Map the customer journey

63% to increase marketing automation budget in 2020

A recent study found that 63% of businesses surveyed intended to increase their marketing automation budget in 2020. The primary reasons for investing in marketing automation are (1) to eliminate repetitive tasks and improve productivity; and (2) to improve the quality of marketing analytics central to effective decision-making. To address either, it is critical to understand the customer journey and the decision-making process consumers move through. This will provide insight into opportunities for influencing the process and the data that can come from it.

Understanding and addressing the ‘customer journey’ and ‘decision-making process’ can begin with the ‘mapping’ of the journey. This involves visualising the end-to-end customer experience and identifying all the places and touchpoints where customers come into contact with your brand, both online or offline. It requires looking through the customer’s lens to visualise their journey from their perspective with a view to truly understanding it.

Mapping the customer journey can be achieved in stages as follows:

·        Identifying the primary target audience

·        Understanding the objectives of the target audience

·        Understanding the requirements of the target audience

·        Identifying each of the touchpoints along the journey

·        Prioritising the touchpoints in terms of the potential impact

Ideally, this process will begin with market research designed to amass hard data in relation to each of these points. In the absence of market research, the journey might be mapped using data gathered from the customer service and sales staff together with that arising from observation.

Understanding the customer journey delivers a number of benefits, including a better understanding of the:

·        Time involved

·        Information required

·        Staff required

·        Points of influence

·        Data available

Few things are more helpful in maximising the lifetime value of an enquiry than understanding the customer journey and where decision-making can be influenced. The potential for improving the cost-efficiency of marketing by relying less on advertising and more on the science of gentle nudges and support is also substantial. It certainly helps to make marketing more data-driven and scientific.

RECOMMENDATION – Understand the customer journey and decision-making process as well as you possibly can. Identify where and how to best influence the customer along that journey.