Consumers today are inundated with numerous information and choices when researching and shopping, making it more important than ever for your brand to stand out from the crowd.
During this customer journey, from awareness to post-purchase, consumers experience a myriad of interactions with your brand at every touchpoint. Marketing to consumers at every stage is crucial to ensure you are considering from the beginning through purchase and beyond.
According to a study by the Aberdeen Group, the benefits of having a customer journey management program over not having one are significant:
- 54% greater return on marketing investment
- Over 10 times improvement in the cost of customer service
- 24% more positive social media mentions
What is the Customer Journey?
The customer journey is the path that a potential customer takes from their first interaction with your brand to the point of conversion and beyond. It encompasses various stages, including:
- Awareness: The customer becomes aware of your brand, product, or service.
- Consideration: They evaluate your offerings, comparing them with alternatives.
- Decision: The customer decides to purchase from you.
- Post-Purchase: After buying, their interaction continues through support, follow-ups, and feedback.
An Example of a Customer Journey
A customer journey can vary greatly depending on the industry, type of product or service, and the individual customer’s needs and preferences. However, let’s explore an example of what a customer journey might look like for an athletic shoe brand:
Stage 1: Awareness
- Problem Recognition: The customer realizes they need a new pair of running shoes because their current ones are worn out.
- Initial Research: They start searching online for “best running shoes for beginners” and come across your brand’s post titled “Choosing the Perfect Running Shoes for Beginners.”
- Brand Discovery: While reading the blog post, they become aware of your brand and the range of running shoes you offer.
Stage 2: Consideration
- Exploration: The customer explores your website, looking at different shoes, reading product descriptions, and checking prices.
- Comparison: They compare your products with those of competitors, reading reviews and watching video reviews on YouTube.
- Engagement: They subscribe to your email newsletter to stay updated on special offers and promotions.
Stage 3: Decision
- Decision-Making: After a week of considering their options, the customer decides to make a purchase.
- Cart Abandonment: They add a pair of running shoes to their shopping cart but abandon it without completing the purchase.
Stage 4: Post-Purchase
- Purchase: A few days later, the customer receives an email reminder about their abandoned cart, prompting them to complete the purchase. They buy the running shoes.
- Product Delivery: The shoes are shipped, and the customer receives them within a week.
Stage 5: Loyalty and Advocacy
- Product Enjoyment: The customer enjoys their new running shoes and goes for their first run in them.
- Social Sharing: They post a photo of their run on Instagram, tagging your brand and expressing their satisfaction with the product.
- Repeat Purchase: Several months later, they return to your website to purchase another pair of shoes, having had a positive experience with the first purchase.
- Referral: They recommend your brand to a friend who is also looking for running shoes.
There are numerous touchpoints and interactions a customer might have with your brand. Not all consumers will follow the same path, some may skip or repeat stages.
However, a successful customer journey involves proactive marketing efforts, such as email reminders and personalized recommendations, to guide the customer from awareness to loyalty and advocacy.
4 Benefits of a Customer Journey Map
Customer journey mapping is the first step in implementing a customer marketing journey. It involves creating a visual representation of the entire customer experience. This map can help your team gain insights into customer behavior, pain points, and opportunities for improvement.
1. Enhanced Customer Understanding
By mapping the customer journey, you gain valuable insights into your customers’ needs, preferences, and behaviors. This understanding enables you to create more relevant and personalized marketing strategies.
In fact, 56% of customers stay loyal to a brand that “gets” them.
2. Positive Customer Experience
A well-executed customer journey ensures that every interaction with your brand is seamless and consistent. This consistency builds trust and strengthens your brand identity.
Research shows that 86% of consumers are willing to pay more for a great customer experience. Additionally:
- Customers who have a positive experience are 140% more likely to spend than those who have a poor experience.
- 89% of consumers have switched to a competitor after a poor customer experience.
- Around 77% of customers are willing to recommend a brand to a friend after just one positive experience.
3. Improved Customer Retention
Understanding the post-purchase journey is crucial for retaining customers. By providing excellent post-purchase support and engagement, you can turn first-time buyers into loyal brand advocates.
A staggering 83% of customers say they expect regular communication about their purchases. Additionally, 69% of customers would give repeat business to a retailer if it refunds the amount as soon as the package is returned and 74% of shoppers say they’re more likely to shop again with most brands that provide estimated delivery dates.
4. Optimized Marketing Spend
Customer journey mapping helps you allocate your resources more effectively. Instead of a one-size-fits-all approach, you can target specific stages of the journey where your marketing efforts will have the most significant impact.
Example of Marketing Strategies Along the Customer Journey
In our earlier example of a consumer purchasing running shoes, here is what various touchpoints may look like along the customer journey.
Stage 1: Awareness
- Create articles or videos about the benefits of running and the importance of choosing the right running shoes. Share these on your website and social media channels to educate potential customers.
- Run targeted ads on social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram, showcasing your running shoe collections and their unique features to a broader audience.
Stage 2: Consideration
- Send out personalized emails to subscribers who have shown interest in your running shoes. Include product highlights, customer reviews, and links to relevant blog posts.
- Create side-by-side product comparison guides on your website, helping customers evaluate different running shoe models based on factors like cushioning, arch support, and terrain suitability.
Stage 3: Decision
- Implement an abandoned cart email series to remind customers about the running shoes they left in their cart and offer an incentive, like free shipping or a discount, to complete the purchase.
- Display prominent customer reviews and ratings on the product pages. Encourage satisfied customers to leave reviews after their purchase.
Stage 4: Post-Purchase
- Send a thank-you email with order confirmation and estimated delivery dates. Include a request for feedback and the option to subscribe to your newsletter for future offers.
- A few weeks after purchase, send follow-up emails asking about their running experience with your shoes. Provide tips on shoe care and maintenance.
- Invite customers to join a loyalty program where they earn points with each purchase. Reward them with discounts on future shoe purchases.
Stage 5: Loyalty and Advocacy
- Encourage customers to refer friends to your store with a referral program. Offer discounts to both the referrer and the referred friend when a purchase is made.
- Share photos and stories of customers using your running shoes on your social media accounts or website.
- Offer loyal customers early access to new running shoe releases or limited-edition designs, creating a sense of exclusivity and appreciation.
5 Steps to Implementing a Customer Journey Map
1. Data Collection
Start by collecting data from various touchpoints—website interactions, social media, email campaigns, and customer feedback. This data will be instrumental in understanding your customer’s behavior. Also include other types of data for a more complete customer view, including second, third, and zero-party data. (link to this blog )
2. Create Personas
Develop customer personas to represent different segments of your audience. These personas should reflect the diverse characteristics and needs of your customers.
3. Content Personalization
Tailor your content and messaging to match the specific needs and preferences of each customer persona. Personalization goes a long way in enhancing the customer experience.
4. Multi-Channel Engagement
Engage with your customers across multiple channels, including email, social media, direct mail, and chatbots. Ensure that your messaging remains consistent and relevant at every touchpoint.
5. Measure and Refine
Continuously monitor the performance of your customer journey mapping efforts. Use key metrics like conversion rates, customer satisfaction, and customer retention to evaluate your strategy’s effectiveness. Adjust and refine as needed.
Conclusion
Customer journey mapping is about placing the customer’s experience at the center, recognizing that satisfied and engaged customers are more likely to become loyal advocates for your brand. Mapping, understanding, and optimizing the customer journey can ensure that you can create unforgettable experiences that set you apart in a competitive marketplace.
Customer Journey Mapping Solutions
Need help refining your customer journey? Learn how our team takes the guesswork out of customer journey mapping and sets your campaigns up for success.
