Only 1 out of every 26 unhappy customers will tell you something is wrong. The other 25 don’t say anything at all. This means for every complaint you receive via email, you have 25 others who are silently walking out the door. This is where customer journey mapping helps you catch them before they leave.
Customer journey mapping is perhaps the most powerful tool in a market researcher’s toolbox. Customer journey mapping is the process of creating a visual representation of every step a customer takes as they interact with your brand, from the first time they hear your name online to the moment they become your loyal advocate.
However, calling it a “visual tool” is not doing it justice. When it is held up by solid market research, a customer journey map is a practical document that exposes the gaps and opportunities between your business and sustained growth waiting to be exploited.
Why does Customer Journey Mapping Matter to Market Research Recruitment?
By 2025, 89% of businesses compete on customer experience, making it the primary differentiator, ahead of product and price. That is why customer journey mapping is the key to winning that competition.
The facts supporting it are undeniable:
- Businesses that invest in journey mapping experience 54% greater marketing return on investment.
- Strategic journey mapping can lead to 13 times greater cross-sell revenue and 2.5 times greater referral revenue compared to competitors.
- 87% of retailers report journey mapping directly increases sales and marketing return on investment.
- A well-designed journey map can lower customer service costs by 15% to 20%.
However, the catch is that almost one-third of all companies have created journey maps but have not used them well. That is precisely why the market research that your map is based on is just as important as your map.
The 5 Core Stages of the Customer Journey Map
Even though every brand’s customer journey is unique, the framework in which this occurs is universal for all brands. Each step of this framework provides distinct information for market research. These steps include:
- Awareness – How customers become aware of your brand or product.
- Consideration – How customers consider your brand or product.
- Purchase – How customers make a decision and a purchase.
- Retention – How customers engage after a purchase.
- Advocacy – How customers spread the word about your brand.
With the use of this framework for customer journey mapping in market research, a business can easily pinpoint areas of improvement.
Types of Customer Journey Maps
Customer journey maps differ according to the scope and purpose of the research conducted. There are various types of customer journey maps, such as:
- Current State Maps – These provide an idea of how customers are currently interacting with your brand.
- Future State Maps – These provide an idea of the ideal customer experience and areas for improvement.
- Day-in-the-Life Maps – These provide detailed information about the interaction of a customer with your product on a daily basis.
- Persona-Based Maps – These provide detailed information about customers, considering market research data.
Market Research Methods for Customer Journey Mapping
For effective customer journey mapping, businesses use a variety of market research techniques that help in collecting behavioral and viewpoint data, as discussed below:
- In-Depth Interviews (IDIs): A qualitative approach in which individual interviews are conducted to understand customer experiences and behaviors in depth.
- Online Surveys: A quantitative approach in which a set of responses from a large number of customers are collected in a structured manner.
- Ethnographic Research: A qualitative approach in which customers are observed in their normal settings to understand their behaviors in a natural environment.
- Diary Studies: A qualitative approach in which customers are asked to maintain a journal of their experiences over a period of time to understand their journey.
- Web / Behavioural Analytics: A quantitative approach in which customer behaviors are measured on digital platforms by using various metrics and data analysis techniques.
- MaxDiff / Conjoint Analysis: A quantitative approach in which customer preferences are measured by asking questions related to trade-offs between different options.
- Focus Groups: A qualitative approach in which a set of responses from a small number of customers are collected in a group discussion format to understand their behaviors and opinions.
- NPS / CSAT Surveys: Quantitative approaches in which customer loyalty and satisfaction are measured by scoring their responses.
- An excellent customer journey map is based on structured market research and not assumptions. It involves a thorough process and data, along with constant refinement. Here is a streamlined framework for creating effective customer journey maps:
- considering market research data.
Market Research Methods for Customer Journey Mapping
For effective customer journey mapping, businesses use a variety of market research techniques that help in collecting behavioral and viewpoint data, as discussed below:
- In-Depth Interviews (IDIs): A qualitative approach in which individual interviews are conducted to understand customer experiences and behaviors in depth.
