You’re probably familiar with the concept of a customer journey map. But you may not know that it’s a powerful tool for helping you grow your business. In this article, we’ll teach you how to create a customer journey map that will help you understand what your customers want, how they interact with your brand, and where they get stuck in the process.
Gather data from your customers
Gathering customer data is the most important thing you can do when creating your customer journey map. This can be done through interviews, surveys, usability tests, and more. You want to use this information to create a profile of your ideal customer—the person who will buy from you and come back again. You can then use the customer journey map process to help you visualize how potential customers interact with your brand or product before making a purchase decision so they you improve your digital strategy accordingly.
Define the users and channels you want to focus on
Now that you’ve identified your main user groups, it’s time to pick one or two. The goal here is not to serve every single customer group—you can’t do that and remain profitable. Instead, focus on one or two groups at a time and build strategies for them.
The next step is to consider the channels where those users are most active. This will vary by industry and by person: some people prefer digital channels like email marketing while others prefer more personal ones like direct mail or phone calls. Also, some industries rely heavily on traditional B2B sales processes while others are more flexible in their approach. When choosing which channels to focus on first, ask yourself what communication methods work best for the majority of the people in each group you want to target.
Define milestones and touch points along the customer journey
A touchpoint is a stage in the customer journey. If you think about your buying habits, you have multiple touchpoints with brands and products before you make a purchase. They include:
- The advertisement that caught your eye
- The packaging of the product that caught your attention
- The salesperson who persuaded you to buy something
Touchpoints are critical because they help you understand what’s happening between customers and yourselves. They are often where you get feedback from customers on brand experience and can help you build better relationships with them through loyalty programs or by sending coupons via SMS or email. For example, if two people walk into a Starbucks together, one person might order their drink at the counter while the other uses self-service kiosks (a different kind of touchpoint). Touchpoints can also be physical—such as when someone walks into a store looking for something specific—but also digital: for example when someone visits an e-commerce site to research products online before making an actual purchase in-store or online later on.
What are the friction points in your customer journey maps?
The important thing to remember is that these feelings and reactions are different for everyone, but they all result in the same thing: customers becoming less likely to buy from you. If a customer is frustrated with your product or service, they may start looking elsewhere. If they find another company that meets their needs better than yours does at a better price, it’s game over—for you.
The purpose of this exercise isn’t just to get you thinking about how people feel about your business; it’s also meant as a way for you to gain insight into what friction points exist in their journey and how those points can be addressed so that customers are more likely to stay loyal and continue to buy from your brand.
Use the data to create a map of your customer journey
Now that you have all the data, it’s time to create a map of your customer journey. This can be done by first creating a blank canvas and then setting up your base map with the following things:
- A title for your map
- The names and roles of all the people in your business who will be working on it
- A legend or key that explains what each symbol means
- Any notes you want to make about the culture or history of your company or industry (this information is valuable when talking about how customers interact with companies)
Conclusion
Customer journey mapping is a powerful tool for businesses of all sizes. It’s helped companies like Apple, Amazon, and Google refine their marketing strategies and improve customer satisfaction. Using the above guide, you can learn how to create your customer journey map and use it as a tool for creating growth strategies that will help you reach your goals.
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