Knowing the customers' preferences and needs is key to successful business development. Customers having a positive experience are more likely to return, buy more, or upgrade their plan. Besides, satisfied customers are the best way to attract new ones. 

The customer journey mapping process aims to understand customer needs and resolve pain points at all critical touchpoints with the brand. Let's talk about a customer journey map, how to create it, what is essential to include, and what are the benefits for business.

What is a customer journey map

A customer journey map (CJM) covers all the interactions between a company and its client. It visualises the customer's path to buying a product or service. It is rarely a linear journey because it takes multiple touchpoints across different channels.

The mapping process requires a manager to be at the head of the target market to light up the weak points of the journey. Various methods can be used to represent the CJM, from notes to graphics and diagrams.

How to create a map

1. Identify objectives. Before starting the mapping process, the company should set clear goals and objectives for the CJM, and create a pool of questions for their clients. This information will drive the next steps in the right direction and make the mapping process more efficient.

2. Create your customer personas. A customer persona is an image of a person the business wants to target. It includes a scope of interests, job title, personal goals, the reasons why the customer needs the product, etc. The company needs to create 2-3 customer persona types, depending on the number of products.

3. Gather existing data on your customers. The next step is to collect all the data from your existing customers. It can be done using numerous methods a company has in its arsenal. One of them is collecting feedback by running an interview with the client. Some examples of questions to ask:
   
   - How did you find out about our company?
   - What attracted your attention to our site for the first time?
   - What was your goal while searching for the product?
   - What were the difficulties at the beginning of using our product?
   - What features do you wish to see in our product?

4. Organise touchpoints and stages. Touchpoints are places that encourage prospects and clients to interact with the company, like the company's website, social media, email, third-party websites, or other communication channels. Based on the previous research, the manager needs to create a list of all the touchpoints customers use and the ones the team believe they should use. This critical step provides insights into what stages the client passes.

5. Map the customer journey. All the information collected can now be transformed into the customer journey map. Plot the routes clients take to reach their goals using the list of touchpoints and provide more context for every essential touchpoint. It may be the client's emotions, received insights, or metrics.

6. Make improvements. As a result of the research and mapping, the company can identify what changes need to be made for a better customer experience. It may be adding more information about the product, changing the call-to-action messages, creating new pages on the website, etc.

Benefits for business

The mapping process requires going through all the steps the client passes. That is why it has plenty of benefits for business. Some of the most valuable are:

• Understanding the role and efficiency of different channels.
• Identifying customer pains and finding new ways to meet the demand.
• Personalising the customer experience.
• Improving customer retention rate.
• Create a customer-centric culture with the best solutions for clients.

Review and edit the journey map regularly because customer habits and preferences tend to change over time. Depending on the business size, it's worth reviewing the CJM monthly or quarterly. It allows tracking all the changes in business metrics and company progress in general.

Our experience with CJM

At Corefy, we started the customer journey mapping process a few months ago. Our payment orchestration platform is targeted at the B2B market. That's why we've had to make changes to classic CJM templates tailored to B2C businesses. 

The customer journey of SaaS business customers also has special characteristics which should be taken into account. There is no template that may fit every B2B SaaS company, since products and services have different purposes and features. Still, we can highlight a few stages customers pass on their way. 

1. Evaluation – the period when the customer gets to know the company and its product. Usually, it starts from meeting one of the first touchpoints and includes learning all the available information about the company.

2. Consideration – a pre-purchase time, which includes contact with a sales team, requesting additional information and a product demo.

3. Purchase – a decision-making process ended by signing the contract.

4. Onboarding and support – when customers dive directly into all the technical details and features, adapt to use the product and implement it into their own businesses.

5. Scaling – the stage when satisfied customers upgrade their packages.

Our team is still putting the finishing touches on our map by running the interview and highlighting all the pains and needs of the clients, but here are some thoughts we can share at this time:

1. The number of touchpoints customers interact with increases. The decision-making process requires more time and more people involved. It is worth considering in marketing and sales strategy.

2. Networking plays a significant role in attracting prospects. Besides improving brand awareness, it is an efficient communication channel with potential clients. Customers are more likely to work with a company if they've previously met its representatives or top management in an informal atmosphere.

3. Producing educational content for clients is a way to optimise human resources. Usually, clients find it challenging to adapt to complex technical solutions. They require a lot of attention from the Customer Success team during the onboarding and when mastering the platform's features. To optimise the time and resources of the team, the company may develop different tutorials and guides with all needed information for every stage of clients' journey. 

4. Diving deep into clients' businesses is critical for providing high-quality services. It may not be enough just to highlight the pains of the client. The team should know the features and processes of customers' business, so they can understand all the needs.

5. Client support must be available 24/7. As customers work in different spheres and regions, the demand for support may arise anytime. Our Customer Success team have cases of dealing with clients' problems at nighttime or weekends.

To sum up

A customer journey map is a crucial step in building a customer-centric culture in the company. It allows the employees to discover clients' thoughts, emotions, and decision-making process while interacting with the company. Regularly reviewing and tweaking the map is an effective instrument in improving services and developing business.