A customer journey can end up anywhere – including with a competitor – when you didn’t map the customer journey as well as it could have been done. So how to do customer journey mapping is what Jenn Mancusi explains on this episode of “Marketing, Demystified.”
Topics covered include:
- The definition: Customer journey mapping
- Why customer journey mapping matters
- How to create a customer journey map
- Using the customer journey map
Imagine a company that’s spent months developing a new product, poured resources into a marketing campaign, and is sure customers will love it. But when they launched, people didn’t love it. What went wrong?
Guessing vs. knowing
The answer often lies in a gap between what businesses think customers want and what they actually need. This is where customer journey mapping comes in.
“We see this a lot with digital advertising,” said Jenn. “Companies spend a lot of money on ads, and arelooking for people to book demos, but oftentimes, they are reaching people for the first time.”
The result? Wasted budget and frustrated potential customers. Why? Because companies are asking for a commitment before customers even know who they are.
This misalignment happens when businesses don’t understand their customers’ journeys. They might push for a sale when a customer is just starting to research a problem. Or they might offer basic information to someone ready to make a purchase decision.
Customer journey mapping helps solve this problem. It’s a powerful tool that shows how customers interact with a brand at every stage. From their first awareness of a problem to becoming a loyal customer, journey mapping gives a clear picture of what customers need, when they need it.
“It’s the proceess of how customers and prospects interact with your brand, your product, your marketing, your messaging, your website,” says Jenn. “It gets this information into a format that can be used across the business with different teams.”
Understanding the customer journey allows businesses to:
- Create marketing that resonates at each stage
- Develop products that truly meet customer needs
- Provide support that addresses real pain points
- Align the entire organization around the customer experience
The definition: Customer journey mapping
Customer journey mapping is a way to visually show how customers interact with a brand. It covers everything from their first contact to becoming a loyal customer.
“It creates alignment around what the people you care about are actually doing and where they’re getting hung up,” Jenn explains.
This tool isn’t just for marketers. It’s valuable for everyone in an organization who impacts the customer experience. From product developers to customer support teams, journey maps provide a shared understanding of the customer’s perspective.
But there’s no one-size-fits-all journey map. Different types of customers may need separate maps, because they have unique experiences.
Why customer journey mapping matters
Customer journey mapping offers many benefits for businesses. It helps teams work together better, and everyone gets the same view of the customer’s experience. For marketers, it guides content creation and helps them choose the best channels for different messages.
Journey mapping helps spot where customers might have trouble or leave. This allows for fixing these issues early. Most importantly, it keeps the focus on customers’ goals, not business metrics. This customer-first approach leads to better experiences. It also creates stronger connections with the audience.
How to create a customer journey map
Creating a customer journey map might seem hard. But it can be broken down into simpler steps. Here’s how to get started:
Pick one customer type
Start with one type of customer or audience segment.
“Don’t overcomplicate your process by trying to map a lot of different journeys at once,” said Jenn. “Do them one at a time.”
If the ideal customer isn’t clear, some research might be needed first.
Read next: How to expand business into new markets
Write down what’s known
Begin by writing down everything already known about the chosen customer’s journey. This could come from research done. It might also include things noticed or what the team knows. Don’t worry about making it look good yet. A simple spreadsheet works fine for this step.
Fill in the gaps
Once everything known is written down, some gaps will probably be visible. Now’s the time to do more research to fill those gaps. This could involve sending out surveys, talking to customers, or looking at data from the website or product.
Organize the journey map
Now it’s time to put the information into a clear structure. Here’s what to include:
Stages
Define the big steps in the customer’s journey. For a buyer, this might be awareness, consideration, and decision.
Key moments
For each stage, pick 2-3 important moments customers typically experience.
Customer success measures
For each key moment, decide how to measure if the customer is successful. Jenn emphasizes that these should focus on the customer’s goals, not business goals.
Customer actions, thoughts, and feelings
Write down what customers are doing, thinking, and feeling at each stage and key moment. This will help you understand their motivations and concerns.
Business activities
Finally, add in what the business does at each stage. This might include sending emails or running ads.
Make it visual
Turn the organized information into something easy to look at and share. This could be a flowchart. It might be a graphic. Or it could even be an interactive tool. Choose what works best for the team.
Read next: B2B Buying Process Secrets: How decisions are actually made
Using the customer journey map
Once created, a journey map can be used to improve many parts of the business. Here’s how:
Match marketing to the journey
Use the map to make sure marketing fits each stage of the customer’s journey.
“One of the biggest marketing mistakes I see people make is putting bottom of funnel conversion points and calls to action in top of funnel channels and strategies,” said Jenn.
Instead, tailor messages to match what customers need at each stage. For example, when people are first learning about a company, focus on showing them the problem is understood. Later, when comparing options, share case studies or more detailed information.
Improve marketing strategies
The journey map can help pick the best marketing strategies for each stage. Awareness-focused ads might work for new prospects. But for people who are close to making a decision, product demos could be more effective.
Get teams working together
Use the customer journey map to help all teams work towards the same goals.
“Having that customer journey map as a tool for aligning teams really helps to align success metrics as well, especially if you’re a marketer,” said Jenn.
By clearly defining what success looks like at each stage, everyone can work together effectively.
Find and fix problems
Look at the journey map to spot where customers might be struggling or leaving. You’ll learn where to improve the product, identify areas to boost customer support, or discover topics that need helpful content.
Make experiences personal
Use the journey map’s insights to create more personalized customer experiences. This could mean sending different email content based on where someone is in their journey. It might also involve adjusting the website to match different customer needs.
Read next: Send it: Email marketing automation strategy to increase engagement
Guide product development
Share the customer journey map with the product team. Understanding customer needs at each stage can help guide what features to build or improve next.
Start simple.
“Having something is better than nothing when it comes to customer journey mapping,” said Jenn.
Start with a basic map and improve it over time. Refer to and update the journey map regularly to keep it useful.
Wrapping up
Businesses can create journey maps that help teams work better together and drive more revenue – from the right people. These maps will guide marketing and grow the business.
“I’m a big believer that if we work towards helping our customers meet their goals, then our business goals will be met as a result of that,” said Jenn.