We’ve all known some version of the quote “life is about the journey, not the destination” that’s often attributed to Ralph Waldo Emerson or Carl Lewis. But in business, it’s about the journey and the destination. Marketers who don’t understand the customer journey will struggle to help customers reach their destination efficiently and easily. Knowing each stage of that journey empowers companies to give their customers what they need when they need it.
Keep reading to learn the most common stages of a customer journey and how to deliver one with best-in-class customer experiences (we’ll be referring to this as “CX” throughout the rest of this article) to reduce customer attrition and generate higher conversion rates.
What makes a good customer journey?
First, let’s clarify the difference between customer experience and customer journeys because they’re not quite the same.
Customer experience refers to a customer’s overall impression or feeling about a brand or company. It includes all the interactions between a customer and the business, from initial awareness to post-purchase support. Product quality, service, pricing, and marketing communications can all influence the customer experience.
The customer journey, on the other hand, is the path a customer takes from their first interaction with a brand to the point of purchase — and beyond. This journey includes different touchpoints or stages a customer encounters. It’s about understanding the customer’s perspective and mapping out steps they take to become and stay a loyal customer.
Exceptional customer journeys include several key elements:
- Consistency across all channels, with customers receiving the same level of service and information regardless of how they interact with the company.
- Customization and tailoring to each customer’s needs and preferences via data analytics and other personalization tools.
- Ease of use so customers can find what they need quickly, easily, and intuitively.
- Relevance to the customer’s interests and requirements.
- Value to the customer, who should feel the time and effort they spent interacting with the company was worthwhile.
Stages of the customer journey
Depending on whom you ask, a customer journey might have 4, 5, or more stages. Let’s look at two models companies use to create customer journey maps.
The four As of the customer journey
This simple framework breaks down the complex customer engagement process into four distinct stages, making it easier to visualize and discuss.
- Awareness: Customers learn about the brand, product, or services.
- Appeal: Customers want to learn more about the brand, product, or services.
- Action: Customers take action, like requesting more information, signing up for a newsletter, or making a purchase.
- Advocacy: Customers become advocates for the brand or product, recommending it to others.
The five-stage customer journey
Leads follow a multi-step process as they transform into loyal customers. The quality of their experiences at each stage influences the likelihood that these customers will remain engaged. Marketing, sales, and customer service teams should be aligned to optimize the steps of this journey.
- Stage one: Awareness
The customer journey begins with awareness, where leads recognize a problem or have a pain point for which they seek specific solutions. While they may lack familiarity with your company or its offerings, by addressing their initial concerns and issues, you can introduce yourself and your solutions while educating potential customers.
Customers in this stage may have begun researching solutions via websites, social media, influencers, and personal recommendations. Consider this stage as the information-gathering part of the journey. - Stage two: Consideration
The customer journey continues, with people evaluating your brand as a potential solution to their issues. They compare your offerings to competitors and alternatives. Instead of using aggressive sales tactics that may turn off customers, focus on positioning solutions as superior alternatives.
During the consideration stage, customers want a deeper understanding of your products and services — and evidence supporting your claims. Leverage product marketing content, blog posts, case studies, customer testimonials and success stories, conference presentations, and social media to showcase your company and help customers separate your products from the rest of a crowded market. - Stage three: Purchase or Decision
Customers reach their journey’s purchase or decision stage when they’re ready to buy. Help them choose your product or service by making the process seamless and intuitive. A website with good UX design, straightforward pricing information, and multiple payment options will encourage customers to complete the transaction. - Stage four: Retention
The customer journey doesn’t stop after the purchase. Once you convert a lead to a customer, focus on retaining them and encouraging repeat business. Acquiring new customers often costs more than retaining existing ones (between 5 and 25 times more); leaning into your retention strategies reduces marketing expenses and increases profits. Building and maintaining positive, engaging relationships between your brand and customers is key here.
Turn your attention to delivering an excellent onboarding experience and ongoing customer service to reduce customer churn. Use solicited data from customer surveys and questionnaires to refine and improve the CX and your customer journey map. Strategies like consistent email outreach, sales, VIP programs, and access to exclusive communities can foster customer loyalty. - Stage five: Advocacy or loyalty
How valuable is cultivating a loyal customer who advocates for your company and its offerings? Priceless. After all, if your products work as advertised (or better), your customers are more likely to recommend your brand to others.
In the advocacy or loyalty stage, satisfied, happy customers promote your products and services to their network and actively encourage others to make purchases. Nurture each converted lead for ongoing post-purchase engagement, using referral bonuses, loyalty programs, or exclusive deals, for example, to incentivize advocacy.
How do you create a realistic customer journey?
Creating a realistic, executable customer journey starts with journey mapping. This strategy lets your marketing and sales teams visualize each potential customer touchpoint with your brand and understand the CX flow. It’s a story in which you become the customer and experience the pain points your customers encounter in their journey, whether on the website, social media channels, or through interactions with your teams.
As customer expectations evolve to expect an omnichannel approach to customer service, marketing, and sales, personalization has become the keystone of CX. The biggest benefit of journey mapping? Gaining a better understanding of your customers. But that’s not all. It also enables you to:
- Optimize your customer onboarding process.
- Benchmark CX goals against actual customer perceptions.
- Get a more granular understanding of the variations in buyer personae as they progress from leads and prospects to conversions through the buying funnel.
- Establish a logical sequence for your company’s buyer journey.
Once you’ve developed your customer journey map, you’ll gain access to a wealth of data to further refine your strategies along each stage, like where to implement email drip campaigns, offer a free trial, or recommend a demonstration. Common metrics your marketing team can track include:
- Customer acquisition costs (CAC)
- Conversion rates
- Churn rates
- Customer satisfaction scores (CSAT)
- Net promoter score (NPS)
Understanding and optimizing the customer journey is essential for businesses aiming to build strong, loyal relationships. Each touchpoint presents an opportunity to meet customer needs, reduce attrition, and improve conversion rates. By guiding customers seamlessly through each stage, marketers create experiences that not only lead to purchase but foster lasting connections that drive growth and business success.
Looking for expert guidance to map out your customer journey? &Marketing’s Fractional CMO services provide the strategic support you need. Fill out the form below to learn how we can help craft a journey that resonates with your audience.
