I remember learning about Joseph Campbell’s breakdown of the Hero’s Journey in my AP English class in high school. Campbell’s 17-part approach addresses the process protagonists in mythology and adventure stories go through in order to reach the end goal. Some of these steps include a call to adventure, refusing said call, acquiring a supernatural aid or mentor, facing trials and temptation, atonement, understanding, victory, and then finally, the return home.
Though perhaps to a less dramatic degree, most of us will encounter journeys of our own as customers, whether we’re downloading an app, buying a first home, or deciding what smoothie to order from Jamba Juice. What each of these examples has in common is the elements of appealing to a customer and compelling him/her to buy a product or service. One way designers and marketers may strategize the moves customers will make that will guide them towards a purchase is through a customer journey map. Paul Boag, author of SAILTHRU’s article, “Customer Journey Mapping: Everything You Need to Know,” describes a customer journey map as a visual tool that “tells the story of the customer’s experience, from initial contact, through the process of engagement and into a long-term relationship.” Boag continues, “It often provides a sense of the customer’s greater motivation … It encourages people across the organization to consider the user’s feelings, questions and needs.” Boag writes of two types of research many product designers and marketers use to identify common user behaviors (i.e. why customers may abandon their online shopping cart before a transaction is made, when customers feel most motivated to make a purchase, etc.). Analytical research, specifically website and social media analytics, aren’t always accurate but can give strong indications about what customers are looking for in a product and if their views on a business are largely positive, negative, or neutral. Anecdotal research, on the other hand, relies on asking customers directly how their experience has been with a certain product or service. A customer journey map can come in a variety of formats - a cycle, a series of line and bar graphs, a pictorial diagram, and so forth. But authors Phil Goddard, Ph.D. and Kathleen Hoski share what crucial components a customer journey map must include: 1) a customer’s point of view (versus the business’s perspective), 2) a customer’s perceptions related to their needs and desires, 3) identification of potential gaps in the customer journey and solutions to those problems, 4) performance indicators, and 5) visual elements. Goddard and Hoski write: “The bottom line is that [customer journey maps] should help stakeholders deepen their understanding of their customers’ behaviors, thoughts, and feelings across touchpoints in their journey and they should be actionable.” Whether you’re a product designer, marketer, public relations specialist, or salesperson, the core idea of the customer journey map ties into the concept of user empathy that we learned in earlier modules. It forces the people behind a product, service, or app to consider what challenges a user/customer may face, what their true desires are, and factors that will make it or break it when it comes to pushing the “Purchase Now” button. Perhaps someone feels most motivated to purchase a pair of Nike running shoes following the realization that he/she needs to get more exercise. But what may ultimately prevent that person from clicking the purchase button is too many pop-up ads, a slow website, or a faulty promo code. Much like a road map, customers can choose to make certain stops while ignoring other ones. They may end up at the final destination or find themselves going a different route entirely. It’s important to acknowledge the customer’s feelings in the entire purchase process, whether or not a transaction is actually made. While one might see the purchase of a product as a no-brainer, it may not be as simple for a prospective customer. No matter what field one works in, it benefits everyone to step outside ourselves and see our product, business, or brand from the perspective of an outsider - the person we want to appeal to most.
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