How can you measure the effectiveness of your customer journey mapping for small businesses?

To see if your customer journey mapping is working for your small business, you can check if customers are happier, staying with your business, and spending more. You can ask them for feedback and see if they're telling others about you. Look at how long it takes to help customers and whether your business is making more money. If things are getting better in these areas, it's a sign that your customer journey mapping is effective. If not, you might need to make changes.

Clarity is Key: Dive deep into the 'why' before crafting the 'how'. What do you truly wish to achieve with your customer journey map? If it's not connected to your brand's heart, it won't resonate with the customers'. 2. Beyond Numbers: Data isn't just about statistics. It's the voice of your customers whispered in numbers. So, don't just gather it; truly listen and decode the stories they're trying to tell.

Just because small businesses have limited means, doesn't mean they can't get to 80% of the answer, using some relatively simple / easy / free tools. - General awareness: look at 'share of search', (the share of organic branded search mentions relative to your competitors), using Google trends. - Look at social media - see what people are saying about you - often bad points in the customer journey are the things people will highlight. - Set up a 'Feedback' box - digitally or in real life - Whilst different people have views on this, set up an NPS questionnaire using Google forms, or Slido - have the standard question plus a space for freeform. Probably the most underused tool, would simply be to talk to talk to some customers (Qual.)

Filling in the Gaps: Imagine your customer's journey as a story. Where does the narrative break? Fixing those chapters can be the difference between a cliffhanger and a bestseller. 4. Evolve or Fade: Even the best strategies need a refresh. Regularly tweak, test, and optimize your map. If you stand still, you risk becoming a relic in your customer's evolving story.

Bring Everyone on Board: Your team should be your biggest brand ambassadors. If they're aligned and enthused, they'll naturally transmit that excitement to your customers.

Consistency is Gold: While every customer is unique, their experience should uniformly resonate with your brand's promise. This consistency is the backbone of trust

Always be a Student: The market, trends, and even your customers will change. Always wear the student's hat, ready to learn and adapt, keeping your brand relevant and resonant.

Mapping your customer's journey isn't a one-off task; it's a living, evolving roadmap that, when done correctly, can transform a casual browser into a raving brand ambassador.