Customer Experience Lesson 2: How to Map your customer journey And uncover sales

Stage 1: Build brand recognition

Focus on the 20/80 rule but identifying the 20% activities that bring you 80% of your results (called the Pareto Principle). It may be that email marketing is your best performer, or paid promotion on social works best or a mix of these two with a dash of word of mouth marketing. Find the channels that work for your business and use them to build brand awareness.

See if you can link back to your ONLY YOU message, reminding customers what you do better than all your competitors. As a small business, you probably have limited time for marketing prep, so you’ve got to be realistic and stick to a manageable and consistent marketing schedule. Find and track the KPIs that work for your business, you will find an example of 6 key KPI for any business to follow here.

Stage 2: Take care of your window

Begin with your store’s first impressions; its curb appeal, location and parking convenience – is it tailored to your customers? What happens when your customer walks in – does a bell ring? Is there a friendly face to greet them? Is your storefront clean and aesthetically beautiful? Every aspect of your storefront needs to be thought out to entice customers through the front door.

Then it’s time to look at your digital CX. What are your customers’ first impression of your website, app or social accounts? This free heat-mapping tool allows you to see how your customers interact with your online content. That way, you can start to design your website to increase footfall to your store.

Stage 3: Excel in customer service

This is all about creating a delightful in-store and online experience.

Having intuitive store layout, minimum wait times, upselling, great interaction with staff, and inbuilt impulse purchase design means predicting what customers need before they even know it themselves.

One good way to do this is to ask someone not connected to your store to ‘Mystery Shop’ and give you constructive feedback about their experience.

Tracking your average spend will help you set up an upsell and cross-sell plan and reveals opportunities for you to delight your customers. Maybe you offer a complementary product at the counter? Or give 10% off bundle product and services that are just made to go together?

Meeting your customers’ payment preferences is also essential, can they easily tap their card (contactless payments) to pay without smudging their newly polished nails? Can you mail them a receipt for their records direct from the til?

Stage 4: Don’t forget post-sale

Have the customer’s needs been met? Does the experience make the customer hungry to come back for more? Is there a loyalty programme in place? Do you ask them to rate your services?

Offer after-sales services, perhaps access to a VIP customer newsletter or invite them back for a workshop or a new product launch. Loyal customers convert, so it’s great to make use of these loyalty tips:

Exceed expectations; give the unexpected – if you’re a florist, add in a bespoke pack of seeds so they can grow their own beautiful flowers on their windowsill.
Create a sense of community; both online and offline – a community talks, meaning it’s a great way to create hype around your brand!
Get personal; find ways to say thank you – such as celebrating your customer’s birthday and strive to create an emotional bond that shows your customers how much you value their loyalty.

Now is your moment to shine

Nex step for you: Getting the basics right

An up-to-date website and regular posting on your platforms – gives your customers the best impression of your brand. Definitely consider setting up a tool that tracks online conversations around your business. Learn how to set up Google Alerts or try Brand 24, a free social listening tool, to really know what your customers are saying.

Next, it’s time to use your positive customer experiences to get you more customers!
Which is why in next Lesson we’re moving onto how to capture customer reviews to grow your business.