- Online Surveys: A quantitative approach in which a set of responses from a large number of customers are collected in a structured manner.
- Ethnographic Research: A qualitative approach in which customers are observed in their normal settings to understand their behaviors in a natural environment.
- Diary Studies: A qualitative approach in which customers are asked to maintain a journal of their experiences over a period of time to understand their journey.
- Web / Behavioural Analytics: A quantitative approach in which customer behaviors are measured on digital platforms by using various metrics and data analysis techniques.
- MaxDiff / Conjoint Analysis: A quantitative approach in which customer preferences are measured by asking questions related to trade-offs between different options.
- Focus Groups: A qualitative approach in which a set of responses from a small number of customers are collected in a group discussion format to understand their behaviors and opinions.
- NPS / CSAT Surveys: Quantitative approaches in which customer loyalty and satisfaction are measured by scoring their responses.
How to Build a Customer Journey Map: A Step-by-Step Guide
An excellent customer journey map is based on structured market research and not assumptions. It involves a thorough process and data, along with constant refinement. Here is a streamlined framework for creating effective customer journey maps:
- Define Objectives and Scope
Firstly, you need to define the business objective behind creating a customer journey map. This could include improving conversion rates, reducing customer attrition, or entering a new market segment.
- Audit Existing Data
The next step involves researching existing internal customer feedback, analytics tools, and previous studies to leverage existing knowledge.
- Segment Customer Personas
The next step involves creating customer personas based on behaviors, needs, and motivations instead of demographics alone.
- Selecting Appropriate Research Methods
Employ a combination of qualitative and quantitative research methods for market research. This will help obtain more diverse and varied insights from different customer groups.
- Mapping Touchpoints and Channels
Try to identify every interaction point that a customer experiences with your brand, including both online and offline channels.
- Emotions and Intent
Try to comprehend what your customers think, feel, and want to achieve at every step. This will add more dimensions to your customer journey map and make it more actionable.
- Pain Points and Opportunities
Highlighting the pain points will help identify and prioritize them according to their importance and occurrence.
- Validation and Activation
Sharing and discussing your customer journey maps within the organization and transforming your insights into action plans will help.
- Updating the Map
As customer behaviors change, updating your customer journey maps will help align your strategies according to changing customer expectations and market trends.
Common Mistakes in Customer Journey Mapping (and How to Avoid Them)
Despite its importance, customer journey mapping has not been able to provide expected results for companies, and they are not getting expected ROI on their investment. Following are some of the major pitfalls in customer journey mapping and how you can avoid them to get the most out of it.
- Making assumptions instead of using data: Making assumptions instead of using data will not provide accurate results. Primary research should always be conducted.
- Using only a single method of research: Using only a single method of research will not provide accurate results. Multiple methods should always be used.
- Making journey maps for only ‘average’ customers: It is not possible to create a single journey map for all customers. Separate journey maps should always be created for different customer segments.
- Only looking at purchase journeys: Companies should not only look at purchase journeys and should also consider post-purchase journeys.
- Not involving multiple teams: Multiple teams should always be involved in creating journey maps so that maximum impact can be created.
- Treating it as a one-time thing: It is not a one-time thing and should always be updated according to changing customer behavior.
Final Thoughts
Most organizations understand their customers are dissatisfied at some point in their journey. The harsh reality is that few understand exactly where or why.
The distinction between understanding there is a difficulty and understanding exactly where it is, exactly why it is, and exactly how to solve it is precisely the space that customer journey mapping fills. Such an understanding cannot be achieved through instinctive behavior. It has to be achieved through research backed with comprehensive data.
At Katrium, we’ve been helping businesses across the world move from assuming their customer journey to “knowing” their customer journey for years. Our research for your organisation is ready when you are, so contact us today!