Is Your Customer Journey Optimal? Key Points to Check
- JB Impact
- May 29
- 11 min read
Did you know that 70% of online shoppers abandon their customer journey at the checkout stage? This alarming figure perfectly illustrates why we must pay particular attention to our user experience. In fact, 88% of users are less likely to return to a website after a bad experience. Yet, every euro invested in UX can yield between €2 and €100 in return.
The 8 stages of the customer journey represent as many optimization opportunities as potential points of friction. An optimized customer journey can increase your conversion rates by up to 400% , while a neglected digital customer journey leads to considerable losses - especially considering that 53% of mobile users leave a site if it takes more than 3 seconds to load. In this article, we will analyze customer journey mapping and the essential customer journey stages to monitor to ensure a smooth and profitable experience.
Understanding the customer journey and its challenges
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The customer journey is much more than a simple transaction. This detailed map traces a user's complete experience with your brand, from the moment they become aware of a need to their potential loyalty. Let's deconstruct this essential concept to understand its impact on your business strategy.
Defining the customer journey
The customer journey encompasses the sum of interactions a consumer experiences with a company across different touchpoints . Contrary to a simplistic view centered on purchase, this journey begins as soon as the customer becomes aware of a need and seeks information.
Indeed, this concept refers to the entire path taken and the actions taken by the prospect from the recognition of a need to the purchase and beyond. It is not limited to the stages of the buying process where the customer takes action, but also includes all phases of discovery, consideration, and evaluation.
The course is generally divided into several distinct phases:
The pre-purchase phase (discovery of the need, search for information)
The purchasing phase itself (acquisition of the product/service)
The post-purchase phase ( user experience, after-sales service, reviews )
At every touchpoint, whether physical or digital, the customer develops a perception of your brand that will influence their future decisions.
Why it is crucial for conversion
Understanding and optimizing the customer journey isn't just about user experience—it's a direct lever for improving your conversion rates. A thorough analysis of this journey allows you to identify the friction points that prevent your prospects from completing their purchase.
After becoming aware of a need, the customer begins a search for information that will largely guide their future decisions. This initial phase shapes their purchasing behavior and largely determines their commitment to a specific brand.
Additionally, several factors influence a customer's final decision, including their motivation and feelings during the customer journey. A positive customer experience can not only lead to a purchase, but also increase satisfaction and encourage long-term loyalty.
So, accurate customer journey mapping helps you predict what users will do next, allowing you to effectively guide them towards conversion, regardless of their position in the funnel.
Difference between customer journey and sales funnel
Although often confused, the customer journey and the sales funnel are two distinct but complementary concepts.
The customer journey is viewed from the consumer's perspective . It highlights the various stages they go through, from recognizing a need to building loyalty. This process is intrinsically linked to personal experiences and interactions with the brand, making it unique for each buyer.
Conversely, the sales funnel (or conversion funnel) is designed from a business perspective . It describes a set of strategic actions aimed at effectively guiding a prospect through different stages until conversion. The stages of the funnel are primarily focused on optimizing interactions to achieve business goals.
However, these two concepts are aligned in their purpose: to improve the user experience while increasing conversions. An effective sales funnel necessarily relies on a thorough understanding of the customer journey to be relevant and effective.
Ultimately, to build an effective marketing strategy, you need to consider both approaches simultaneously: understanding the customer's point of view while structuring your sales approach.
The 8 stages of the customer journey you need to know
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To understand and optimize your users' experience, I need to take an in-depth look at the eight fundamental stages of the customer journey. Each represents an opportunity for improvement and deserves special attention to transform your prospects into loyal customers.
1. Awareness
This is the starting point where the consumer identifies a need or problem they want to solve. At this stage, they discover your brand through various channels such as search engines, social media, or word of mouth. In fact, 95% of French people consult the internet before purchasing a product or service. Your goal is to be present at the right time with quality, informative content that precisely answers their initial questions.
2. Consideration
During this phase, prospects conduct further research and compare multiple solutions. They examine different options, evaluate features and prices, consult reviews, and request recommendations. This is when 38% of customers compare prices and consult online reviews. Your content must highlight your competitive advantages and clearly demonstrate your added value to be among the brands being seriously considered.
3. Intention
This stage marks a decisive turning point: the prospect clearly demonstrates their willingness to purchase. They begin to take a specific interest in a particular product and seek to discern which is the right one for them. To facilitate this transition, offer free demonstrations, trials, or targeted promotions. For example, a promo code for a first order can be an effective incentive to take the plunge.
4. Evaluation
The prospect is now studying the specific features of the products they're interested in in detail. They're comparing alternatives based on specific criteria such as value for money, features, reputation, and customer reviews. At this stage, your case studies, customer testimonials, and product demonstrations become essential to positively influence their final decision.
