When it comes to growing a business, many small business owners are focused on their revenue and metrics. How do sales compare day by day or year by year? How much are people spending? What is the profit margin like? And while it’s important to track and understand these tangible variables, don’t forget about one of the most important parts of your business: your customer’s experience.

Too often, business owners get caught up in the numbers, and they forget to look at the people behind those numbers. Are your customers coming back to do business with you again? Are they recommending you to their friends and family? How happy are they with the services you provide?

In our previous blog, we provided a comprehensive guide to creating a customer journey map. Now, we’ll share how these maps can help you improve your customer experience. Read on to learn more.

What is a Customer Journey Map?

Need a quick refresher on what a customer journey map is? We’ve got you covered! A customer journey map is a visual breakdown of the interactions customers have with your brand or business. They look at all aspects of the experience, from the moment a customer discovers you exist all the way through to the post-sale side of things.

Remember: your customer’s journey starts well before they walk in your business’s front door! And it even continues after they’ve made a purchase. Even if you have the absolute best marketing team at your disposal, and the best product on the market, if your customers aren’t satisfied, you’ll never grow your business.

How Customer Journey Maps Help Improve Your Business’s Customer Experience

So, how do customer journey maps help you improve your business’s customer experience? The short answer is that by breaking things down visually, you can see what your customers are experiencing in real-time. This will likely help reveal any pain points they may be experiencing that you can address, thereby improving their overall experience.

Awareness

How do customers find out about you? Before you can start improving your customer experience, you need customers to be aware of you!

Traditional marketing methods relied on newsletters, phonebook ads, and costly billboards or commercials, but digital marketing makes generating awareness a breeze. Digital advertising, for example, can put your business’s name front and center when your target audience is searching for the services you provide.

First impressions are key! Take a look at any advertising campaigns you currently have running. Are they showcasing your best features? Is it clear what your business does?

Searchability

The next step on the customer journey map is “searchability.” Now that customers have an idea you exist, they need to be able to find you—which means they’re probably going to turn to their favorite search engine.

Do you have a website and social media profiles? Is your business listing claimed? Is all the information in your business listing accurate and up to date? If the answer to any of these questions isn’t a resounding “yes!” then your potential customers are going to have a tough time finding you. And if they can’t find you, they can’t do business with you.

Interest

So your customers know you exist, and they’ve found you online—now it’s time to generate some interest! This is where your customer experience skills really get to shine as a business owner.

This step is all about convincing your customer why they need the products or services you provide. Don’t just tell them you’re the best, show them with examples or testimonials! Get them to think about a problem they’re having, and show them how your product or service will solve that problem for them.

When looking through this step, it’s incredibly important to put yourself in your customer’s shoes. And if you can’t separate yourself from your business enough, ask a friend or family member—someone who will give you the detailed information you need. Ask for their perspective on what would inspire them to choose you over your competition.

Purchase

Your customer knows about you, they’ve found you, and they’re interested in what you have to offer—time to make a purchase! During this phase, it’s all about creating a positive, seamless experience for your customer. Don’t forget about the little details, because those “micro-interactions” can add up over time.

Experience

Many business owners assume the customer journey ends at the purchase, but it actually goes beyond that! The post-sale phase, or ‘Experience’ phase, occurs when your customer starts utilizing your product or service.

Don’t underestimate this phase—this is when existing customers turn into advocates for your brand! Keep your customers coming back for more by responding to feedback and continuing to engage with them after they’ve made a purchase. An email campaign targeting existing customers will go a long way to keeping your brand present in their minds even after they’ve left your store.

Grow Your Business With Customer Journey Maps

Customer journey maps have two massive benefits when it comes to helping you grow your business.

1. Decision makers can stay focused on where it matters most: the customer.
2. They simplify the steps of the buying process, making it easier to generate leads.

The innovative Business App from Assist90 makes it easy to focus on your customers! You’ll get access to real-time feedback from your customers, so you know what they’re saying about you. Request and respond to reviews, keep your business listing up to date, and improve your overall customer experience from one easy-to-use dashboard.

At Assist90, we’re passionate about helping business owners craft their customer journey. We also provide a wide range of brand-awareness tools and digital marketing solutions to help business owners maximize their reach and improve their customer experience. Visit our website or give us a call at (314) 560-5649 today to learn more, or to book an assessment.