All journeys tend to start with a map. Or at least they did before the invention of [insert your own adjective] sat nav. Answer the questions where are we now and where do we want to get to and then figure out how to get there. Customer Journey Mapping is marketing's answer to this.
Customer Journey Mapping has been about for a little while now but I don't think it's something that many businesses consider. And you don't need to be a large corporation to invest some time in doing it. I believe that even the smallest organisations can benefit from taking some time to understand your customers and potential customers. Marketing always used to start with a plan, but there's huge mileage in adding customer journey mapping to the start of your thinking.
Every single touchpoint you have with your customers and potential customers is critically important, so getting them right is so vital. You may not think that the letter you send confirming a purchase is that important, or the note your colleague in accounts sends to a partner needs to be that good, but we’d argue that’s wrong. All of these things help create a perception of your brand and are key parts in delivering your promise. There’s competition everywhere, and it’s all too easy for customers to just abandon you and go elsewhere.
From awareness, through acquisition, and on to retention, understanding what makes you customers tick and the things that help them pick (and stay with) you and not your competitors just makes utter sense. A good customer journey map will help you visualise what you can do to improve and will naturally help build a meaningful plan of action to do this.
We're massive advocates of this approach and we'd love to tell you why.