How to Create an Effective Customer Journey Map [Examples ...

The customer journey is the process by which a customer interacts with a company in order to achieve a goal. Today's consumers interact with ... Logo-Full(Color) Skiptocontent English 日本語 Deutsch English Español Português Français ContactSales Login CustomerSupport About AboutUs Careers ContactUs InvestorRelations ManagementTeam Home Software Software TheHubSpotCRMPlatform AllofHubSpot’smarketing,salesCRM,customerservice,CMS,andoperationssoftwareononeplatform. FreeHubSpotCRM Overviewofallproducts MarketingHub Marketingautomationsoftware.Freeandpremiumplans SalesHub SalesCRMsoftware.Freeandpremiumplans ServiceHub Customerservicesoftware.Freeandpremiumplans CMSHub Contentmanagementsystemsoftware.Premiumplans OperationsHub Operationssoftware.Freeandpremiumplans AppMarketplace ConnectyourfavoriteappstoHubSpot.Seeallintegrations Pricing Resources Resources Education Blog Ebooks,Guides&More FreeCourses&Certifications InboundMethodology WhyHubSpot? CaseStudies WhyChooseHubSpot? 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Startfreeorgetademo Service|22minread HowtoCreateanEffectiveCustomerJourneyMap[Examples+Template] WrittenbyAaronAgius @IAmAaronAgius FreeDownload:CustomerJourneyMapTemplateAccessFreeJourneyMapTemplates FreeCustomerJourneyMapTemplates Outlineyourcompany'scustomerjourneyandexperiencewiththese7freecustomerjourneymaptemplates. DownloadFreeTemplates DownloadFreeCustomerJourneyMapTemplates FreeCustomerJourneyMapTemplates Outlineyourcompany'scustomerjourneyandexperiencewiththese7freecustomerjourneymaptemplates. DownloadFreeTemplates DownloadFreeCustomerJourneyMapTemplates Gettingintothemindsofyourcustomerscanbechallenging.Onceyouthinkyou’vegottheireverywantandneedaccountedfor,newtechnology,preferences,andbuyingtrendsemerge. Youmaywonderwhyacustomerspendssolongbrowsingyourselectionandaddingproductstotheircartjusttoclosethetab,orwhyit'stakingyourcustomersseveralstepstogetfrompointAtopointBwhenitshouldonlytakeone. Whatevertheconfusionmaybe,therootcauseisthatyoumostlikelydon'thaveacleargraspofthecustomer’sjourneytopurchasingyourproductorservice. DownloadNow:FreeCustomerJourneyMapTemplates DownloadNow Protip Thebestwaytounderstandthejourneysofyourcustomersisbyaskingthem. Thecustomerjourneyistheprocessbywhichacustomerinteractswithacompanyinordertoachieveagoal.Today'sconsumersinteractwithbrandsinwaysthataretrickytopindown.Fromgainingawarenessofabrandviasocialmedia,toreceivinga"thankyouforyourpurchase"emailafterasuccessfultransaction,thereareusuallymanyandvariedstepsinbetween. Thisisn'tsomethingyoucanassumeorpredictbasedonyourinternalperspective.Acustomerjourneyisveryspecifictothephysicalexperiencesyourcustomershave. Thus,thebestwaytounderstandthejourneysofyourcustomersisbyaskingthem. Inthispost,we'llexplaineverythingyouneedtoknowaboutthecustomerjourney,includingwhatitisandhowtomapit.But,ifyou'reinarush,youcanusethelinksbelowtonavigatetotheexactinformationyou'relookingfor. FeaturedResource FreeCustomerJourneyMapTemplate Filloutthisformtoaccessthefreetemplates. FreeCustomerJourneyMapTemplates Outlineyourcompany'scustomerjourneyandexperiencewiththese7freecustomerjourneymaptemplates. DownloadFreeTemplates Learnmore TableofContents CustomerJourney CustomerJourneyMapping HowtoCreateaCustomerJourneyMap TypesofCustomerJourneyMaps CustomerJourneyMapBestPractices BenefitsofCustomerJourneyMapping CustomerJourneyMapExamples FreeCustomerJourneyMapTemplates Thisdownloadincludes7freecustomerjourneymaptemplates: Buyer'sJourneyTemplate CurrentStateTemplate LeadNurturingMappingTemplate ...andmore Learnmore DownloadFreeCustomerJourneyMapTemplates Outlineyourcompany'scustomerjourneyandexperiencewiththese7freecustomerjourneymaptemplates. DownloadFreeTemplates▼ DownloadFreeCustomerJourneyMapTemplates