5. Purchase
This is the crucial moment when the customer finalizes their order. This stage must be particularly seamless, as 64% of customers consider customer experience more important than price. Simplify the purchasing process as much as possible by reducing the number of steps and offering multiple payment options. This is where the customer enters a phase of trust with your company, which can be further weakened by a complex purchasing journey.
6. Delivery
Often underestimated, this phase is nevertheless crucial. Studies show that 71% of European customers choose an online store for its flexible delivery options. Additionally, orders increase by 38% when appropriate delivery methods are offered. Ensure real-time tracking and proactive communication on order status to reassure customers during this waiting period.
7. Post-purchase experience
After receiving the product, the customer evaluates their overall experience. This is the perfect time to gather their feedback through a satisfaction survey. This stage marks the transition from conversion to loyalty. Offer efficient and responsive technical support, as the quality of after-sales service will significantly influence their perception of your brand in the long term.
8. Loyalty
Last but not least, loyalty transforms a one-time buyer into a regular customer, or even an ambassador. Remember that acquiring a new customer costs up to five times more than retaining an existing one. To strengthen this loyalty, send personalized communications, offer exclusive deals, and regularly nurture the relationship. A loyal customer not only returns but also recommends your business, creating a virtuous cycle of growth.
To optimize each of these steps, I recommend adopting a comprehensive and consistent approach, ensuring smooth transitions between each phase. Also, remember that 68% of customers leave a company due to a poor customer journey, while conversion rates increase by 15% for companies that improve it.
How to identify friction points in the journey
Detecting obstacles in your digital customer journey is essential for improving your conversion rate. Knowing where your problems lie allows you to take action precisely where needed. Here are the most effective methods for identifying these friction points.
Using heatmaps and replays
Heatmaps are data visualizations that reveal how users interact with your site. They show precisely where your visitors click, move, and scroll. There are three main types of heatmaps:
Click heatmaps that highlight areas where users click
Scroll heatmaps that show how far users scroll down the page
Motion heatmaps that track mouse movements
These valuable tools help you understand why your metrics are changing in certain ways, beyond simple quantitative data. Furthermore, session recordings (replays) complement this analysis by allowing you to observe a user's individual journey through your site, making each interaction visible.
Analyze bounce and abandonment rates
A high bounce rate on a key page usually indicates a point of friction. However, this metric alone doesn't reveal why users are leaving your site. A 45% bounce rate could mean several things: your site is too slow, navigation isn't intuitive, or users aren't finding what they're looking for.
Similarly, a high abandonment rate in your purchase funnel can reveal barriers related to payment options or form complexity. Therefore, it's essential to combine this quantitative data with a qualitative analysis of the user experience to draw relevant conclusions.
Observe the rapid clicks and rewinds
Rage clicks are repeated, rapid clicks on the same element, indicating user frustration. This behavior typically occurs when an element appears clickable but isn't, or when the interface doesn't meet expectations.
To identify these friction points:
Look for a high click-through rate in a short period of time
Analyze click locations to identify problem areas
Examine user journeys to identify where they are stuck
Look for unusual clicking patterns, such as rapid clicking between two elements
These indicators allow you to pinpoint where to intervene to streamline your customer journey and significantly improve the user experience.
Optimize each step of the digital customer journey
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Improving the customer experience requires optimizing every step of the digital journey to facilitate the path to conversion. By analyzing touchpoints, we can turn obstacles into opportunities for engagement.
Adapt content to user intent
User intent represents a user's specific goal when conducting a search. To optimize your digital customer journey, it's essential to align your content with these intentions. Understanding whether the user is in the informational, transactional, or navigational phase allows you to offer relevant information at each stage.
For example, for transactional searches, focus on elements that facilitate purchase, such as clear calls-to-action. For informational searches, prioritize educational and comprehensive content. This approach reduces bounce rates and increases engagement on your site.
Streamline navigation and mobile-first
Mobile-first has become essential, with 54.64% of web traffic coming from mobile devices. However, hiding navigation under a hamburger menu can significantly reduce its usability. To optimize the experience:
Make sure interactive elements are large enough (minimum 44 pixels)
Create a clear site structure with explicit labels
Use a responsive design that adapts to all screen sizes
Simplify the payment process
A long or complex checkout process is one of the main causes of shopping cart abandonment. According to the Baymard Institute, the abandonment rate is around 70% . One-click checkout drastically reduces the number of steps required, and consumers are 66% more likely to complete a purchase when the process is simplified.
Additionally, offer multiple payment options to accommodate diverse preferences. This flexibility is especially important on mobile, where nearly 58% of global e-commerce sales are made.
