What is a customer journey and how to map it

To understand how your customers buy and the reasons behind their purchase/booking/similar action, you must understand their journey. What makes them actually do the things they do.

The concept of a customer journey can be explained as a well-charted map leading to the X-marked spot. Which stands for your customers' satisfaction.   
  
This reinforces the idea that sales are not just about selling a product or service; they're about creating an experience that resonates with your customers at every touchpoint.   
  
Understanding (and mapping) the customer journey is simply something you must know how to do.   
  
It allows you, through your business, to see through the eyes of your customers, empathise with their needs, and anticipate their moves.  
 

 

What is a customer journey?  

At its core, a customer journey is the sum of customers' experiences when interacting with your brand.   
  
It encompasses every touchpoint, from when they first hear about your product to their ongoing interactions after purchase.  
  
The customer journey is usually divided into these five principal stages:  

1. Awareness: The Discovery Phase   
   This is the point where potential customers first learn about your brand.   
   It's the initial spark of interest that might come from various sources—social media, word of mouth, advertisements, or search engines.  
2. Consideration: Evaluating Options   
   In this stage, the customer is aware of your product and compares it with others. They gather information, read reviews, and weigh your pros and cons.  
3. Decision: Making the Purchase   
   Here, the customer makes the critical decision - to make a purchase. This stage is pivotal and can be influenced by factors such as pricing, availability, and the ease of the purchasing process.  
4. Retention: Building Loyalty   
   The journey doesn't end after the purchase. Retaining customers through exceptional service, follow-ups, and loyalty programs ensures they keep coming back.  
5. Advocacy: Encouraging Referrals  
   Satisfied customers become advocates of your brand. They share their positive experiences, recommend your product to others, and can be pivotal in bringing in new customers through referrals.

Examples of customer journeys in various industries   

Each industry's customer journey is distinct and shaped by specific needs and interactions.   

• In e-commerce, the journey revolves around digital touchpoints like website navigation and online reviews, culminating in delivery and post-purchase feedback.   
• Healthcare journeys include online symptom searches, booking appointments, and personal interactions with healthcare providers, followed by treatment and follow-ups.   
• The automotive industry involves online research, dealership visits, and ongoing maintenance interactions.   
• Financial services start with product comparison, followed by applications and ongoing account management.  
• Travel and hospitality journeys begin with inspiration and booking, followed by pre-trip communications, experiences during travel, and post-trip reviews.   

 

Mapping the customer journey  

Mapping the customer journey gives you a visual representation of the customer's experience.   
  
If you take the time to map out your customer's journey, the most interesting information will surface.  
  
This information can help identify potential pain points, enhance the customer experience, and align your entire business strategy to meet customers' needs—as it should be.   
  
Ultimately, well-mapped customer's journey leads to better customer loyalty, higher conversion rates, and a stronger brand reputation. I.e., all the things you want your brand to have.  
  
Why do you need to map the customer's journey? 

1. Identify pain points and opportunities   
   By mapping the customer journey, you will be able to tell the exact moments when customers face difficulties or drop off.   
   This information is crucial, as you will need to address these issues and improve the overall experience.  
2. Enhance customer experience   
   A well-crafted journey map helps customise experiences that meet and even exceed customer expectations.   
   It ensures that every touchpoint is optimised for the best possible interaction.  
3. Aligning business strategies with customer needs   
   Customer journey maps align business strategies with customers' actual needs and behaviours.   
   This alignment ensures that every department works towards a common goal—customer satisfaction.  
     

Steps to create a useful customer journey map  

Now that we have explained these things, let's explain how you can create a customer journey map for your business.   

1. Set clear objectives   
   Before creating a journey map, it's essential to define what you aim to achieve. Do you want to improve customer service, enhance product usability, or increase overall customer satisfaction?  
2. Gather a cross-functional team   
   Involve team members from various departments—marketing, sales, customer service, and product development. This ensures a comprehensive and holistic view of the customer's journey.  
3. Conduct customer research and data collection   
   Gather data through surveys, interviews, and direct feedback. This information forms the foundation of an accurate and insightful journey map.  
4. Create your customer/buyer personas  
   Buyer personas represent the different segments of your customer base. They help in understanding the diverse needs and behaviors of your customers.  
   How do you create detailed and accurate personas? Develop personas based on actual data. Include demographic details, motivations, pain points, and buying behaviours.    
5. Key touchpoints and interactions   
   Identify all the points where customers interact with your brand. This could be through social media, customer service calls, in-store visits, or website navigation.  
6. Capturing Customer Feelings   
   If possible, document the emotional state of customers at each stage. Are they excited, frustrated, or satisfied? Understanding these emotions helps in tailoring experiences that resonate.  

• Bonus: Go digital!   
  Utilise digital tools and templates to create detailed and visually appealing journey maps. Tools like Lucidchart, Miro, and Smaply offer excellent and useful features for journey mapping.  
    

Analysing and optimising your customer journey map  

First, you must identify so-called "friction points" and gaps.   
Look for areas where customers experience friction. These could be long wait times, confusing interfaces, or unresponsive customer service.  
  
You must also understand what motivates your customers.   
Take time for a detailed exploration of your customers' emotional journeys.   
What actually motivates them? What causes frustration? If you want to make any improvements, you must know this information.   
  
But, you must also prioritise your improvements. Not all issues can be addressed at once. Find out what will impact the customer experience most - and make them your priority.  
  
Cross-departmental collaboration is essential for seamless execution.   
Ensure that all teams and departments are in tune and collaborating. Effective collaboration leads to seamless implementation. 
  
Continuously monitor your improvements.   
Define key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure success and regularly track these KPIs to ensure you're on the right path.  
  
Gather your customers' feedback and adjust accordingly.  
Customer feedback is invaluable. Use it to refine and improve your journey map continually.  

  

Tools and resources for customer journey mapping   

The market has a big number of tools that offer advanced features for creating detailed customer journey maps. These tools make it easier to visualize complex customer journeys and efficiently identify critical touchpoints and pain points.   

• Adobe XD is excellent for designing user experiences with interactive prototypes. 
• Customer Journey Analytics provides in-depth data analysis and visualisation to track customer interactions.   
• UXPressia is explicitly tailored for journey mapping, offering customisable templates and collaborative features that enable teams to work together seamlessly.   

When selecting a tool for customer journey mapping, ensure it's easy to use and intuitive enough for all team members without extensive training.   
  
Collaboration features are also important, enabling team members to contribute and provide real-time feedback.   
  
Additionally, integration capabilities are also vital, as you will probably need to connect the tool seamlessly with other systems and platforms your business uses, such as CRM software, analytics tools, and marketing automation platforms.   
  
Despite the rise of digital tools, traditional pen-and-paper methods remain highly effective, particularly during brainstorming sessions and the initial stages of journey mapping.   

  

Customer journey mapping leads to customer satisfaction

Understanding and really mapping customer journeys is vital for you if you have a business aiming to foster a customer-centric approach.   
  
Knowing your customers' journey and mapping it is more than just a tool; it's a comprehensive strategic plan necessary for long-term success.   
Your business can greatly improve the entire customer experience by thoroughly identifying each touchpoint.   
  
This proactive approach resolves issues, develops long-term client loyalty and improves brand reputation.  
   
Start mapping your own customer journey today, start slowly and with simple steps.   
Begin by defining your objectives, gathering a diverse team, and conducting thorough customer research.   
  

Need help to refine your strategy or need more information? 
Contact us, and we will do our best to help.