with your site or app across multiple sessions and different touchpoints, you can uncover long-term patterns and trends. 

For instance, you might discover that users who frequently browse but delay purchases have specific needs or preferences. Use these buying behavior insights to tailor your cross-channel strategies, like personalizing email or marketing campaigns or refining your website’s design to cater to these users. 

This helps you create a more engaging and effective user experience, boosting conversions and retention by addressing users’ evolving needs and interests.

Contentsquare’s User Segmentation lets you analyze journeys over time.

3. Sur La Table: how to optimize conversion funnels

Sur La Table, one of the world's largest cookware retailers, wanted to boost their conversion rates and increase purchase values. To do that, they needed to tailor their customer journey to each individual’s behaviors and preferences and optimize the path to conversion.

How they’re using behavioral segmentation: Sur La Table turned to Heap to overcome limitations with their previous analytics tools. Inflexible reporting and the need for developers to track specific behaviors were holding them back from getting the data they needed, when they needed it.

Heap’s automatic data tracking (now a part of Contentsquare) allowed them to quickly segment users and analyze their conversion funnels, based on behaviors like product views, checkout completion, and interactions with promotional content. 

When they discovered that users who viewed more products were more likely to convert and spend more, the Sur La Table team was able to refine their email marketing campaigns, and direct users to category pages rather than individual product pages. This simple change resulted in a +12% increase in product page views and a +6% boost in conversion rates. 

Why it works: by breaking down user actions—like which products they look at or how they interact with different site features—Sur La Table gets clear insights into what makes their audience buy more. Behavioral segmentation also helped them improve how they show related products, which boosted both co-purchases and AOVs.

How to implement Sur La Table’s behavioral segmentation techniques: to optimize your conversion funnel using behavioral segmentation, start by using behavioral analysis tools to understand how different customer segments interact with your site.

Use Contentsquare’s Journey Analysis to visualize and refine the paths users take from landing on your site to completing a purchase. This helps you identify where drop-offs occur and what changes could keep users moving through the funnel.

Contentsquare’s Session Replay capability allows you to reconstruct and watch user interactions, gaining insights into any obstacles or friction points in the conversion process. Combine these insights with A/B testing to experiment with different strategies, such as tweaking product page layouts or adjusting email campaigns, to see what drives the best results.

Session Replay lets you see for yourself how users experience your site or app, or let AI summaries highlight pain points and opportunities 

3 behavioral segmentation ideas to inspire your product team 

For companies selling software platforms and B2B tools, the stakes are high. You need to ensure your product delivers real value at every customer journey stage, from initial acquisition to long-term retention. 

Behavioral segmentation is your key to understanding how different user groups interact with your product and where you can make impactful improvements. By analyzing this data, you pinpoint which features drive adoption, identify friction points that lead to churn, and optimize your product to boost revenue. 

Here’s how 3 SaaS teams are leveraging different types of behavioral segmentation to tackle these challenges head-on and achieve their growth goals.

4. Redfin: how to test and optimize new features

Leading real estate platform Redfin was struggling with efficiently testing and rolling out new features. They needed a way to understand how different user groups—like new agents vs. seasoned veterans—interacted with their tools before launching them widely. 

How they’re using behavioral segmentation: Redfin uses behavioral segmentation to test new features with a targeted subset of users. 

For example, they’ll roll out a new feature to a small group of users in one city, like Atlanta, and monitor its performance. By segmenting their users this way, they see how different types of agents interact with the feature, such as light users vs heavy users. This behavioral personas approach helps them make data-driven decisions on whether to expand the feature to a larger audience.

Why it works: this method allows Redfin to identify and address potential issues early. This is one of the main benefits of behavioral segmentation. For example, in one of their new feature rollouts, they discovered that users who clicked on a new task indicator weren't completing tasks as expected. They adjusted the design to ensure tasks were more visible, which tripled the completion rate. 

Behavioral segmentation provides a clear picture of customer engagement and adoption, helping Redfin refine features and offer agents a seamless digital experience.

How to implement Redfin’s behavioral segmentation techniques: start by segmenting your users based on actions like feature usage or task completion. Your goal is to customize your segmentation criteria and track how different user groups engage with new features. 

Then, analyze session replays and heatmaps to see how these groups interact with your product and identify usability issues or areas that are engaging or problematic. For example, with Contentsquare’s Heatmaps capability, you can visualize common areas of frustration—like rage taps on broken elements—so you can reduce drop-offs and build better experiences. 

This helps you tailor experiences and improve things like onboarding systems, support, product development, and messaging for different types of users.

A zone-based heatmap showing  revenue attribution for each content block

5. TechSmith: how to identify opportunities for improvement

SaaS company TechSmith faced a challenge that’s all too familiar in the tech world: building software that meets user needs without relying on guesswork. 

With a team of under 300 employees, TechSmith needed a way to gather concrete data to guide their product development and user experience (UX) design, so they could make informed decisions that would lead to better products and higher customer satisfaction.

