5 Steps to Mapping Your Customer’s Journey in 2021

Thanks to COVID lockdowns people today are more accustomed to shopping for products and services online. According to a recent PwC Global survey, 86% are likely to continue to shop online when social distancing measures are removed. The question now is once they’ve found your company, how do you keep them engaged? We’ve put together some steps for you to map your customer’s journey and increase customer loyalty.

Step 1: Highlight Key Stages

Awareness, Consideration, Purchase, Retention, and Advocacy are common customer phases in the buyer’s journey. By pinpointing the triggers at each stage that influence their action, a company can better understand how to move customers along the buyer decision cycle. It is a best practice to survey some of your most loyal customers. Ask them what motivated them to purchase from you instead of another company.

Step 2: Know Your Customers’ Motives

Now that you understand the motivating factors for your customers, evaluate your business development communications. Are you answering all their questions and concerns? Avoid gaps in resources by providing content that is relevant and helpful to your customer at each step of their decision-making.

Step 3: Identify All Digital Touchpoints

Digital interaction with your company can vary depending on the customer demographic and what you are selling. Websites, advertisements, and social media are the most common digital touchpoints. For B2B services and products, consider webinars, downloadable sales tools, and video as well. Each is useful in its own way and it’s important to identify the correct messages that speak to your customer.

Step 4: Develop Your Messages

They’ve found your company, now it’s time to engage and deliver a seamless experience across all platforms. To be successful your messaging must speak to their needs and be delivered at the right place and time to keep them moving through the buying cycle.

Step 5: Foster Long Term Relationships

After the sale is over, it’s your time to shine and build customer loyalty. Other companies may bow out after the final act, but it’s important to continue communicating with customers. Miss out on this opportunity to foster relationships and you can lose customers to competitors. Consider implementing a customer loyalty program or developing a newsletter with ongoing promotions, or a referral program.

Now that you’ve mapped out the specifics on how customers interact with your brand, take a step back and look at the bigger picture. Mapping out your customers’ journey gives you insights into opportunities and weaknesses, which you can address to optimize your marketing.

By Kayla, Account Executive/ Communications Specialist | December 21, 2020