Customize recommendations
Personalization transforms the customer experience by delivering content tailored to specific tastes and behaviors. Businesses using personalized recommendations can increase revenue by up to 30%. Artificial intelligence analyzes purchasing behaviors, preferences, and history to suggest relevant products.
So, a customer satisfied with a personalized experience is not only more likely to complete their purchase, but also to recommend your brand and return for future purchases.
Common mistakes to avoid in the customer journey
Image Source: Userpilot
Despite your best optimization efforts, some mistakes can compromise the effectiveness of your customer journey . According to research, 67% of customers cite a poor experience as a reason to switch to a competitor. Let's take a look at these common pitfalls and how to avoid them.
Force a single path
Many businesses impose a rigid journey on their visitors. However, this approach overlooks the diversity of purchasing behaviors. Indeed, consumers now expect personalized services perfectly tailored to their needs.
To avoid this mistake, offer multiple paths to conversion. For example, some users prefer to directly read customer reviews before exploring your products, while others want to immediately compare available options.
Ignore alternative entry pages
Many strategies focus solely on the homepage as the main entry point. However, visitors often arrive at your site through secondary pages via search engines or social media.
For each page you want to analyze, consider not only the full URL but also the path after the domain name. This approach will allow you to identify alternative paths and adapt your strategy accordingly.
Neglecting the mobile experience
With an average daily time spent on smartphones of 2 hours and 39 minutes , neglecting the mobile experience is a major mistake. The mobile experience must be a priority, especially when we consider that Canadians spent $20.34 billion shopping on their phones in 2019.
The three key components to improving the experience on a mobile application are:
Clear and efficient navigation
Detailed and convincing product pages
A simplified payment process
Confusing or overly dense text
Above all, consumers want pleasant, fast, and seamless experiences. Overly technical or cluttered content is a major obstacle. Using technical terms specific to your industry can lead to frustration.
Furthermore, 72% of consumers prefer to resolve their issues themselves without contacting customer service. So make sure your explanatory texts, especially in your FAQs, are clear, concise, and logically organized.
By avoiding these common mistakes at every stage of your digital customer journey, you will significantly improve the user experience and, consequently, your conversion rate.
Conclusion: Optimizing the customer journey is a strategic necessity
Ultimately, the customer journey is much more than a simple series of interactions. This complex path fundamentally determines the success of your sales strategy. We've seen that each stage, from awareness to loyalty, represents a crucial opportunity to strengthen relationships with your prospects and customers.
The data speaks for itself: an optimized customer journey can increase your conversion rates by up to 400% , while 67% of customers cite a poor experience as the main reason for switching to a competitor. Therefore, carefully analyzing friction points using tools like heatmaps is essential to identify the obstacles that are holding back your conversions.
Let's not forget that personalization plays a key role in this equation. Businesses that offer tailored recommendations increase their revenue by up to 30% . Similarly, simplifying the checkout process can drastically reduce your shopping cart abandonment rate, which currently sits at around 70%.
However, avoid common mistakes like imposing a one-size-fits-all path or neglecting the mobile experience. These obstacles can undermine your optimization efforts and drive your potential customers to your competitors. Strengthen your online presence with JB Impact, your Wix expert in Quebec. Get a free consultation now and take your business to new heights with cutting-edge marketing strategies.
Finally, consider the customer journey as a living ecosystem that requires constant attention. Arguably, today's successful brands are those that truly place the customer at the center of their strategy, analyze each step of their journey, and continually adapt their approach to deliver a seamless, consistent, and memorable experience.
FAQs
Q1. What is the customer journey and why is it important?
The customer journey represents the entirety of interactions between a consumer and a business, from the recognition of a need to loyalty. It is crucial because it helps optimize the user experience, increase conversion rates, and build customer loyalty.
Q2. What are the main stages of the customer journey?
The eight main stages of the customer journey are: awareness, consideration, intent, evaluation, purchase, delivery, post-purchase experience, and loyalty. Each stage represents an opportunity for improvement for the business.
Q3. How to identify friction points in the customer journey?
Friction points can be identified by using tools like heatmaps and session replays, analyzing bounce and abandonment rates, and observing user behaviors such as quick clicks and backtracking.
Q4. What are the common mistakes to avoid in the customer journey?
Common mistakes include forcing a single path, ignoring alternative entry pages, neglecting the mobile experience, and using confusing or overly dense text. It's important to offer flexibility and an optimized experience across all devices.
Q5. How to optimize the payment process in the customer journey?
To optimize the checkout process, it's recommended to simplify it as much as possible, particularly by offering one-click payment. It's also important to offer multiple payment options to meet customers' diverse preferences, especially on mobile devices, where a large proportion of online purchases are made.
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