How they’re using behavioral segmentation: TechSmith turned to behavioral segmentation to get a clearer picture of how different users interact with their products. By implementing Contentsquare’s user segmentation feature, they were able to segment users based on their actions and gather valuable insights through features like heatmaps and on-page surveys. For example, they used heatmaps to see exactly where users were clicking on their website, which helped them understand which features were being used and which were being ignored.

This allowed TechSmith to run more targeted experiments, such as when they noticed many visitors were clicking on product icons instead of the call-to-action (CTA) buttons. By making the entire area clickable, they improved the user experience, making it easier for customers to engage with their products. 

Contentsquare’s Surveys capability helped them gather specific feedback from users based on their actions, such as scrolling or clicking on certain elements. This enabled them to ask targeted questions like, “What’s your biggest frustration with this page?” and then use the responses to optimize based on needs, not guesses.

Contentsquare’s surveys give you valuable user feedback

Why it works: behavioral segmentation works for TechSmith because it provides a data-driven approach to understanding user behavior. Instead of making assumptions, the company can see exactly how different segments of users interact with their products. This reduces the risk of developing features that don’t resonate and helps them focus on what truly matters.

For example, after redesigning one of its main product feature pages, TechSmith was concerned that too much content was out of reach. By analyzing click and scroll maps, they found mobile users were actively interacting with all the information, validating the new design. This kind of insight is invaluable for a small team; it allows them to prioritize changes that will have the biggest impact on the user experience.

How to implement TechSmith’s behavioral segmentation techniques: to enhance your product or website, start by using heatmaps to visualize how users interact with it. By integrating this with behavioral segmentation, you can pinpoint which types of users are engaging with specific elements, helping you understand their preferences and pain points more clearly.

Next, combine heatmaps with targeted surveys to collect insights directly from those who matter most—your users. You can build your own with Contentsquare’s AI, Sense, by telling it what your goal is and it will generate a survey for you in minutes, or pick from 40+ survey templates that can be tailored to your audience. An exit-intent survey is great for figuring out why people are leaving your checkout page without completing a purchase, while the Net Promoter® Score (NPS®) survey can be used to measure how customers feel about your overall product.

TechSmith used surveys triggered by user actions to gather feedback about their frustrations or valuable features. By using Contentsquare’s Voice-of–Customer (VoC) tools, you can collect and analyze feedback from different user segments created from heatmap data, providing deeper insights into their experiences and needs.

💡Pro tip: embed a feedback widget to avoid interrupting the customer journey.

A sitewide feedback button is great for collecting lots of user insights, but it can sometimes backfire. Users might start ignoring it after a few pages, or it might clutter the site, especially where other widgets like chatbots or pop-ups are already present.

Contentsquare’s embedded feedback widget solves these issues by letting you place it exactly where feedback matters most—like at the bottom of a help page to see if users found it helpful, or in a blog post or landing page to gauge their reactions.

6. PocketSuite: how to improve engagement after a sign-up or trial period

PocketSuite, a B2B app for self-employed professionals, streamlines business management with features for scheduling, payments, and client communication. But they had a tough time understanding how people were using their app. Their product and engineering teams often found themselves guessing and dealing with incomplete data, which made it hard to improve their product effectively.

How they’re using behavioral segmentation: PocketSuite segmented their users into 2 main groups: seasoned professionals who needed a quick start and newcomers who required more onboarding support. 

The goal was to understand how to tailor their onboarding process and make the app more engaging for everyone. To do that, they needed data about in-product behavior. Thanks to Heap’s smart features like autocapture and virtual events, PocketSuite could analyze these retroactive user actions without having to plan everything out in advance or worry about forgetting to track certain events or user properties. 

Why it works: by focusing on these segments, PocketSuite was able to tweak their app to better meet different needs. For example, the team used in-product data to improve each segment’s onboarding flow and added new features to encourage users to process more payments early on and become what PocketSuite calls a ‘Rising Star.’ As a result, they reduced user churn by 30% and sped up their development process.

How to implement PocketSuite’s behavioral segmentation techniques: to boost your user retention and engagement level like PocketSuite, start by leveraging Contentsquare's Product Analytics tools. 

Dive into behavioral data across your website and app to identify key activities that correlate with long-term user engagement. For instance, if you find users who invite team members to a project management tool are much more likely to stick around, focus on that behavior.

Use Contentsquare’s user segmentation and Session Replay capabilities to track and analyze these activities. For example, you can segment users who haven’t invited team members and examine their interactions with the tool to understand their common pain points.

Implement automated notifications or prompts encouraging users to invite team members before the trial ends. Then, use Contentsquare’s Journey Analysis and Heatmaps to check how they’re responding to the reminders, and refine the user experience based on this data. 

By tailoring your product and marketing strategies to these insights, you improve user retention and ensure your product delivers maximum value to each segment.

Behavioral segmentation examples: the key to creating customer delight 

Behavioral segmentation offers a unique, data-driven lens to truly understand how users interact with your product. Pinpointing your most valuable customers allows you to tailor personalized experiences that resonate with them and prioritize features that’ll keep them coming back. 

Take inspiration from these 6 examples of behavioral segmentation to apply proven techniques to your own business. You'll create an experience they love, and they’ll reward you with engagement and long-term brand loyalty.

FAQs about behavioral segmentation