CustomerJourneyMap Acustomerjourneymapisavisualrepresentationoftheprocessacustomerorprospectgoesthroughtoachieveagoalwithyourcompany.Thegoalmaybemakingapurchase,signingupforanewsletter,joiningaloyaltyprogram,oranythinginbetween.Withthehelpofacustomerjourneymap,you’llgetabetterunderstandingofwhatwillmotivateyourcustomerstoachievethesegoals. However,simplyunderstandingthecustomerjourneyisn'tenough.It'sbesttovisualizethiscomplicatedjourneyintoadiagramthatyouandotheremployeescanrefertoasaresource.Thisiswheredesigningacustomerjourneymapcomesintoplay. CustomerJourneyMapping Customerjourneymappingistheprocessofvisualizinghowacustomerinteractswithabusinessbymappingouttheactionstheytaketoachieveagoal.Customerjourneymappingoutlineskeyevents,customermotivations,andareasoffrictionwithintheirexperience.Then,thisinformationiscombinedintoacomprehensivevisualthatdescribesacustomer’stypicalexperiencewithyourbusiness. Byunderstandingthisrelationship,youcanstructureyourtouchpointstocreatethemosteffectiveandefficientprocessforyourcustomers.Acustomerjourneymapvisualizesthecurrentprocesscustomerstake,fromthefirsttofinaltouchpoint,toseeifthey’recurrentlyreachingtheirgoalsand,ifnot,howtheycan. ThecustomerjourneycanrarelyberepresentedinalinearjourneyfrompointAtopointBbecausebuyersoftentakeabackandforth,cyclical,multi-channeljourney.Thismakescustomerjourneymappingdifficulttoaccuratelyvisualize. Forthisreason,savvybusinessleadersuseavarietyofmethodstorepresentthejourney,frompost-itnotesonaboardroomwall,toExcelSpreadsheets,toinfographics.Themostimportantthingisthatthemapmakessensetothosewho'llbeusingit. However,beforeyoucandiveintocreatingyourcustomerjourneymap,youneedtofirstcollectdatafromyourcustomersandprospects.Theprocessofcreatinganeffectivecustomerjourneymapisextensivebutvaluable. FeaturedResource:CustomerJourneyMapTemplate FEATUREDRESOURCE Thisdownloadincludes7freecustomerjourneymaptemplates: Buyer'sJourneyTemplate CurrentStateTemplate LeadNurturingMappingTemplate ...andmore DownloadFreeTemplates Learnmore What'sincludedinacustomerjourneymap? TheBuyingProcess UserActions Emotions PainPoints Solutions Acustomerjourneymapincludessignificantmilestonesinthecustomerjourney.You’llbeginbydraftingthepathyourbusinessintendsforacustomertotakeinordertoreachagoal.Usingthetypicalbuyingprocessstages,you’lllisteachstagehorizontally. Thiselementofthecustomerjourneymapdetailswhatacustomerdoesineachstageofthebuyingprocess.Theymightspeakwithfriendsandfamilyabouttheirneedsandpotentialwaystofulfillthoseneedsintheawarenessstage.Fromthere,theymighttakeademoonyourwebsite,andthenfinally,they’llusecashoradebitcardtomaketheirpurchase.Thiselementexploresthevariouswaysyourcustomersmightachievethegoal. Whetherthegoalisbigorsmall,it’simportanttorememberyourcustomersaresolvingaproblem.Thatmeansthey’reprobablyfeelingsomeemotion—whetherthatisrelief,happiness,excitement,orworry.Ifyourprocessislongorcomplicated,theymightfeelarangeofemotionsateverystage.Addingtheseemotionstothejourneymapcanhelpyoumitigatenegativeemotionsaboutthejourneysothattheydon’tbecomenegativeopinionsaboutyourbrand. Wherethereisanegativeemotion,there’sapainpointthatcausedit.Addingpainpointstoyourcustomerjourneymapcanhelpyouidentifywhichstageyourcustomerisexperiencingnegativeemotionsanddeducethereasonwhy. Asthefinalelementinyourcustomerjourneymap,solutionsarewhereyouandyourteamwillbrainstormpotentialwaystoimproveyourbuyingprocesssothatcustomersencounterfewerpainpointsandhavepositivemoodsastheypatronizeyourbusiness. Whatisatouchpointinacustomerjourneymap? Atouchpointinacustomerjourneymapisaninstancewhereyourcustomercanformanopinionofyourbusiness.Touchpointscanbefoundinplaceswhereyourbusinesscomesindirectcontactwiththepotentialorexistingcustomer.Adisplayad,aninteractionwithanemployee,a404error,andevenaGooglereviewcanbeconsideredacustomertouchpoint. Yourbrandexistsbeyondyourwebsiteandmarketingmaterials,soit’simportantthatthedifferenttypesoftouchpointsareconsideredinyourcustomerjourneymapbecausetheycanhelpuncoveropportunitiesforimprovementinthebuyingjourney. Thisdownloadincludes7freecustomerjourneymaptemplates: Buyer'sJourneyTemplate CurrentStateTemplate LeadNurturingMappingTemplate ...andmore Learnmore DownloadFreeCustomerJourneyMapTemplates Outlineyourcompany'scustomerjourneyandexperiencewiththese7freecustomerjourneymaptemplates. DownloadFreeTemplates▼ DownloadFreeCustomerJourneyMapTemplates HowtoCreateaCustomerJourneyMap Setclearobjectivesforthemap. Profileyourpersonasanddefinetheirgoals. Highlightyourtargetcustomerpersonas. Listoutallthetouchpoints. Identifytheelementsyouwantyourmaptoshow. Determinetheresourcesyouhaveandtheonesyou'llneed. Takethecustomerjourneyyourself. Makenecessarychanges. 1.Setclearobjectivesforthemap. Beforeyoucandiveintocreatingyourmap,youneedtoaskyourselfwhyyouaremakingoneinthefirstplace.Whatgoalsareyoudirectingthismaptowards?Whoisitspecificallyabout?Whatexperienceisitbasedupon? Basedonthis,youmaywanttocreateabuyerpersona.Thisisafictitiouscustomerwithalloftheirdemographicsandpsychographicswhorepresentsyouraveragecustomer.Havingaclearpersonaishelpfulinremindingyoutodirecteveryaspectofyourcustomerjourneymaptowardsthem. 2.Profileyourpersonasanddefinetheirgoals. Next,youshouldconductresearch.Somegreatwaystogetvaluablecustomerfeedbackisthroughquestionnairesandusertesting.Theimportantthingistoonlyreachouttoactualcustomersorprospects. Youwantthefeedbackofpeoplewhoareactuallyinterestedinpurchasingyourproductsandservicesandwhohaveinteractedwithyourcompanybeforeorplantodoso. Protip Youcanusethisbuyerpersonatooltofillinthedetailsyouprocurefromcustomerfeedback. Someexamplesofgoodquestionstoaskare: Howdidyouhearaboutourcompany? Whatfirstattractedyoutoourwebsite? Whatarethegoalsyouwanttoachievewithourcompany?Inotherwords,whatproblemsareyoutryingtosolve? Howlonghaveyou/doyoutypicallyspendonourwebsite? Haveyouevermadeapurchasewithus?Ifso,whatwasyourdecidingfactor? Haveyoueverinteractedwithourwebsitewiththeintentofmakingapurchasebutdecidednotto?Ifso,whatledyoutothisdecision? Onascaleof1to10,howeasyisitforyoutonavigateourwebsite? Didyoueverrequirecustomersupport?Ifso,howhelpfulwasit,onascaleof1to10? Isthereanywaythatwecanfurthersupportyoutomakeyourprocesseasier? Youcanusethisbuyerpersonatooltofillinthedetailsyouprocurefromcustomerfeedback. 3.Highlightyourtargetcustomerpersonas. Onceyou'velearnedaboutthedifferentcustomerpersonasthatinteractwithyourbusiness,you'llneedtonarrowyourfocusononeortwoofthem.Remember,acustomerjourneymaptrackstheexperienceofonecustomerwho'stakingaveryspecificpathwithyourcompany.Ifyougrouptoomanypersonasintoonejourney,yourmapwon'taccuratelyreflectyourcustomers'experience. Ifyou'recreatingyourfirstmap,it'sbesttopickyourmostcommoncustomerpersonaandconsidertheroutetheywouldtypicallytakewhenengagingwithyourbusinessforthefirsttime.Youcanuseamarketingdashboardtocompareeachoneanddeterminewhichwouldbethebestfitforyourjourneymap.Don'tworryabouttheonesyouleaveout,asyoucanalwaysgobackandcreateanewmapthat'sspecifictothesecustomertypes. 4.Listoutallthetouchpoints. Touchpointsarealltheplacesonyourwebsitethatyourcustomerscaninteractwithyou.Basedonyourresearch,youshouldlistoutallthetouchpointsyourcustomersandprospectsarecurrentlyusing,aswellastheonesyoubelievetheyshouldbeusingifthereisnooverlap. Thisisanimportantstepincreatingacustomerjourneymapbecauseitgivesyouinsightintowhatactionsyourcustomersareperforming.Iftheyareusingfewertouchpointsthanexpected,doesthismeantheyarequicklygettingturnedawayandleavingyoursiteearly?Iftheyareusingmorethanexpected,doesthismeanyourwebsiteiscomplicatedanditrequiresthemseveralstepstogettoanendgoal? Whateverthecasemaybe,understandingthetouchpointsisatoolthatcanhelpyouunderstandtheeaseandobjectivesofcustomerjourneys. Thisdoesn'tjustmeanyourwebsite.Youneedtolookatallthewaysinwhichyourcustomermightcomeacrossyouonline.Thesemightinclude: