What is a Customer Journey?

Definition

The customer journey is the complete story of a customer’s relationship with a company, encompassing every interaction or touchpoint they have, from the initial awareness of the brand to becoming a loyal advocate. Unlike a sales funnel, which is a linear model from the company’s perspective, the customer journey is a more complex, non-linear map viewed from the customer’s perspective.

Examples of Journey Stages & Touchpoints

A customer journey is often mapped across several key stages:

• Awareness: A person sees a targeted ad on Instagram for a product they might need.
• Consideration: They visit the company’s website, read a few blog posts, and compare product features with a competitor’s.
• Purchase: They add the item to their cart, experience a smooth checkout process, and receive an order confirmation email.
• Retention/Service: After the product arrives, they receive a follow-up email with usage tips. Later, they contact customer support with a question and receive a quick, helpful response.
• Advocacy: Delighted with the product and service, they leave a positive online review and recommend the brand to a friend.

Advantages/Benefits of Mapping the Journey

• Improved Customer Experience (CX): By understanding the entire journey, businesses can identify and fix pain points, creating a more seamless and positive experience.
• Increased Customer Loyalty: A positive journey builds strong relationships, which leads to higher customer retention and loyalty.
• Deeper Customer Empathy: Forces the company to step into the customer’s shoes, fostering a more customer-centric culture.
• Identifies Key Touchpoints: Highlights the most critical moments of interaction, allowing you to focus resources where they will have the most impact.

Related terms

• Customer Experience (CX)
• Touchpoint
• Sales Funnel
• User Experience (UX)
• Customer Lifecycle
• Net Promoter Score (NPS)