A customer journey is the route a customer takes with a company from initial contact through to first purchase, active buyer, retention, and beyond. This can include interactions across web, mobile, social media, in-app, and email, as well as customer service, loyalty programs, and more. During a customer’s journey, companies will aim to provide the customer with positive experiences that leave them satisfied, increase their loyalty, and drive repeat purchases.
While every customer’s journey with a company will vary, the typical customer journey consists of five key stages:
At the awareness stage, customers become aware of a product or service and start to learn more about it.
During the consideration stage, customers evaluate their options and decide which one best meets their needs.
The conversion/decision stage is when customers make their final decision on which product or service they will buy.
The retention stage is when customers continue to use the product or service they have purchased, and may even recommend it to others.
Finally, the advocacy stage is when customers actively promote a product or service through word of mouth or social media.
By understanding each of these stages, businesses can create strategies that convert prospects into loyal customers.
A customer journey map provides a visualization of the stages a customer goes through during their relationship with a company.
It provides an understanding into the needs and motivations of customers, allowing companies to identify areas for improvement in order to create better experiences.
Mapping the customer journey helps businesses gain insights into how customers interact with their products or services, and make changes to enhance customer service, satisfaction, and the overall experience.
Here are some tips to help you get started with customer journey mapping:
Who are they? What do they need? What do they value?
Where do customers interact with your business? What channels do they use?
Collect data from surveys, interviews, and channel analytics to understand how customers interact with your business.
Use visuals to represent the customer journey and highlight key moments in their experience.
Test out different scenarios and refine your map based on feedback from customers or other stakeholders.
By following these tips, you can create an effective customer journey map that will help you optimize your customer journey and provide a more cohesive, engaging experience to anyone who interacts with your business.
SAP Emarsys helps leading brands like PUMA, Pizza Hut, and Nike to connect their sales, product and customer data, creating better customer experiences and driving lifetime value.