Socialchannels Paidads Emailmarketing Third-partyreviewsitesormentions RunaquickGooglesearchofyourbrandtoseeallthepagesthatmentionyou.VerifythesebycheckinginonyourGoogleAnalyticstoseewhereyourtrafficiscomingfrom. Whittleyourlistdowntothosetouchpointsthatarethemostcommonandwillbemostlikelytoseeanactionassociatedwithit. Protip Itisimportanttorecognizewhencustomersarebeingexpectedtotaketoomanyactionstoachievetheirgoals.Reducingthenumberofstepsacustomerneedstotakecanfeelrisky,butpaysoffinhigherconversionrates. Actions Listoutalloftheactionsyourcustomersperformthroughouttheirinteractionwithyourbrand.ThismightbeaGooglesearchforyourkeywordsorclickingonanemailfromyou.Youmaywindupwithalonglistofactions.That'sfine.You'llgetachancetorationalizeyourinformationlater. It'simportanttorecognizewhencustomersarebeingexpectedtotaketoomanyactionstoachievetheirgoals.Reducingthenumberofstepsacustomerneedstotakecanfeelrisky,butpaysoffinhigherconversionrates. Emotions&Motivations Allmarketingisaresultofcauseandeffect.Likewise,everyactionyourcustomertakesismotivatedbyemotion.Andyourcustomer'semotionswillchangedependingonwhichpartoftheirjourneythey'reat. Theemotionaldriverofeachofyourcustomer'sactionsisusuallycausedbyapainpointoraproblem.Knowingthiswillhelpyoutoprovidetherightcontentattherighttimesothatyousmooththecustomer'semotionaljourneythroughyourbrand. Obstacles&PainPoints Gettoknowwhatroadblocksarestoppingyourcustomerfrommakingtheirdesiredaction.Onecommonobstacleiscost.Forexample,oneofyourcustomerscouldloveyourproductbutabandontheircartupondiscoveringunexpectedlyhighshippingrates. Highlightingthesepotentialobstaclesinyourcustomerjourneycanhelpyoumitigatethem.Forexample,youcouldprovideanFAQpagethatanswerscommonquestionsaboutshippingcosts. 5.Determinetheresourcesyouhaveandtheonesyou'llneed. Yourcustomerjourneymapisgoingtotouchonnearlyeverypartofyourbusiness.Thiswillhighlightalloftheresourcesthatgointocreatingthecustomerexperience.So,it'simportanttotakeinventoryoftheresourcesyouhaveandtheonesyou'llneedtoimprovethecustomer'sjourney. Forexample,maybeyourmaphighlightssomeflawsinyourcustomerserviceofferandyounoticethatyourteamdoesn'thavethetoolstheyneedtoproperlyfollowupwithcustomersafteraserviceinteraction.Usingyourmap,youcanadvisemanagementtoinvestincustomerservicetoolsthatwillhelpyourteammanagecustomerdemand. And,byincludingthesenewtoolsinyourmap,youcanaccuratelypredicthowthey'llimpactyourbusinessanddriveoutsizedvalue.Thismakesitmucheasiertoconvincegatekeepersanddecision-makerstoinvestinyourproposals. 6.Takethecustomerjourneyyourself. Justbecauseyou'vedesignedyourmapdoesn'tmeanyourworkisdone.Thisisthemostimportantpartoftheprocess:analyzingtheresults.Howmanypeopleareclickingtoyourwebsitebutthenclosingoutbeforemakingapurchase?Howcanyoubettersupportcustomers?Thesearesomeofthequestionsyoushouldbeabletoanswerwithyourfinishedmap. Analyzingtheresultscanshowyouwherecustomerneedsaren’tbeingmet.Byapproachingthis,youcanensurethatyouareprovidingavaluableexperienceandmakingitclearthatpeoplecanfindsolutionstotheirproblemswithyourcompany'shelp. Thewholeexerciseofmappingthecustomerjourneyremainshypotheticaluntilyoutryitoutyourself. Foreachofyourpersonas,followthejourneytheytakethroughtheirsocialmediaactivity,throughtoreadingtheiremails,throughtosearchingonline. 