5 processes that impact the customer journey.

As we know, marketing is constantly evolving and so are the strategies put in place.

Today, as you can see, we must place the customer at the heart of the marketing strategy. Indeed, it is no longer relevant to only create a campaign around the product or the brand in order to create desire but to identify the real needs of the target. This progress can be longer and more complex, wich is why many studies have been conducted and tools have been made available to you.

From these studies, an essential element emerged : the customer journey, capable of impacting the sales force of compagnies.

That is,, all the steps the prospect goes through : before, during, and after the buying process.

What experience will the prospect have with the brand ?

Diagram of a basic customer journey :

During the different stages mentioned above, a future consumer will be able to interact with your company via what we call " touchpoints " , i.e. all the interactions between you and your prospects on all media that you will propose. Well done, these touchpoints can be a strategic asset or, on the other hand, an obstacle to the purchase. Do not lose sight of the fact that today's user is fickle... a single element can set it back and if each touchpoint is not carefully crafted, you can end up with abandoned carts.

Knowing this fact, let's get down to business.

Above all, it is essential for the development of your customer journey, to clearly define your objectives. What need do you want to satisfy ? What target do you want to reach ? What values do you hope to convey ? Managing to ask you the right questions will allow you to understand your strategy intelligently.

Once you have defined your objectives, you can then begin the 5 key steps in building your customer journey :

Learn who your prospects are and classify them according to typical profiles - Personas. To build a coherent journey, remember that each profile has a specific need and therefore will behave differently from the others. The best approach is to position yourself in the shoes of your consumers : What are the expectations, priorities, obstacles and consumption habits of your personas ?

You will then be able to effectively personalize your approach.

Secondly, your site must appear in the crossroads of their searches. Try to optimize your visibility by investing in SEA or in free tools for your SEO to appear in the first results. Working on your search engine optimization (Rankmath for ex.) will add real value to the customer experience you need to offer to your audience. Moreover, it has been shown that 88 % of internet users prepare their purchases online, i.e. even before physically going to the store, they will start by doing a search on the internet.

By following the steps, after conducting a search and landing on your website, your target will expect it to be intuitive and comprehensive. It is therefore essential to maintain perfect ergonomics. Remember, we said earlier that today's consumer is demanding, indeed, he will need this consistency to feel confident and consolidate the act of purchase. Several pleasant factors will then be involved, such as easy of navigation, welcome mail, sales dialogue, etc... While being operational on all media, your brand must position itself as an expert in the field, able to provide sound advice, explanatory sheets and tutorials. Don't forget to include detailed product sheets to demonstrate your professionalism.

To maintain trust and retain your prospects, the post-purchase period must include competitive advantages in order to avoid breaking points. Offer fast and secure payment methods or, for example, promotional offers in the form of accumulated points. There are a number of small services that you can incorporate into your strategy ;

• Tracking of the order and delivery
• Possibility of return
• Transfer confirmation
• Efficient after-sales service
• Renewal or possible cancellation
• Promotional text messages
• Flash codes
• Cross-selling
• …

Finally, in order to continuously improve your course, do not hesitate to use customer feedback. Based on their feelings and experiences, you will be able to identify inadequate touch point as well as your strong points, using interviews or satisfaction questionnaires. Keep in mind that it is optimistic to get a 100 % infaillible result the first time and that your progress will be long term. In general, Internet users will be receptive and will appreciate to see that their opinions have been taken into account !

In conclusion, once you have clearly established your objectives, identified your personas, set up a fluid and attractive web tool and analyzed your prospects' experience, you will be able to build a long-term strategy. We are obviously talking about a process that requires a lot of patience and perseverence but wich, accompanied by good digital tools (data analysis, emailing, survey solution...) and advice, will help you to handle and considerably increase your commercial activity.

With Leadup DXP Project, approach your customer strategy with confidence.