What’s a customer journey map?

Every organisation wants to make sure that their customers have a great experience at every interaction with their product or service. But have you ever thought more deeply about your customers’ journey with your business?

Are they having experiences that build trust or are you losing them? It can be hard to find the points in your user’s journey where interest is lost. But, with a customer journey map, you’re more equipped to find these weak spots and do something about them.

A customer journey map visually represents your customer’s entire interaction with your business, for example, from first hearing about you to finally making a purchase. It can help you understand your customers’ perceptions and inform steps to improve your relationship with them. Journey maps don’t just highlight the path your customer might travel, but also their thoughts and feelings at different touchpoints.

Why do I need a customer journey map?

By understanding how customers interact with your business, you can see their feelings and thoughts at each point of interaction. You can also see what particularly attracts or deters people from your business. This empowers you to make informed decisions that consider your customers’ goals and perspectives.

Looking at points of negative emotions can reveal opportunities for improvement, or changes that need to occur. If customer expectations aren’t aligning with business objectives, you may be missing out on countless opportunities. Also, if you’re not aware of any gaps or negative feelings in your customer’s journey, you might never know why they’re dissatisfied with your business. A customer journey map highlights the existence of dissatisfaction, allowing you to take action.

How do I make a customer journey map?

In order to create an image of your customers’ journey, you need to do some research. Tools like website analytics can show you how users are interacting with your webpages and where gaps might exist in their experience. Surveys will point out how users feel and illuminate their thoughts. You can also interview customers or look at mentions on social media to build upon your understanding of attitudes towards your business.

Each map should consist of the following:

• A persona with a set of needs such as goals and expectations
• A timeline of the journey
• The emotions felt at different stages
• The actions of the customer
• The channels the customer uses to interact with the business

Lastly, all research should be as objective as possible so that your results are accurate and provide an honest insight into the customer experience. If results are skewed, any actions informed by them may not be relevant.

Unsure whether visitors are experiencing your website the way you’d like? Give us a call at JTB Studios. Allow us to map out your customer’s journey and help you make strategic decisions with your customers in mind.