7.Makethenecessarychanges. Yourdataanalysisshouldgiveyouasenseofwhatyouwantyourwebsitetobe.Youcanthenmaketheappropriatechangestoyourwebsitetoachievethesegoals.Perhapsthisismakingmoredistinctcall-to-actionlinks.Or,maybe,it'swritinglongerdescriptionsundereachproducttomakeitspurposemoreclear. Nomatterhowbigorsmallthechangesare,theywillbeeffectiveastheyaredirectlycorrelatedwithwhatcustomerslistedastheirpainpoints.Ratherthanblindlymakingchangesinthehopesthattheywillimprovecustomerexperiences,youcanfeelcertainthattheywill.And,withthehelpofyourvisualizedcustomerjourneymap,youcanensurethoseneedsandpainpointsarealwaysaddressed. Yourmapshouldbeaconstantwork-in-progress.Reviewingitonamonthlyorquarterlybasiswillhelpyoutoidentifygapsandopportunitiesforstreamliningyourcustomerjourneyfurther.Useyourdataanalyticsalongwithcustomerfeedbacktocheckforanyroadblocks. Ifinditusefultokeepallstakeholdersinvolvedinthisprocess,whichiswhymymapsareusuallyvisualizedonGoogleSheetssharedamongstthepeopleIworkcloselywith.It'salsobeneficialtohaveregularmeetings(quarterlyoryearly)toanalyzehownewproductsorofferingsmighthavechangedthecustomerjourney. TypesofCustomerJourneyMapsandExamples Therearefourtypesofcustomerjourneymaps,eachhavingtheirownuniquebenefits.Dependingonthespecificpurposeyouhaveforthemap,youcanchoosetheproperone. CurrentState Thesecustomerjourneymapsarethemostwidely-usedtype.Theyvisualizetheactions,thoughts,andemotionsyourcustomerscurrentlyexperiencewhileinteractingwithyourcompany.Theyarebestusedforcontinuallyimprovingthecustomerjourney. ImageSource Didyouknow? Marketdevelopmentistheexpansionofyourtotaladdressablemarket(TAM)andhowmuchmarketshareyoucanexpecttoclaim. DayintheLife Thesecustomerjourneymapsvisualizetheactions,thoughts,andemotionsyourcustomerscurrentlyexperienceinalltheactivitiesinwhichtheypartakeonadailybasis,whetherornotthatincludesyourcompany.Thistypegivesawiderlensintothelivesofyourcustomersandwhattheirpainpointsareinreallife.Theyarebestusedforaddressingunmetcustomerneedsbeforecustomersevenknowtheyexist.Yourcompanymayusethistypeofcustomerjourneymapwhenexploringnewmarketdevelopmentstrategies. ImageSource FutureState Thesecustomerjourneymapsvisualizewhatactions,thoughts,andemotionsyourcustomerswillexperienceinfutureinteractionswithyourcompany.Basedonwhattheircurrentexperienceis,you’llhaveaclearpictureofwhereyourbusinessfitsin.Theyarebestusedforillustratingyourvisionandsettingclear,strategicgoals. ImageSource ServiceBlueprint Thesecustomerjourneymapsbeginwithasimplifiedversionofoneoftheabovemapstyles.Then,theylayeronthefactorsresponsiblefordeliveringthatexperience,includingpeople,policies,technologies,andprocesses.Theyarebestusedforidentifyingtherootcausesofcurrentcustomerjourneysoridentifyingthestepsneededtoattaindesiredfuturecustomerjourneys. ImageSource CustomerJourneyMappingBestPractices Setagoalforthejourneymap. Surveycustomerstounderstandtheirbuyingjourney. Askcustomerservicerepsaboutthequestionstheyreceivemostfrequently. Createacustomerjourneymapforeachbuyerpersona. Reviewandupdateeachjourneymapaftereverymajorproductrelease. Makethecustomerjourneymapaccessibletocross-functionalteams. FreeCustomerJourneyMapTemplates Outlineyourcompany'scustomerjourneyandexperiencewiththese7freecustomerjourneymaptemplates. DownloadFreeTemplates Learnmore 1.Setagoalforthejourneymap. Determinewhetheryou’reaimingtoimprovethebuyingexperienceorlaunchanewproduct.Knowingwhatyouneedthecustomerjourneymaptotellyoucanpreventscopecreeponalargeprojectlikethis. 2.Surveycustomerstounderstandtheirbuyingjourney. Whatyouknowaboutthecustomerexperienceandwhattheyactuallyexperiencecanbetwoverydifferentthings.Askyourcustomersdirectlywhatit’slikedoingbusinesswithyourcompanysoyouhaveamoreaccuratesnapshotofthecustomer’sjourney. 3.Askcustomerservicerepsaboutthequestionstheyreceivemostfrequently. Sometimes,customersaren’tawareoftheirspecificpainpoints—theysimplyfeelwhensomethingisn’tworkingforthem.That’swhereyourcustomerservicerepscomein.Theycanhelpfillinthegapsandtranslatecustomerpainpointsintobusinesstermsthatyouandyourteamcanunderstandandacton. 