How to build a seamless customer journey to deliver memorable experiences
The customer journey represents all the customer's actions and interactions with your company, at different stages, from consideration to purchase, through to recommendation of the product or service.
It can be an in-store customer journey, a digital customer journey or a combination of the two (research on the internet then purchase in a physical shop).
This is a broader concept than the " purchase path ", as it takes into account the "pre-purchase" and "post-purchase" dimensions and focuses on the customer experience as a whole.
But with the development of the internet and digital uses, the customer journey is richer, but also more complex to follow.
You need to be present online and offline, multiplying the points of contact, transforming the country lane into a motorway network, the traditional customer journey into an omnichannel customer journey.
Why study it and what are the key stages in the customer journey? Find out the answers in this article, co-written with Gabriel Dabi-Schwebel, Chairman and Founder of 1min30.
Why study the customer journey? What's at stake?
By analysing :
- the different phases the customer goes through
- the channels used, online and offline,
- the breaking points and moments of truth (decisive moments),
- their motivations and behaviour;
you will know how to be present in the right place at the right time to offer them what you have to offer and guide them towards their purchasing decision.
Studying the customer journey therefore contributes to the inbound marketing strategy, , which focuses on the consumer and aims to:
- target the right people ;
- attract them to the company
- by offering them high-quality content
- that responds to real-life issues,
- at the right time, depending on the stage in the customer journey;
- offer them a good customer experience;
- build customer loyalty ;
and therefore :
- optimise marketing and communication investments,
- attract and convert more customers,
- Identify growth drivers and the strengths and weaknesses of the brand or product at each stage of the customer journey;
- continuously improve the product offering and the product and/or service catalogue.
A word from the expert
We are witnessing a major transformation in the customer journey, driven by the constant evolution of technologies and consumer expectations. A key trend is the centralisation and strategic use of data. Data is becoming the fuel that powers memorable experiences.
Centralising data in CRM is crucial. It enables customer interactions from a variety of channels to be consolidated, providing a holistic view. It is from this centralisation that the possibility of advanced personalisation is born. Interconnecting all the tools with a CRM at the heart of the ecosystem is the key to collecting data consistently and in real time.
This approach allows us to be ever more precise in our understanding of customers' individual needs. Using this data, we can personalise our marketing actions, anticipate expectations and offer customer experiences that go beyond simple transactions. In this way, the centralisation of data, combined with intelligent interconnection, becomes the foundation for effective marketing actions and smooth, memorable customer journeys.
The 4 stages of the customer journey
1 - Awareness and information gathering
This stage includes :
- identifying the need,
- defining priority criteria,
- finding generic information about a product.
🎯 This is when you need to :
- identify their problem or buying motivation,
- offer them informative content about the product or service they need.
2 - Considering and comparing offers
This is also known as evaluating offers. The prospect goes to the shop to try it out, or does more in-depth research on the internet to compare offers and the competition on different criteria:
- product characteristics
- ancillary services (guarantees, delivery, etc.),
- price,
- customer experience, thanks to reviews or past experience with certain brands).
🎯 This is the time for the brand to highlight all its assets. Don't hesitate to use "drive to store" or "click and collect" techniques to create a bond with your customers and show them your expertise.
95% of people intending to buy do research.
« Le parcours d’achat des Français en 5 étapes clés » — IFOP pour Wincor Nixdorf
Most of the time, this research is done on the internet, before visiting the shop. An effective digital strategy, i.e. good natural referencing and an appropriate SEO strategy, as well as an ergonomic, well-constructed website, are now essential.
3 - Decision-making
This involves :
- the purchase and in-store collection,
- ordering online and receiving the goods.
🎯 Even if the sale is completed, it remains a fully-fledged customer experience that should not be neglected:
- physical welcome
- atmosphere in the shop,
- short checkout times,
- speed of delivery,
- availability in shop,
- customer service, etc.
4 - After-sales
This involves doing everything possible to guarantee customer satisfaction, future purchases and the recommendation of your brand to other potential customers, in particular through :
- handling after-sales requests
- technical support
- personalised promotional offers.
🎯 This is the ideal time to carry out a satisfaction survey, for example, to gather customer feedback, their return on experience throughout the customer journey.
