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Customer journey: valuable insights into behavior, experience and brand interaction at every touchpoint
About customer journey
A good customer journey provides insight into all the steps a customer goes through: from first touch to long-term relationship. By mapping the customer journey, you can identify pain points and bottlenecks that customers experience during their interaction with your brand.
Supporting customers during the customer journey is key here, so that they are optimally supported at every moment. It is important to formulate a clear goal in customer journey development so that you can work in a targeted way to improve customer satisfaction and conversion rates. Mapping the customer journey is a continuous process in which you constantly visualize and analyze the different phases and contact moments. In this article, we explain how to structure and optimize bringing the customer journey for a better customer experience. Customer journey development is indispensable for brands that want to grow customer-centric.
What is a customer journey?
The customer journey is the set of steps, contact moments and interactions between your brand and a (potential) customer. It is essential to identify all contact points where a customer interacts with your brand, both online and offline. Customers interact with your organization through various channels, such as social media, email or physical stores. This can be about a purchase journey of a product or service, for example buying a subscription or booking a hotel room, but also about onboarding, service or repeat visits.
Every moment counts. Recognizing potential customers in the different phases of the customer journey is crucial to be able to respond to their needs in a targeted way. At OMA, we analyze this journey from both the end user’s and the brand’s point of view: where does the offer connect, and where does it chafe? We translate the insights into concrete improvements in communication, design, touchpoints and propositions. Good service during the customer journey increases customer satisfaction and removes obstacles in service provision. In the consideration phase, for example, we can offer valuable content, such as white papers or success stories, to entice potential customers to share their contact details and build trust.
We use methods such as design thinking, service design and customer journey mapping. These are closely linked to processes such as brand positioning, UX design, content strategy and brand activation. The customer journey often serves as a starting point for innovation or as a test for brand and communication choices.
What to expect
- Comprehensive customer journey mapping (B2B or B2C)
- Personas, CPI analysis and audience segmentation
- Touchpoint analysis with friction and opportunity points
- Strategic recommendations by customer journey stage
- Linking to brand strategy, UX and content
- Visualizations and concrete quick wins
- Visual representation of the customer journey for a clear overview of all steps, emotions and contact moments
- Creating a customer journey map to understand all phases and interaction points
- Collect data during the customer journey process through surveys, interviews and data analysis for a detailed customer view
Sample applications
- Optimization of digital channels or funnels, looking at the right touch points at each stage of the customer journey – such as the purchase stage – to create a positive experience.
- Improve onboarding or service processes so that customers have a positive experience from first contact to after purchase and loyalty is encouraged.
- Insight into orientation and purchase behavior, by analyzing which stage the customer is in, for example during the purchase of a product, and which contact moments – such as emails – contribute to a positive experience.
- Basis for new propositions or activation campaigns, where it is important to ensure a positive experience at every stage of the customer journey so that customers are more likely to purchase and remain satisfied.
- Validation of brand positioning in practice, by testing whether the brand promise actually leads to a positive experience at each stage the customer is in.
- Input to UX trajectories, wireframes and prototyping, focusing on the different stages of the customer journey and the importance of positive experiences at every touch point, such as emails or service calls.
Our working method
- Target group & data – We start with research, interviews and behavioral data. Analyzing different customer journeys is essential here to understand the needs and expectations of the target group.
- Journey mapping – We clearly map the customer journey. Customer journey mapping is an important step in understanding and optimizing the entire customer journey. It is important to map the customer journey well so that we can develop effective sales strategies and strengthen the connection between online and offline channels.
- Analysis & insights – We identify frictions, gaps and opportunities. By analyzing customer journeys, we can optimize our sales strategies and increase prospect and customer engagement. The article-laying process helps us present the steps and insights in a structured way.
- Consulting & optimization – We link the journey to brand, UX and content. The customer journey should be regularly evaluated and adjusted, as it is an ongoing process that can be continuously improved for optimal customer experience and competitive advantage.
- Activation – From visual translation to creative application
While going through these steps, skills, methods and principles of design thinking are indispensable, and working in a multidisciplinary project team is crucial for success. Involve students actively in the process and apply design thinking in teaching to enrich the learning process. By developing a new way of thinking and recognizing what didn’t work initially, designers and design teams can create better and better solutions.
Why is a customer journey important?
The customer journey shows how people experience your brand rather than how you mean it. That difference is often greater than imagined. By critically examining each touchpoint and aligning it with the needs of your target audience, you improve user experience, brand perception and conversion. Mapping what customers experience during their journey, for example through customer research and analyzing emotions at each interaction moment, provides valuable insights to optimize the customer experience. Interaction between customer and brand on different channels is essential here, as these moments determine the overall experience. A good customer journey directly contributes to higher customer satisfaction. Whether it is a healthcare platform, e-commerce flow or B2B service: the customer journey is the key to more relevant, consistent and successful brand behavior.
Buyer Persona: the foundation of the customer journey
A buyer persona is the starting point for an effective customer journey. This is a detailed, fictional profile of your ideal potential customer, based on data and real-world insights. By creating a buyer persona, you gain a deep understanding of the needs, expectations and emotions a customer experiences during the different stages of the customer journey. Consider demographics, buying behaviors, motivations and challenges. Collecting and visualizing this information creates a clear picture of the customer journey. This makes it possible to optimize the customer experience and better align marketing efforts with the needs of different customer groups. A well-developed buyer persona helps you create relevant and personalized interactions at each stage of the customer journey, allowing you to respond to what really moves the customer.
Stages of the customer journey: from orientation to loyalty
The customer journey consists of several phases, which make up the entire buying process and relationship with the customer. During the orientation phase, the customer becomes aware of a particular problem or need and begins to actively search for possible solutions. During the consideration phase, the customer compares different products or services and weighs the options. In the purchase phase, the customer actually makes a decision and purchases the chosen product or service. This is followed by the service and use phase, in which the customer is supported in its use and any questions or problems are quickly resolved. Finally, there is the loyalty phase: here the customer grows into a loyal customer who not only makes repeat purchases, but also acts as an ambassador and generates word of mouth. By properly understanding and optimizing these phases, you can respond to the customer’s needs at each stage and thus build long-term customer relationships.
Consistency in brand expressions throughout the customer journey
Consistency in brand communications is crucial to a positive customer experience. Customers expect the same look, message and service at every point of contact – whether through email, social media, the website or in person. By providing a consistent brand experience, you build trust and strengthen your relationship with the customer. This requires a clear vision and mission that is understood and conveyed by all employees. Make sure that all communications, from advertisements to customer service, align with the brand values and that the customer always knows what to expect. This is how you optimize every point of contact and ensure a smooth, recognizable customer journey.
Implementation of the customer journey in the organization
Successfully implementing the customer journey within the organization is an important step toward an optimal customer experience. This means that not only marketing, but also sales, service and other departments are involved in mapping and improving the customer journey. Working together from a shared vision and mission creates a unified focus on customer needs. Regular evaluation and optimization of the customer journey ensure that improvements can be implemented quickly. Training employees in understanding and communicating the customer journey is essential here. In this way, the customer journey becomes an integral part of the organization and the customer experience is continuously improved.
Customer journey evaluation: measuring, learning and optimizing
Regularly evaluating the customer journey is essential to continue optimizing the customer experience. Collect customer feedback, analyze customer data and identify where improvements are needed. Using these insights, you can make targeted improvements at different stages of the customer journey. Involve employees in analyzing the results and clearly communicate the actions taken. In this way, you create a learning organization that continuously works to improve the customer experience. Measuring and optimizing the customer journey is an important step in continuing to meet changing customer expectations and strengthening long-term customer relationships.