4.Createacustomerjourneymapforeachbuyerpersona. It’seasytoassumeeachcustomeroperatesthesameway,butthatcouldn'tbefurtherfromthetruth.Demographics,psychographics,andevenhowlongsomeonehasbeenacustomercandeterminethewayapersoninteractswithyourbusinessandmakespurchasingdecisions.Groupoverarchingthemesintobuyerpersonasandcreateacustomerjourneymapforeachone. 5.Reviewandupdateeachjourneymapaftereverymajorproductrelease. Everytimeyourproductorservicechanges,thecustomer’sbuyingprocesschangestoo.Evenaslighttweak,likeaddinganadditionalfieldtoaleadform,canbecomeasignificantroadblockforcustomers.So,it’simportanttoreviewthecustomerjourneymapbeforeandafterimplementingchanges. 6.Makethecustomerjourneymapaccessibletocross-functionalteams. Customerjourneymapsaren’tveryvaluableinasilo.Creatingajourneymapisaconvenientwaytobringcross-functionalteamstogethertoprovidefeedback.Afterward,makeacopyofthemapaccessibletoeachteamsotheyalwayskeepthecustomertopofmind. BenefitsofCustomerJourneyMapping Youmightbetellingyourself,"Thisdoesn'tseemnecessaryformeormycompany.Weunderstandtheneedsandpainpointsofourcustomers,thankyouverymuch."Thismaybetrueatsurfacelevel. However,breakingdownthecustomerjourneyphasebyphase,aligningeachstepwithagoal,andrestructuringyourtouchpointsaccordinglyareessentialstepstowardsmaximizingcustomersuccess.Afterall,everythingyoudoshouldbeaboutsolvingcustomerproblemsandhelpingthemachievelong-termsuccesswithyourproductorservice. FreeCustomerJourneyMapTemplates Outlineyourcompany'scustomerjourneyandexperiencewiththese7freecustomerjourneymaptemplates. DownloadFreeTemplates Learnmore 1.Youcanrefocusyourcompanywithaninboundperspective. Ratherthantryingtodiscoveryourcustomersthroughoutboundmarketing,youcanhaveyourcustomersdiscoveryouwiththehelpofinboundmarketing.Outboundmarketinginvolvestacticsthatarepoorlytargetedatgeneralizedoruninterestedaudiencesandthatseektointerruptcustomersfromtheirdailylives. Outboundmarketingiscostlyandinefficient.Itannoysanddeterscustomersandprospects.Inboundmarketinginvolvescreatinginterestingcontentthatisusefulandthatyourcustomersarealreadysearchingfor.Itgrabstheirattentionfirstandfocusesonthesaleslater. Bymappingoutthecustomerjourney,youcanunderstandwhatisinterestingandhelpfultoyourcustomersaboutyourcompanyandwebsite,andwhatisturningthemaway.Youcancreatethekindofcontentthatwillattractthemtoyourcompanyandkeepthemthere. 2.Youcancreateanewtargetcustomerbase. Ifyoudon'tproperlyunderstandthecustomerjourney,youprobablydon'tcompletelyknowthedemographicsandpsychographicsofyourcustomers.Thisisdangerous;it'sawasteoftimeandmoneytorepeatedlytargettoobroadofanaudiencethanwhowillactuallybeinterestedinyourproducts,services,andcontent. Researchingtheneedsandpainpointsofyourtypicalcustomersandmappingouttheirjourneywillgiveyouagoodpictureofthekindsofpeoplewhoaretryingtoachieveagoalwithyourcompany.Thus,youcanhoneinyourmarketingtothatspecificaudience. 3.Youcanimplementproactivecustomerservice. Acustomerjourneymapislikearoadmaptothecustomer'sexperience.Itshowsyoumomentswherepeoplewillexperiencedelightaswellassituationswheretheymightbefacedwithfriction.Knowingthisaheadoftimeallowsyoutoplanyourcustomerservicestrategyaccordingly,andinterveneatidealtimesthatmaximizeyourbrand'svaluetothebuyer. Proactivecustomerservicealsomakesyourbrandappearmorereliabletoyourcustomerbase.Forexample,ifit'saroundtheholidaysandyou'reanticipatingacustomerservicesurge,youcansendamessagetoyourcustomerslettingthemknowaboutyourteam'sadjustedholidayhours. Youcanalsoletthemknowaboutadditionalsupportoptionsifyourteamisunavailableandwhattodoifthere'sanurgentproblemthatneedsimmediateattention. Thisway,customerswon'tfeelsurprisedifthey'rewaitingonholdalittlelongerthanusualorcallyououtsideyournewworkinghours.They'llevenhavealternativeoptionstochoosefrom—likeachatbotorknowledgebase—iftheyneedtofindafastersolution. Didyouknow? 