How Consumer Journey Mapping Drives Higher ROI

A customer’s path is anything but simple. Gone are the days where someone thinks “I need something, I’m going to buy it from X store today.” No, the consumer journey is much more complicated than that — it involves checking out websites, browsing social media, reading reviews, and getting recommendations from family and friends before someone makes a purchase.

Your business should have a deep understanding of this complicated journey. Having an understanding of it gives you a leg up on competitors who don’t take the time to analyze it.

Mapping out your customer journey isn’t just helpful, it’s essential for your business’s overall success. It’ll help you achieve better results and make the most of every penny you invest in your marketing budget.

The Behavior of Modern Consumers

Think back to the last significant purchase you made. Where did your “journey” begin? If you’re like 87% of people, it began online.

Since so many people begin their journey online (which makes sense, given that the average American has about 7 hours of screen time per day), that means your business needs to rank high in the search results and, once the consumer clicks, it’s up to you to convert them into a paying customer by speaking their language and offering them the solutions they need, when they need them, by meeting them where they are.

The Consumer Journey Framework

How do you meet customers where they are, though?

The first step is understanding their journey. This is the consumer journey that people go through when making a purchase.

• Stage 1 – Awareness: The customer realizes they have a problem they want to solve. (This can also be viewed as a “need.”)
• Stage 2 – Research: The customer begins their search for solutions.
• Stage 3 – Consideration: The customer weighs their options and compares results.
• Stage 4 – Conversion: The customer makes a decision and makes their purchase.
• Stage 5 – Re-purchase: The customer transforms into a loyal customer who buys from you again and again.

The key to completing every step of this framework and completing the journey with a customer lies in multi-channel marketing.

Your customers want to connect with you on more than just one platform; this is the case for 72% of consumers. The proof is in the pudding, too. According to Iterable, multi-channel marketing shoppers spend 3x as much money as single-channel shoppers. If you implement multiple channels in your marketing efforts, you could join the companies who do the same and see a 9.5% increase in yearly revenue.

Understanding your customer’s journey involves a perspective shift. Instead of only considering how to sell your product, consider how a customer could come across your product and use it to satisfy their needs. Think of the issue while standing in their shoes instead of your own — that shift will always garner better, more customer-focused results.

Mapping your marketing to align with the consumer journey your customers take involves a deep understanding of each step the customer takes before they purchase (and re-purchase).

Let’s look at a few strategies you can employ during each stage:

Awareness

• • • Use display ads to catch consumers’ attention and increase brand awareness.
    • Use the storytelling aspect of OTT/CTV to introduce yourself to new customers.
    • Write blogs to address common questions/issues customers may have.
    • Leverage social media to create a community surrounding your brand.

Research

• • • Display advertising can be tailored to highlight specific features and benefits of your product that target a customer’s specific needs.
    • Video OTT/CTV helps to explain the use of your product and how it can add value to your customers’ lives.
    • Blogs on your website can answer customers’ common questions and educate them about your product, addressing their pain points while positioning you as the voice of authority.
    • By posting engaging tips, FAQs, real-life customer stories, and eye-catching infographics on social media, you can catch the attention of your customers on social media.

Consideration

• • • Display ads and retargeting campaigns allow you to stay at the forefront of your customers’ minds.
    • Addressable geofencing can snag customers who have walked through competitors’ doors, live nearby, or frequent surrounding neighborhoods to bridge the online-offline gap in advertising.
    • Cultivating reviews and posting them online for customers in the consideration stage can make or break (but preferably make) a sale. 93% of people report reading online reviews before buying!

Conversion

• • • SEM and SEO optimization ensure your business can actually be found once your customer is ready to make a purchase. Your landing pages should be clean and easy to read/navigate with an attractive design.

Re-purchase

• • Continue to engage with customers on social media and publish blogs to share helpful information. This will keep your brand relevant in the minds of customers, which will make them more likely to return.

Journey Mapping Creates Results

The numbers don’t lie. Businesses that take the time to map out their customers’ journeys see a real difference across the board, including in customer satisfaction. An understood customer is a satisfied customer, and a satisfied customer is a loyal customer, and loyal customers increase revenue with their returning business. Retaining customers boosts your ROI!

Additionally, journey mapping is an efficient practice. When you create a map of your customers’ journeys, you’ll be able to pinpoint the spot where people tend to give up and concentrate your efforts there to fix the problem. By zeroing in on the problem areas, you’ll make the most of your marketing budget instead of throwing money at a figurative dartboard and hoping it hits the bullseye.

Professional Journey Mapping Experts

Understanding your customers’ journey isn’t just helpful, it’s imperative for your business’s success.

At Federated Digital Solutions, we work with clients in a variety of industries, and we have a valuable outside perspective that internal teams just don’t have. Let us show you how professional journey mapping can transform your business by improving how you attract and retain customers. Get in touch with us today!

Learn More