Four Steps to Defining and Mapping the Customer Journey

In the age of the customer, converting visitors and prospective customers into loyal clients is essential for growing and sustaining a business. While a conversion may represent a sale, in actuality, it means that the new customer is engaged with the company’s products, services, and brand. It represents a satisfied client who is likely to return again for repeat business. For this reason, companies do everything in their power to maximize the number of conversions; however, the digital world has changed how conversions are carried out. Now, businesses use data to map out the personalities of potential buyers. They use landing pages and targeting campaigns to tailor each visitor’s experience to their own personal style. How can a business use these tools to tailor a design for your customer in a way that maximizes their chances of converting?

Start with Broad Ads on Cheap Channels

The first step in the customer’s journey is to cast a wide net. Customers won’t visit the company if they don’t know that it exists. Almost everyone uses social media websites such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Snapchat. Better yet, it isn’t expensive for companies to advertise on these sites. Because people list their interests on these social media websites, it is relatively easy for companies to target their advertisements to certain visitors’ stories. If a business sells sports products, it is easy to advertise specifically to sports fans. If a company develops technology products, they can use social media to find people who are interested in these products. Social media promotional pages represent a fantastic way for companies to attract a broad customer base. Using flashy advertisements can draw eyeballs to the page and gain a few extra mouse clicks. While these advertisements are a great way to generate visitors to the website, this doesn’t mean that every visitor to going to become a paying customer. That’s why there are more steps in the customer journey mapping.

Direct Customers Based on their Behavior

It’s not unusual for customers to require some retargeting when it comes to an advertising campaign. People who have received messages regarding cookies may not understand how important cookies are when it comes to the world of advertising. Cookies allow businesses to see who hasn’t yet visited the web page after viewing an advertisement. If they haven’t converted, the ads can be retargeted to these customers to help direct them to the website. Research has demonstrated that customers who are targeted with advertisements are significantly more likely to visit the company’s site and potentially invest in their products. Anyone generating these advertisements should also remember to include an obvious and intuitive button that will quickly direct the visitor to the site.

Optimize the Customer Journey by Tailoring their Experience to their Story

On the other side of the button on that ad should be a landing page that features a user centric design. The page should be flashy and attractive without burying the important information in the visuals. There are many people who will become discouraged if they feel that the purchase process takes an extended period of time. Make sure that if there are forms involved that they’re easy to fill out. As the forms get filled out, ensure that marketing automation is present to further the story telling to the customer. For example, a customer who purchases a computer from a company should be marketed with other products as well. They’re already purchasing a computer so they might also need a mouse, keyboard, monitor, and software. This is a key part of the customer journey and helps to further their story. They have already converted by purchasing a computer and could require other products as well.

Measure the Results

The customer journey doesn’t end in the checkout line. The customer story needs to be analyzed along with many other customer stories. Businesses need to view these advertising campaigns that are used to convert leads as an investment. How effective is the campaign at converting the lead? How often to advertisements attract visitors? How often do visitors become paying customers? These are essential metrics that will help a company adjust the journey of its customers to increase the conversion rate.

Like our blog? Subscribe to our newsletter.

Over 4000 marketers love it. Receive information on best marketing practices, exclusive offers, and ways to boost efficiency, quality, and productivity.