33%ofcustomerswillconsiderswitchingbrandsafterjustonepoorexperience. 4.Youcanimproveyourcustomerretentionrate. Whenyouhaveacompleteviewofthecustomerjourney,it'seasiertopickoutareaswhereyoucanstandtoimproveit.Whenyoudo,customersexperiencefewerpainpointswhichleadstofewerpeopleleavingyourbrandforcompetitors.Afterall,33%ofcustomerswillconsiderswitchingbrandsafterjustonepoorexperience. Customerjourneymappingcanpointoutindividualswhoareonthepathtochurn.Ifyoulogthecommonbehaviorsandactionsthatthesecustomershave,youcanstarttospotthembeforetheyleaveyourbusiness.Whileyoumightnotsavethemall,it'sworththetrysinceattaininganewcustomeris5-25timesmoreexpensivethanretaininganexistingone. 5.Youcancreateacustomer-focusedmentalitythroughoutthecompany. Asyourcompanygetslarger,itcanbehardtocoordinateallthedepartmentstobeascustomer-focusedasyourcustomerservice,support,andsuccessteams.Theycanoftenhavesalesandmarketinggoalsthataren'tbasedonwhatrealcustomerswant. Aclearcustomerjourneymapcanbesharedwithyourentireorganization.Thegreatthingaboutthesemapsisthattheymapouteverysinglestepofthecustomerjourneyfrominitialattractiontopost-purchasesupport.And,yes,thisconcernsmarketing,sales,andservice. Basedonthisrationale,youcan'tdenytheimportanceofacustomerjourneymap.Thus,we'vecreatedthefollowingstepsforcraftingthebestmaptohelpyourcompanyandcustomersprosper. CustomerJourneyMappingExamples 1.HubSpot'sCustomerJourneyMapTemplates Didyouknow? Thesetemplatesaddresspersonas,timelines,touchpoints,andotherelementsofagreatcustomerjourneymaps. Downloadafree,editablecustomerjourneymaptemplate. Downloadafree,editablecustomerjourneymaptemplate. HubSpot'sfreeCustomerJourneyMapTemplatesprovideanoutlineforcompaniestounderstandtheircustomers'experiences.Downloadthemtodaytostartworkingonyourcustomerjourneymap. 2.B2BCustomerJourneyMapExample ImageSource ThiscustomerjourneymapclearlyoutlinesthefivestepsDapperAppsbelievesacustomergoesthroughwheninteractingwiththem.Asyoucansee,itgoesbeyondtheactualpurchasingphasebyincorporatinginitialresearchandpost-purchaseneeds. Thismapiseffectivebecauseithelpsemployeesgetintothemindofthecustomerbyunderstandingthenormalquestionstheyhaveandtheemotionsthey'refeeling.ThereareincrementalactionstepsthatDapperAppscantakeinresponsetothesequestionsandfeelingsthatwillhelpitsolveallthecurrentproblemscustomersarehaving. 3.EcommerceCustomerJourneyMapExample ImageSource Thisfictitiouscustomerjourneymapisaclearexampleofadayinthelifemap.Ratherthanjustfocusingontheactionsandemotionsinvolvedwiththecustomer'sinteractionwiththecompany,thismapoutlinesalltheactionsandemotionsthecustomerexperiencesonanormalday. Thismapishelpfulbecauseitmeasuresacustomer'sstateofmindoremotionalstatebasedontheleveloffreedomtheygetfromcertainstimuli.Thisishelpfulforacompanythatwantstounderstandwhatitstargetcustomersarestressedaboutandwhatproblemsmayneedsolvingthattheydon'tevenknowexist. 4.FutureB2CCustomerJourneyMapExample ImageSource Thiscustomerjourneymap,designedforCarnegieMellonUniversity,exemplifiestheusefulnessofafuturestatecustomerjourneymap.Itoutlinesthethoughts,feelings,andactionstheuniversitywantsitsstudentstobehavingandthetouchpoints,devices,people,andenvironmentsitwantsstudentstobeinteractingwith. Basedonthesegoals,CMUchosespecificproposedchangesforeachphaseandevenwroteoutexamplescenariosforeachphase.Thisisacleardiagramthatcanvisualizethecompanyvisionandhelpanydepartmentunderstandwheretheywillfitintobuildingabetteruserexperience. 