☝️ The customer journey can also be broken down into 10 more specific stages, as suggested by Social Business:
- raising awareness
- research
- selection
- acquisition
- discovery,
- use,
- maintenance,
- loyalty,
- recommendation,
- engagement.
Visualise the customer journey with mapping
What is customer journey mapping?
To visualise the customer journey and summarise all the information collected, one recommended method is customer journey mapping (or customer journey modelling).
Customer journey mapping is the result of answering these questions:
- What path(s) did your customer take to get to you?
- What user experience did this produce?
Customer journey mapping provides a visual representation of all the points of contact your customers have with your company and your product, at the different stages of their customer 'life', across all channels.
As a collaborative approach, it provides a common vision and objectives for all the company's stakeholders.
If you have a wide variety of customer profiles, you can choose to focus on :
- its main typical customer (persona), the one who buys most of its product or service,
- all its customer types: it then needs to create a typical customer journey for each of these profiles.
What data should be used?
Customer mapping is based on data from :
- analysis of the browsing patterns on your website (most frequently visited product pages, for example),
- monitoring of customer relations and marketing campaigns,
- satisfaction questionnaires
- in-store mystery visits,
- statistical studies, etc.
It is possible to focus on :
- certain contact points, those that have the greatest impact or generate the most frustration (after-sales service, for example);
- certain stages of the customer journey, the most sensitive, in particular customer onboarding, i.e. helping new customers to use the product;
- typical, circumstantial paths, such as the "termination path" for a telecommunications company.
A word from the expert
Acquisition Strategy Design is a methodology we have developed to maximise the effectiveness of customer acquisition. It is based on an in-depth understanding of your target audience and the alignment of your marketing, sales and service teams.
The first step is to put yourself in your customer's shoes by asking the right questions. The Acquisition Canvas guides you through this stage, allowing you to detail your customer's buying journey so you understand their path and the steps they need to take to purchase. The second stage consists of formalising the buying journey in detail, with the key stages and actions taken by the customer.
To build the buying journey, we need to focus on 3 levels:
- the stages of customer maturity
- the customer's actions
- and their emotional experience throughout the journey.
Then, using the acquisition matrix, you design and list the acquisition actions carried out by your company in relation to the customer's actions.
Finally, you build your Acquisition Plan by prioritising your investments and aligning your marketing, communication and sales teams on the actions to be taken.
Example of a customer journey and diagram
Mapping like this takes into account :
- points of contact with different company departments (or touchpoints),
- points of sale (website, shop, etc.),
- communication channels (telephone, chatbots, mobile applications, social networks, etc.),
- customer feelings (emotional curve).
[Bonus] Tips and tools for creating a customer journey
Tips for modelling the customer journey
- Use quantifiable, usable data.
- Involve all teams in a cross-functional way to get a 360° view.
- Break down the stages of the customer journey exhaustively to target the actions to be implemented.
- Prioritise your customer relations objectives.
- Draw up relationship scenarios according to the reasons for contact and the different contact points.
- Define satisfaction measurement indicators.
- Use appropriate CRM or marketing software.
Examples of tools for optimising the customer journey
- A Data Management Platform (DMP) such as Mapp Acquire, to collect, reconcile and unify omnichannel customer data for personalised marketing actions, taking into account the customer journey.
- A CRM suite such as Salesforce's, including :
- Salesforce Marketing Cloud, to engage customers at every point of contact by building personalised journeys (using the Journey Builder module) across different channels (email, mobile, advertising, social networks, etc.);
- Salesforce Service Cloud, to provide omnichannel customer support and data centralisation, as well as a better understanding of the customer journey, obstacles encountered and customer satisfaction criteria.
- A multi-channel customer engagement platform such as Twilio Flex, to :
- optimise your customer relations across the various channels
- personalise each stage of the customer journey
- automate certain interactions using a chatbot, for example.
An obstacle course?
You know your product inside out, but how well do you know your customer? Do you know where they come from and where they want to go? Why and how did they get to you? Why and at what point did they abandon their decision to buy?
By analysing, modelling and adapting the customer journey over time and as technology evolves, we can improve the customer experience.
Combine your inbound marketing strategy with intelligent software, and you'll also be able to address each and every one of your customers, thanks to detailed, real-time analysis and functions that allow you to personalise and automate marketing actions.
What methods and tools have you chosen to find out about your customers and build up their loyalty?
Article translated from French