We’ve created six questions to ask yourself when building your digital customer journey.
The digital customer journey is a model that describes the stages customers go through when they buy a service or product. It is a tool that creates an overview of where and how you (and your company) best help your customers.
The goal is to optimise your sales, marketing, and customer service activities so that they support each other and become a natural part of the customer journey. In this way, you take control of the experience customers get from you and your company. And you can do activities that specifically bring in more and/or more loyal customers.
There are many suggestions for what the digital customer journey looks like. Some are more or less detailed than others. A widely used and recognized model of the digital customer journey consists of 6 stages.
In theory, it is great if customers follow the digital customer journey as described in the order below:
- Awareness
- Interest
- Desire
- Purchase
- Loyalty
- Advocacy
In reality, customers are not so easy to retain in a model. They often jump in and out of the model. But the digital customer journey model helps you focus and streamline your activities.
So how do you build an effective digital customer journey?
Here are 6 questions – one for each stage of the digital customer journey – that you can ask yourself when building your small business website and digital customer journey. We’ve also included a few examples of digital activities that help your customers on their journey.
AWARENESS
What challenges do potential customers have that you can solve?
Start by assuming that your customers haven’t realised that they’re facing the challenge you’re solving for them. Customers don’t know you, they don’t know the challenge and they don’t know your solution.
The customer may have experienced some signs of a challenge. But they have not yet acknowledged that they have a need, that they are facing a challenge that you or your product can solve.
In the first stage of the customer journey, it doesn’t help to tell how great your product or service is. It doesn’t matter to a customer who hasn’t discovered that they have a need.
Therefore, find out what challenges your customers have that you can help solve. And help them understand the challenge and need.
Example 1:
You sell dishwashers. Your potential customer washes dishes by hand every day, but doesn’t see it as a challenge. That’s just how everyday life is. You have to convince the customer that washing dishes is a challenge. You can do this, for example, with a Facebook ad that says: “Danes waste 185 hours a year washing dishes – use your time more wisely!”
Example 2:
Your customer has spotted a sign that dishwashing is a challenge, but has not yet identified that they have a need. Therefore, they search in the search engine: “How long do you spend washing dishes?” Now you need to be ready with a keyword ad or an SEO page that explains that it doesn’t take long when you have a dishwasher.
INTEREST
What options do potential customers have to solve the challenge?
Now your customer has discovered the challenge. They know they have a need, and they are looking for a solution.
But what is the solution? It is not a matter of course that potential customers think of you, your service or your product.
At this stage of the customer journey, the customer examines the challenge and what solutions are available on the market. So they are on the lookout, and have realised that they have a need.
You need to find out which solutions your customers are looking for on the market. And how they research the market. You need to convince them that it’s a solution like yours that they should choose.
Example 1:
The customer has realised that it takes too long to wash the dishes. They search for “quick dishes” in the search engine. Here, of course, you are ready with a keyword ad; “The dishwasher is the fastest dish in the West”, or you have an SEO text under the heading; “How to wash dishes quickly”.
Example 2:
Some customers are looking for a different solution to the challenge because it makes sense to them. They may be searching for an “electric wash brush” or an “assist with the dishes.” Here you have a keyword ad that explains that the dishwasher is a better choice than their intended solution.
DESIRE
Why should potential customers choose the solution you offer?
Your customer is convinced – a solution like yours is the right one.
But is it you, your service or your product that the customer should choose? Can the customer choose another one that offers the same solution?
The customer has reached the stage in the customer journey where they compare solutions. Your job is to explain why you, your services or your product are the best choice.
What makes you unique?
Example 1:
Your dishwashers have been voted best in test. It’s a good selling point, so it’s important that you get it told. Especially for those customers who are looking for a dishwasher. Maybe they’ve already visited your online store. If they have, you can target a Facebook ad directly to your previous visitors to the online store (retargeting). Then you can remind them why they should choose your dishwasher: “Remember: my dishwasher is best in test”.
Example 2:
You can offer the cheapest price on the market. And when customers compare prices, it’s important to be present where they do it. Here, Google’s shopping ads are a godsend – especially if you can offer the cheapest price. Here, it is very visible which dealer is the cheapest.
PURCHASE
How do you best help customers buy your solution?
It should be easy!
In the digital customer journey, it is alpha omega that it is easy to buy your solution. What is important for your customers when it comes to shopping?
First of all: make it clear how they buy. Should they call? Writing an email? Or can they handle the entire purchase on the online store? Create clear prompts that show customers the way. If it becomes too difficult, the customer is quickly moved on to the next one.
Example 1:
The customer has decided to buy your dishwasher. The person is on the online store. Have put the dishwasher in the basket. Have filled in all the information. Now it is time to pay. But the credit card is at the other end of the house, and the customer doesn’t want to get up from the couch right now. The purchase is postponed, and perhaps the sale is lost. Make sure to make payment as easy as possible: offer to pay with Mobicred, or offer to remember credit card information from the last purchase.
Example 2:
You sell industrial dishwashers and the sale requires close contact with the customer. It cannot be done with a online store. It’s about getting customers on the phone. Make it easy and create a pop-up that encourages the customer to call. Or give them the option of you calling them if they enter the phone number.
LOYALTY
How do you make sure that customers are happy with your solution?
You have sold your solution to the customer. How can you ensure that the customer is happy?
Happy customers are often loyal customers. It pays to help them. Make sure that the whole experience with you and your company is good.
Help them by educating them to make the best use of your solution. Offer good advice or additional solutions that provide more or better options.
Example 1:
You have sold a dishwasher that has many different washing programs. It can be confusing for the customer which program is best when. Make a video that introduces the customer to the possibilities and send the video in an email that follows up on the purchase. A customer who is not happy with the dishwasher will not come back and buy again. The happy customers do.
Example 2:
In addition, customers who have already purchased from you are more likely to do so again. And you also sell dishwashing powder. Create Facebook ads targeted to customers who have bought a dishwasher (retargeting). And offer them a good deal on dishwashing powder.
ADVOCACY
How do you make it easy for customers to share their experience?
If you’ve done a good job in the previous stage of the digital customer journey, you can get loyal customers to spread the word about the good experience.
If you’re lucky, many of your customers will do it all by themselves. But you can push a little so that you get more out of your happy customers.
Directly encourages customers to share their opinion.
Example 1:
Many consumers use services such as Hellopeter or Google reviews. Therefore, send an email to your customers after the purchase and encourage them to share their experience. If necessary, offer something in return for their review.
Example 2:
You can also reward customers who directly recruit a new customer to your business. Offer 10% on their next purchase if they send a new customer in your direction who ends up buying. Let your customers know about the opportunity with Facebook ads that only target customers in your store.
Are you about to start building your digital customer journey?
Carefully processing each stage of your digital customer journey increases your chances of staying in control of the experience customers have with you and your business.
In addition, a complete overview of your digital customer journey can help you assess which activities have the greatest potential for your business.
In this blog post, we’ll use simple examples to illustrate the points behind each question. In reality, you need to consider the potential of the individual activities and prioritize in relation to resources. By creating an overview of the activities and where in the digital customer journey they operate, it becomes easier to assess the potential of the individual. And it will be easier to ensure that the individual activities support each other.
At Big Web Media, we develop digital platforms in the form of websites and online stores, and we build strategic marketing campaigns that are based on the digital customer journey.
