Did you think about how your customer gets to your product?
The online customer journey is a journey a customer passes before making a purchase. It is a tool that provides valuable insights into how the buyer persona interacts with a business online. By mapping out the touch points the customer encounters, companies can better understand the steps that lead to a sale and identify areas for improvement.
Online Journeys: Why They’re Critical for Business Success!
The online customer journey is important because it helps businesses understand how customers behave before purchasing. This allows companies to see what steps customers go through and where they might drop off in the process.
Having a clear understanding of the customer journey is a crucial factor for businesses looking to increase their sales and improve the customer experience by addressing weak points in the process.
Traditional buyer persona decision-making process
- Problem Identification – Stimulus
- Information search
- Alternative evaluation
- Decision marking
- Post-purchase behavior
Information search: ZMOT (Zero Moment of Truth)
In the past, people tended to ask the community around them if they had a problem. People discussed what was better and what others did in the same situation to solve similar problems. However, nowadays, the digital era is shifting people’s behaviors toward self-search. Self-search is done through online communities, search engines, blogs, influencers, review websites, and other available methods.
The ZMOT step is when a buyer persona identifies a need and begins a journey to find a solution. This step will end up with a decision and chosen product/solution. The more data (free content) customers can discover about your product, the better.
Interesting fact: have you ever googled the list of 10 best …. something? Most of the time, those lists are made by a brand, and they include themselves as the best options. Next time you read a list of the top 10, look at the URL and be careful to make the right choice afterward.
The FMOT – (First Moment of Truth) Decision marking
The actual purchase can be made online as well as in-store. While some prefer to buy products online, others still prefer the traditional in-store shopping experience. This is especially true for high-end and luxury jewelry products, where customers value the tactile feel and special treatment they receive in physical stores. These retailers maintain high standards, and customers are willing to invest time and make the trip to ensure they receive the entire experience.
SMOT – (Second Moment of Truth) Post-purchase behavior
Marketers and business need to pay more attention to the post-purchase experience, which is crucial. The unboxing experience is one of the most exciting moments for customers.
A great packaging, delivery, return policy, and the smooth transaction can turn a customer into a loyal fan and even a brand advocate. Customers who have had a positive post-purchase experience will often share it with others. Please don’t overlook this step, as it is essential for your success and growth.
Many businesses need help with using digital tools to boost their growth. However, the online customer journey can be simple. Using tools like Google Analytics and other data collection services, businesses can easily map the customer journey and identify where they lose potential customers (red lines show this above).
Once the issue is pinpointed(red lines/weak pages), it can be optimized to improve the overall customer experience. Brands can use technology and data to make smart decisions and succeed in the digital world.
Building an online customer journey can be essential to growing a business online, but it cannot be easy to do it on your own.
Start analyzing your website’s landing and exit pages and implement changes where necessary. Use data-collection tools to determine which keywords bring in the most traffic and then focus on creating more content around those topics.
Another way to enhance your customer journey is by identifying your buyer persona or the ideal customer you want to attract.
Reaching out to a content marketing specialist or consultant is also helpful, as we can help you create a custom customer journey tailored to your specific business goals.
