Redefining your customer journey in the post-COVID-19 world
Today’s customer is at the centre of every business process, decision, and transaction. Keeping these individuals engaged has never been more vital in the digital-first, COVID-19 recovery environment.
Your business’ relationship with customers is built over time, nourished by experiences, and grounded in set expectations. Customers develop emotional connections with your brand that are cemented through each repeated encounter.
The customer journey is changing and to better leverage that change, businesses need a better understanding of the journey that’s built around infinite engagement, not a linear process.
Conversations are no longer isolated
Gone are the days where a customer only has one touch point with a brand.. Take banking as an example, prior to the digitisation of brands, the customer journey was singular and took place in a branch. Now, customers can have conversations with their banking representative via email, phone, or social media, can check their balance anywhere in the world, and can compare rates and services at any time. This means the customer journey is longer and there is more opportunity to compare brands or swap loyalties.
The best advice
Make sure your channels are uniform, have similar branding and consistent messaging. This will ensure as the customer progresses down the pathway to purchase, your brand is in a position of credibility and they gain trust they’ll receive a top quality product or service.
Draw out your map
A customer journey map is a visual representation of every experience your customers have with your brand from first point of contact, to purchase and retention. By creating a journey map and analysing the many different pathways , your business can identify where there are opportunities for future sales. By incorporating website analytics or CRM data, and overlaying that onto the map you can highlight points of frustration or points of satisfaction across the business.
The best advice
Make your map as detailed as possible. Make sure you include every point where your customer comes into contact with your business, from packaging and manuals to TV ads and Facebook posts.
Analyse your data
Understanding the non-linear journey of your customers would be like building a bridge, and then never returning to check if it still has a strong foundation. Gap analysis is a process where businesses can identify the difference between what people want and what is available to them. At a macro level that can be a sector wide analysis, or at a micro level it could be a comparison of what people are searching for on your website versus what you offer.
The best advice
Conducting a gap analysis is an efficient way to find the blind-spots you may not see or experience as the business owner. By layering this with your customer journey map and your touch points, you are well on your way to having a comprehensive overview of your customers’ pathway to purchase, giving you greater power to influence this.
Defining the customer journey will bridge the gap between sales, marketing, and operations, creating a more efficient business. Your customer journey is only as strong as the sum of its parts. By mapping and understanding each of these, your business can thrive even in the uncertainty of COVID-19.
Step into the digital world with Melbourne IT
Australia is easing it’s way out of COVID-19 step by step, and your business can too. Whether these are your first steps into the digital world or you’ve already made leaps and bounds; our experts are here to help you navigate the best way forward. We have all the tools you need for a successful online business, including; Website Design, Productivity Apps, SEO, PPC and Social Media Advertising. To speak with our specialists, call 1300 793 248 or submit your details online.