Mapping Your Customer Journey
Every Interaction is an Opportunity to Shine
At Beyond Your Brand, we are fortunate to work with organisations of all shapes and sizes. From small charities to enterprise clients. Whether you are seeking donations to help a great cause, or you are looking to close multi-million-pound contracts, one thing is constant; you need to impress your customers.
In previous blogs, we have talked about defining your vision and values. These are particularly important for your staff to know why they are doing what you ask of them, and where you are heading. Perhaps just as importantly, your customers, or your potential customers should also know this too. We live in a world of choice. The digital world we live in has enabled greater reach of potential customers. So, when all things are equal, why should one customer choose you over your competitor when selecting who to donate to, or which product or service to buy?
Consistent messaging is key to success. At every given opportunity, your organisation should consider how you are portraying yourself to your potential and existing customers. Does every interaction convey the important messages? Does every client meeting enhance their understanding of your organisation? Does every phone call meet or exceed your standards?
If you have never carried out this activity before, we would strongly recommend setting aside time and start with a blank piece of paper and imagine a person initiating a search for your business. Map their potential journey right the way through to them being a longstanding client who has the potential to recommend your business to many other people. Some customer journeys may be quick and easy. For example, they saw your Google ad, went to your site and signed up online. Others may be more complex. For example, you may be in a competition-rich market sector where people come back to your site many times before deciding to engage; there may be a long pre-sales period of consulting; there may be many stakeholders involved in making decisions; there may be long implementation periods; you may end up with a customer signing a long-term contract. Whatever the nature of your business, we recommend looking at the most complex journey you could realistically think of. Start with a blank piece of paper, or perhaps a digital whiteboard and map out every potential customer touchpoint. Name them and give them a number.
If you have a happy customer who has been with you a long time, when do you contact them? Even down to your invoices, letterheads, business cards etc; is your messaging consistent?
Making small changes to the way you interact with your customers can make a huge impact, especially if done over time. Every customer that we have ever worked with in assisting them with mapping their customer journey has said it is one of the most insightful and beneficial activities they have done.
How does this help with growing your business? When you have a better understanding of your customers, how they work, what they want to know, and what content appeals to them to become a customer, you can exploit this information and target new prospects. For example, attracting not just more website visitors, but attracting more visitors that meet your ideal customer profile, and getting better at converting them will boost your profits.
If you would like to talk to us about how we can assist you in mapping your customer journey, then we would love to hear from you. If you already have a good idea of your customers, then why not ask us to show you how we can help you attract more prospects to you through Google Ads, Social Media and a long-term SEO strategy.
