Customer Journey: How prospects become customers
The digital transformation demands a lot from companies. After all, they now have to focus more and more on the requirements and wishes of their customers. And in this digital marketplace, the customer feels like a king - and wants to be cared for and nurtured. Before deciding to buy a product, your potential customers go through a customer journey. How this is designed and what your customers experience on this "journey" has a direct influence on the purchase decision. But what options are open to you to guide customers on their customer journey to their desired destination?
The most important stages of a customer journey
Every customer journey is divided into so-called touchpoints. These are important destinations, also known as "moments of truth". For you as a business owner, this means that you need to pay special attention to each of these touchpoints.
- The customer becomes aware of the product.
- The customer shows interest in your product.
- The customer considers buying the product.
- The customer has a concrete intention to buy.
- The customer buys the product.
The first Moment of Truth the customer experiences by having his attention drawn to a particular website. This can be achieved through Google Ads, links, online platforms or Social media happen. The hurdle is that the offer must be attractive enough for the customer to become curious and click on the website.
At second touchpoint the product must meet the customer's requirements. It is important that the customer does not drop out again at this point. In the next step, a consideration takes place: The customer asks himself whether he should buy this product or rather look for an alternative. You can help here by influencing the purchase decision with additional material. Now the potential customer has clearly bitten - it's time to make him a concrete offer. Be flexible:
If you respond to the customer's wishes, this can lead to long-term customer loyalty. If you act correctly at this stage, the next step is already yours: The customer decides to buy your product.
Other important points that influence the purchase decision
In the past, you asked neighbors, friends and relatives for their opinion when you wanted to buy something. Today, you have the whole web at your disposal - opinions can be accessed in seconds. It's true that you can't always and everywhere influence what is said about your company. But there are strategies to increase your online presence and give potential customers a sense of security. These include, for example, the company's appearance and communication. Remember to always appear serious and professional and respond promptly to any inquiries. Your social media presence also plays an important role. Your social media accounts want to be maintained and must always provide new content.
Think and act practically
Your online presence can be as good as it is: If products are constantly missing or the information on individual products is inadequate, this will damage the customer journey in the long run. The customer wants to "travel" without incidents if possible. If he has to inquire or even investigate elsewhere, hurdles stand in the way. The payment method also plays an important role for the customer. The more payment methods available, the more likely they are to make a purchase decision. In general, you should give potential customers the feeling that they can choose from a variety of options.
Why your company in particular?
Why should a potential customer buy from you? It's not always just about the price - after all, it's the same for a wide range of products in different stores. For many customers, it's about the buying experience. Your job is to evoke emotions. This starts at the very first touchpoint: put yourself in the customer's shoes and think about how to grab their attention. The customer should feel well taken care of at every stage and, in the end, recommend your company to others. Keep your target group in mind and adapt your company's customer journey to them. By arousing positive emotions, you can count on good customer loyalty. Keep in mind that this also needs to be nurtured.
The customer journey as a concept for optimizing your business
You are not the only one who influences the customer journey - in return, an analysis of the "customer journey" provides important clues on how your company can improve. You will learn how customers can be influenced by advertising campaigns and which strategies are most effective in persuading customers to make a purchase decision. You now have a wide range of tools available to track customer behavior. You will learn which touchpoints had the greatest influence on the purchase decision and what can be improved.
Conclusion
The customer journey is crucial for the purchase decision. That's why it must be seamless and give potential customers the feeling that they are always well informed. The individual stages should flow seamlessly into one another, so that the customer does not even notice how he is being steered toward the purchase decision. In addition to the actual customer journey, your company's online presence is also important. The more reputable your presence, the easier it is to persuade customers to buy your product.
