What is a typical Customer Journey?

The concept behind the science of Data Driven Marketing with Informed Experimental Customer Journey Business Analytics is best illustrated by giving you a definition followed by several examples.

Let's break down that long description to get a clearer understanding of the definition:

Data Driven Marketing (and Sales) Informed Experimental Customer Journey Business Analysis
WhatMeaning
Data DrivenMaking decisions on basis of objective facts and real measured data instead of on basis of subjective mood/ideas or guestimates.
Marketing (and Sales)Acquiring and keeping customers for your business using brand communication and by providing an optimal and profitable customer experience.
InformedKnowing what is happening and what to do (based on facts, skills and experience).
ExperimentalTesting out different hypothesis and approaches in order to find out what works and what doesn’t in the real world.
Customer JourneyThe step-wise process that customer go through from the moment they have a latent need for some product or services, all the way to the purchase moment and usage of the product/service.
BusinessThe enterprise with all its required aspects and systems in order to sell products and services to customers so to generate a profit.
AnalyticsAnalyzing facts both quantitatively as well as qualitatively to derive an insight, learning or an recommendation.

Whoa. What a long description is that! Why do we need that? Well, that’s basically because no business becomes spontaneously successful without some coordinated effort.

Let's turn it around. What happens when you don't follow above terms?

  • If you have no clue what is driving your company sales, then you are not in control. But to know what is really happening within your business and especially about the acquisition of customers, you need to collect some data.

  • If you have a great product or service to offer, but no-one knows about it and no-one can buy it from your company, because there is no proper marketing and sales system set up… you won’t be selling anything!

  • If you’re just winging it, instead of being informed, you won’t be able to take consistent good actions and measures in order to drive reliable and profitable business results.

  • If you don’t try something new from time to time, you won’t discover hidden market opportunities or better ways to service your target market. In the mean time, your competition is innovation and trying out new things and trying to gain an advantage over you.

  • For most products, customers don’t just simply buy it. Before they arrive at any buying decision, or consider your brand or company, they’ve experience several things and they’ve gone through several steps (physically, emotionally and psychologically) before they decided to buy.

  • If you don’t set up a business architecture, you still may be successful at this topic, but if you want to break free of work required and if you want to scale and expand your profits, you need to set up a solid business enterprise with all its systems in place and working for you… even when you’re not there physically.

  • If you don’t learn from what works and what doesn’t work, you’ll be heading for disaster. The increasing complexity of growing and expanding your business successfully requires a good analytical examination of anything that is happening within your business.

Now, you don't want that to happen to your business, right?

So concluding, all parts together define a solid and reliable guaranteed way to expand and improve your business, better than your competition, and with the option to get yourself out of the way of the business operations that are need to attract and keep new customers who repeatedly and happily keep buying your company’s products. ⌣

Definitions explained

Data Driven

"Data-driven marketing can be described as a process by which marketers gain insights and trends based on in-depth analysis informed by numbers. The goal of this form of marketing is to leverage on the data collected from various sources and create an enhanced strategy. Data-driven marketing refers to strategies built on insights pulled from the analysis of big data, collected through consumer interactions and engagements, to form predictions about future behaviors. This involves understanding the data you already have, the data you can get, and how to organize, analyze, and apply that data to better marketing efforts. Although there are many reasons why companies use data-driven marketing, more often than not, its intended goal is to enhance and personalize the customer experience. The market research allows for a comprehensive study of preferences." - Source: Wikipedia

Customer Journey

"The customer journey spans a variety of touchpoints by which the customer moves from awareness to engagement and purchase. Successful brands focus on developing a seamless experience that ensures each touchpoint interconnects and contributes to the overall journey." - Source: Forrester

Business Analytics

"Business analytics is comprised of solutions used to build analysis models and simulations to create scenarios, understand realities and predict future states. Business analytics includes data mining, predictive analytics, applied analytics and statistics, and is delivered as an application suitable for a business user. These analytics solutions often come with prebuilt industry content that is targeted at an industry business process (for example, claims, underwriting or a specific regulatory requirement)." - Source: Gartner

Examples

Onward to some examples.

I’ll give you some example persona’s in typical industries, share with you the Customer Journeys, and give you a look ‘behind the scene’ that you’ll be able to create yourself when you’ve finished reading this book.

Example 1: Shopping for Shoes

Meet Jane. She is a woman in her early 30’s. For Jane it is important to have a good appearance. But she has a special taste. Classy, but tempting and independent. She has recently bought a new outfit, but none of her 20 or so shoes really fit with that outfit. So Jane decides to find herself some nice new shoes.

(continued)

Example 2: Home Finance

Meet Jack, a man aged 26. He has a steady relationship with his girlfriend Rene. They both have a good paying job. But soon they want to get married and have kids. However, currently they each live in a different small rental home. The couple decides to go live together, and they go on the lookout for buying a new bigger home in order to live together. But first, they will visit their bank to get an idea about their financial possibilities of buying their own home.

(continued)

Example 3: Professional Finding a Supplier

Lucas is a respected sourcing employee of Call4Care, a small business company that calls back customers of client companies in order to collect feedback that those companies can use to improve their business on. The call center system has been used for over 7 years now, and is no longer fit for today’s market where the contacts to be called carry internet-enabled smartphones. Lucas wants to find a new call center system supplier, who is able to combine both voice and text channels. So Call4Care can both call the customers, as well as reach the customers for feedback using digital and social channels such as chat and instant messaging.

(continued)

Example 4: Talent Acquisition

Spentrax Corporation has been in the business of producing quality steel widgets that are used in nautical industry. Designing and innovating new steel widgets and service plans is now one of their greatest advantages over the competition. But Spentrax has a problem. Most of its employees are in their late 50’s. Therefore the HR department has been given the assignment to find and attract new young hires, which will help keep the company up to speed with nowadays technology and expertise.

(continued)

Moving to you and your business

Ok, you’ve now briefly experienced a few example cases where Customer Journeys can and are applied.

Think about your life and career now.

  • For a moment imagine you are a customer. What Customer Journeys are you currently participating in? What ‘tasks’ are you trying to complete, and what kind of ‘vendors’ or ‘solutions’ are you considering and at what company?

    Current in the process of:_________________________________________
    The task I try to complete is:_________________________________________
    What solutions do I consider:_________________________________________
    Which vendors offer that:_________________________________________
    When do I know I’m done:_________________________________________
  • Now take the business viewpoint again. What kind of Customer Journey is your company providing now to customers? Does your marketing department keep track of customer contacts and experiences with your company at all?

    Journeys provided:_________________________________________
    Ways to keep track of events:_________________________________________
    Moments of experience:_________________________________________
  • What do you think about the impact and impression your business is making on its customers, when you tag along some typical customers and noticed their experience with your company? What things would you discover in your business processes that prevent customers from buying? What things would you discover that touches the sweet-spot of selling and makes your customers buy from you?

    Impact on my customers:_________________________________________
    Impression I leave behind:_________________________________________
    Bad things happening:_________________________________________
    Good things happening:_________________________________________

What you want for your business is the acquire more new customers, and keep those customers happy so they place new orders and become loyal to your brand. How well are you doing that?