Map the user journey

Map the user journey

1. Create an outline of your customer personas using qualitative survey data and quantitative research.

Focus your research on brand perceptions and your customers’ motivations, actions, and emotions behind shopping with you.

2. Prioritize a channel to analyze your customer experience, based on the available time and budget and where the most customer interaction occurs.

For example, mobile app, website, or in-store.

3. Create a map outline in terms of purchase phases, product timeline, or touchpoints your customer will experience on their journey.

The most common customer journey stages: Customer awareness Evaluation Decision-making period Purchase Renewal/retention. For example, a travel business customer journey may be more detailed and include the steps: Research & planning Shopping Booking Post-booking Pre-travel Travel Post-travel. Alternatively, your touch points might include: Search Evaluate Experiment Purchase Retain.

4. Set client end goals for each phase.

For example, when a customer is in the awareness or product search phase, their end goal might be locate a solution. A retention goal can be, Get ongoing support and customer service when needed.

5. Define the touchpoints through which your customers come into contact with your company at each phase.

The touchpoints in the search phase might be Google, Twitter, or LinkedIn, while the touchpoints for a decision-making period could be account creation, trial registration, or product tour.

6. Share the user experience map within your organization to help make your company more customer-focused and to influence business decisions.

For example, hold a monthly meeting where you can discuss the customer journey, map details, and how the program is progressing.

7. Use the emotions, touchpoints, and goals to analyze what phases your users require more attention or assistance, then focus business improvements there.

For example, an insight might lead to a more appropriate call to action on blog posts, or increase the customer service in the decision-making phase.

8. Update and improve your model for different customer personas, channels, and end goals.

The model design will be different depending on whom you’re following and the product you’re mapping.