The Customer Journey describes the entire journey a person goes through, from their first contact with a brand or company right through to the decision to buy and beyond. It encompasses all touchpoints, known as Touchpoints, which customers have with a business – both online and offline.
This analysis helps start-ups to better understand the behaviour and needs of their target audience. This enables them to make targeted improvements to their marketing, sales and customer experiences.
What stages does the customer journey comprise?
The journey from initial interest to long-term customer loyalty can be broken down into various stages:
- Awareness: Potential customers recognise a problem or become aware of a brand for the first time.
- Consideration: Those interested find out about possible solutions and compare different offers.
- Decision: The person decides to buy or use a product or service.
- Retention (customer retention): Once a purchase has been made, the focus is on usage, satisfaction and long-term loyalty.
- Advocacy (Recommendation): Satisfied customers recommend the company to others or share their positive experiences.
The individual stages do not always follow a fixed sequence. For example, customers may compare offers several times before making a decision.
What are touchpoints?
Touchpoints are all points of contact between a person and a company. They influence how potential and existing customers perceive a brand.
Typical points of contact are:
- Company website and blog posts
- Social media posts and adverts
- Search engine results and online reviews
- Face-to-face meetings, trade fairs and events
- Product demonstrations and consultations
- Purchasing process, onboarding and customer service
It is important for start-ups to make these touchpoints as clear and consistent as possible. This is because negative experiences can lead to prospective customers abandoning the purchasing process.
Example: What does a customer journey look like in the B2B sector?
A start-up offers software for the automation of business processes.
A potential customer first comes across a LinkedIn post by the company (Awareness). They then visit the website, find out about the features and compare alternative solutions (Consideration).
Following a product demonstration, the company decides to take out a subscription (Decision). Whilst using the product, the team receives support with onboarding and regular product updates (Retention).
If the company is satisfied with the software, it may recommend the solution to other companies (advocacy).
In the B2B sector in particular, several decision-makers may be involved. Consequently, the decision-making process can take longer and involve various points of contact.
How does customer journey mapping work?
At the Customer Journey Mapping The customer’s journey is visualised. A ‘customer journey map’ illustrates the individual stages, touchpoints, needs and potential difficulties.
Start-ups can follow these steps to create it:
- Define the target audience: Which individuals or organisations should be approached?
- Defining phases: What steps do potential customers go through before and after making a purchase?
- Recording touchpoints: Through which channels and touchpoints do interactions take place?
- Identifying problems: Where do uncertainties, waiting times or abandoned purchases occur?
- Identify areas for improvement: What measures can be taken to optimise the customer experience?
Start-ups should, where possible, take into account genuine customer data, interviews and feedback. This provides a clear picture of actual experiences.
You can find further practical advice in the innoWerft article on Marketing strategy for start-ups.
Why is analysis important for start-ups?
A well-understood customer journey helps start-ups identify weaknesses and allocate their resources effectively.
The key benefits include:
- Gaining a better understanding of customers’ needs and purchasing decisions
- Coordinate marketing and sales activities
- Identifying weaknesses in the user experience
- Improving conversion rates and customer loyalty
- Providing relevant content and offers at the right time
This analysis provides valuable insights, particularly in the early stages of a business. It helps start-ups to tailor their offerings more closely to the actual needs of their target audience.
In addition, engaging with the Product-Market-Fit, to check whether the product solves a relevant customer problem.
How can innoWerft help with this?
innoWerft helps founders to better understand customer needs, analyse touchpoints and further develop their marketing and sales strategies. Through coaching and feedback, start-ups can improve their customer experiences and lay the foundations for long-term customer relationships.
Frequently asked questions about the customer journey
What does ‘customer journey’ mean in German?
The term refers to the customer journey and describes all the experiences and touchpoints a person has with a company. This includes the stages before, during and after a purchase.
What is the difference between the customer journey and the customer experience?
The customer journey describes the path a person takes and the individual touchpoints they have with a company. The customer experience, on the other hand, refers to the overall experience of the customer and their perception of these interactions.
What role do touchpoints play?
Touchpoints are the individual points of contact between customers and a company. They influence how a brand is perceived and whether prospective customers make a purchase or remain customers in the long term.
How can start-ups improve their customers’ journey?
Start-ups can conduct interviews, analyse usage data and gather feedback. This can then be used, for example, to streamline the purchasing process, make information easier to understand or optimise the onboarding process.
innoWerft is an early-stage investor and accelerator based in Walldorf, supporting start-ups before or shortly after they are founded by providing capital, coaching and access to a network of investors and businesses to foster sustainable growth.
Would you like to take your start-up to the next level and find out more about innoWerft? Apply now for the Open Pitch.