Building an optimal customer journey is a strategic structured process aimed at building optimal relationships with website vistors and prospects whose goal is to convert as many interested people as possible into loyal and returning customers and to strengthen the relationship with existing customers.

How to build an optimal customer journey?

First step - an accurate understanding of the customer's needs and the optimal process that you would like the customer to go through, through the correct use of information and data analysis tools that enable monitoring of the customers' needs and perceptions to optimize the experience tailored to them. It is recommended to use an consultant to understand the objective and an unbiased big picture.

Step 2 An in-depth look - a thorough review and mapping of the problematic points/weaknesses and opportunities in the customer journey today.

In order to optimize the process, we recommend using the common SWOT model. Don't forget to create a priority at the end of the mapping. One of the effective ways to do this is by scanning all the incoming emails to the service/sales/maintenance departments over a period of time and analyzing them while making an in-depth inquiry with all the different departments in the organization.

Step 3 In-depth analysis - of the data and the whole digital activity: the goal is to get to know your customer, their preferences, needs, pain points, problems and challenges.

The ability to find a common denominator and act accordingly in the future. We are actually talking about analyzing the reaction purchase behavior of your customers according to segments, which will allow you to create a characterization and classification of existing and potential customers.

For example, if we found that there are specific customers who respond in certain seasons or to certain promotions,

We would like to understand:

What messages and landing pages did they encounter?

When was the last time they opened a mailing or clicked on an ad?

What platform did the customers use - desktop/desktop/app?

What is the type of purchase - online/telephone/face-to-face?

Is the sale based and biased price/discounts/benefits/seasons?

Is the sale related to an event/birthday/holiday? It is important to create a separation in the analysis between the behavior of existing or returning/potential new customers, during the analysis classify the customers, so that you can prepare an action plan accordingly. Prepare a customer retention and loyalty program for your important customers.

Step 4 analysis - performing analysis through research/survey to existing/new/abandoning/returning customers to receive feedback and rebalance.

Step 5 Writing a map - writing a map detailing action trees, which actually constitute the actions for each category and interaction.

Be operative according to the organization's capabilities to support this process and check how applicable, measurable and feasible it is within the company's resources.

A/B Testing and simulations are required. Act according to the results of each action, make changes and refine the plan according to each stage and type of client. You will be surprised to find out that there is no single rule, this is a phase of trial and error, you will discover that there are opportunities with unique value located precisely at the "edges" - at the beginning and at the end of the customer journey.

Step 6 insights - insights from the simulations of the action trees, writing a final customer journey plan that includes stages, products and customer categories.

Step 7 Monitoring - Monitoring and optimization while moving, analysis, control, correction and continuous improvement (depending on the product, in most cases every 3 to 5 months).

Highlights and recommendations

• In the process of the customer journey, technological systems must be referred to and the most important of which is the CRM customer relationship system. The process requires updating and synchronizing between and within the departments into one management system

• Uniformity and consistency over time - the marketing messages must be uniform at every meeting point and in every channel. The purpose of the messages is to produce memorability, impression and consistency.

• Set for yourself the goal of the customer experience, the goal is to produce a positive customer experience all along the way. Customers are first impressed, then trust and only finally buy. The experience on the way to the sale is no less important than the sale itself. The more the experience satisfies the customer, then the maturity to buy increases accordingly.

A good customer experience begins with an appeal that generates interest (but not too salesy), progresses gradually along the marketing funnel, while adapting the messages to the current situation of the customer and while adapting to the appropriate time and platform.

• The process requires a customer-focused organizational culture: requires every employee in every field to realize the brand promise in every interaction and encounter with a customer and requires the implementation of processes and service systems that support a customer experience

• A very important part of the planning is the digital marketing plan, i.e. the messages, the layout, the targeting, the automation

• We must not forget the traditional, i.e. non-digital, marketing channels, they are an integral part of the customer journey.

• A quick response is required according to the customer's behavior with an emphasis on offers for similar/complementary/upgraded products

The starting point in planning a customer journey is first of all the understanding that your customer base is not uniform, there is a difference between customer and customer, in needs, in your meeting points with them, in the maturity of each customer to make a purchase at a certain point in time and more. Thus, one must always embrace personalization - what the customer experiences, feels, is looking for and how the organization provides him with the desired answer. The ability to know the customer well enough to know which messages suit him and which don't. The more personal messages there are, the higher the level of touching the customer will increase and the chance of motivating him to action will increase accordingly.