5.RetailCustomerJourneyMapExample ImageSource Thiscustomerjourneymapshowsanin-depthcustomerjourneymapofacustomerinteractingwithafictitiousrestaurant.It'sclearthatthisstyleofmapismorecomprehensivethantheothersasitincludesthefrontofstage(direct)andbackofstage(non-directorinvisible)interactionsacustomerhaswiththecompany,aswellasthesupportprocesses. Thismapismorecomplicated,butitlaysouteveryactioninvolvedinthecustomerexperience,includingthoseofthecustomer,employeesdirectlyserving,andemployeesworkingbehindthescenes.Byanalyzinghoweachofthesefactorsinfluencesthecustomerjourney,acompanycanfindtherootcauseofmishapsandproblem-solvethisforthefuture. FreeCustomerJourneyMapTemplates 1.CurrentStateTemplate Ifyou'reusingthistemplateforaB2Bproduct,thephasesmayreflectthesearch,awareness,considerationofoptions,purchasingdecision,andpost-purchasesupportprocesses.Forinstance,intheDapperAppsexample,itsphaseswereresearch,comparison,workshop,quote,andsign-off. 2.DayintheLifeTemplate Sincethistemplatereflectsallthethoughts,feelings,actions,needs,andpainpointsacustomerhasintheirentiredailyroutine—whetherornotthatincludesyourcompany—you'llwanttomapoutthistemplateinachronologicalstructure.Thisway,youcanhighlightthetimesofdayatwhichyoucanofferthebestsupport. Clickhereforaninteractivedayinthelifetemplate. 3.FutureStateTemplate Similartothecurrentstatetemplate,thesephasesmayalsoreflectthefuturepredictedordesiredsearch,awareness,considerationofoptions,purchasingdecision,andpost-purchasesupportprocesses.Sincethistakesplaceinthefuture,youcantailorthesephasesbasedonwhatyou'dlikethecustomerjourneytolooklike,ratherthanwhatitcurrentlylookslike. Clickhereforaninteractivefuturestatetemplate. 4.ServiceBlueprintTemplate Sincethistemplateismorein-depth,itdoesn'tfollowcertainphasesinthecustomerjourney.Rather,itisbasedonphysicalevidence—thetangiblefactorsthatcancreateimpressionsaboutthequalityandpricesoftheservice—thatoftencomeinsetsofmultiplepeople,places,orobjectsatatime. Forinstance,inthefictitiousrestaurantexampleabove,thephysicalevidenceincludesallofthestaff,tables,decorations,cutlery,menus,food,andanythingelseacustomercomesintocontactwith. Youwouldthenlistouttheappropriatecustomeractionsandemployeeinteractionstocorrespondwitheachphysicalevidence. Forexample,whenthephysicalevidenceisplates,cutlery,napkins,andpans,thecustomergivestheirorder,thefront-of-stageemployee—thewaiter—takestheorder,theback-of-stageemployee—thereceptionist—processestheorder,andthesupportprocesses—thechefs—preparethefood. Clickhereforaninteractiveserviceblueprinttemplate. 5.Buyer'sJourneyTemplate Youcanalsousetheclassicbuyer'sjourney—awareness,consideration,anddecision—todesignyourcustomerjourneymap. Clickhereforaninteractivebuyer'sjourneytemplate. CharterthePathtoCustomerSuccess Onceyoufullyunderstandyourcustomer’sexperiencewithyourbusiness,youcandelightthemateverystageintheirbuyingjourney.Therearemanyfactorsthatcanaffectthisjourneyincludingcustomerpainpoints,emotions,andyourcompany’stouchpointsandprocesses. Acustomerjourneymapisthemosteffectivewaytovisualizethisinformation,whetheryou’reoptimizingyourjourneyforthecustomerorexploringanewbusinessopportunitytoserveacustomer’sunrecognizedneeds.Usethefreetemplatesinthisarticletostartmappingthefutureofcustomersuccessinyourbusiness. Editor'snote:ThispostwasoriginallypublishedinAugust,2018andhasbeenupdatedforcomprehensiveness.   FreeCustomerJourneyMapTemplates Outlineyourcompany'scustomerjourneyandexperiencewiththese7freecustomerjourneymaptemplates. DownloadFreeTemplates OriginallypublishedJun24,202112:00:00PM,updatedOctober052021 Topics: CustomerExperience SupportTicketSystem Don'tforgettosharethispost! RelatedArticles 6WaystoDelightYourCustomersThisHolidaySeason Service  |5minread WhatisCustomerRelations?EverythingYouNeedtoKnow Service  |11minread TheUltimateGuidetoCustomerEngagementin2021 Service  |11minread ExpandOffer CustomerServiceMetricsCalculator Getitnow Getitnow FREEDOWNLOAD FreeCustomerJourneyMapTemplates Outlineyourcompany'scustomerjourneyandexperiencewiththese7freecustomerjourneymaptemplates. LearnMore DownloadforLater