Posted on: January 25, 2022

 

A recent survey found that about 31% of small businesses have stopped operating. And this could be due to the ongoing pandemic. However, even in times of hardship, you can still elevate your business by knowing how your customers operate. More specifically, knowing the customer journey stages. So keep reading if you want to learn about the stages of a customer journey and customer mapping. It may just save your buisness!

1. The Awareness Stage

The awareness stage is when the customer hears about your business. This particular stage is very important because it will influence your marketing funnel.

The timeline of the awareness stage typically happens in this order

• They have a problem or desire
• They do research on how to fix said problem or desire
• Thousands of searches come up
• They pick the best product in the search

As you can see, the awareness state is crucial when it comes to how you market your business. A good website, SEO, and contact page can increase the chances of someone stepping into the next stage.

2. The Consideration Stage

So now that a customer is aware, they will then consider the products available to them. The problem is, they have an endless amount of choices to choose from. So your products must stand out!

But how do you make your product better than the rest? Well, you must understand how consumers make their final decision. First, they will weigh out their options depending on the following

• Price
• Amount of product per purchase
• Reviews
• Quality

So you must ensure your product ranks high in the above categories. And in this stage, you should also provide thorough descriptions of your products. For example, reviews, demo videos, FAQs page, and great customer service.

3. The Final Decision and Possible Purchase Stage

Once a customer has weighed out their options, they will make a final decision. And this stage has many different scenarios that could play out. Here are some examples:

• The customer buys the product and becomes a regular customer
• The customer buys the product  but never returns it again
• Customer buys products and becomes unsatisfied later on
• The customer does not buy the product but returns to your buisness later
• The customer does not buy the product and never returns back

It’s obvious that all business owners will hope for the first statement. And this scenario is possible. However, you must provide exceptional customer service, honest reviews, sales and promotions, worthy products, fair prices.

There are other niche factors that may be important for some customers. For example, ethically sourced products, vegan options, and rewards systems. But on average, most people are looking for the first factors.

4. The Retention Stage

The retention stage is crucial for your buisness long term. Even if you’re products are satisfactory, the brand itself must hold value.

To do so, you can introduce testimonials, loyalty rewards, VIP programs, free shipping, and even birthday rewards. All of these extras will add value to your brand. And in turn, your customers will be on retainer.

5. The Advocacy Stage

Last but not least, the advocacy stage will create an image of your buisness. And depending on your business, this image can be good or bad. So ensure you understand the above stages. So that by the time you get to the advocacy stage, your customers are happy and want to share the news.

So a good way to promote positive reviews and advocacy is by offering referral programs, discount codes, and working with micro/macro-influencers.

The Customer Journey Stages Made Easy

Now that you know about customer journey stages, you can start elevating your business. But most importantly, you can start taking the steps towards having the best products.

If you have more questions about marketing and research, contact us today to learn how we can help you!