An effective method for helping businesses improve their customer’s experiences is customer journey mapping. Organizations may put the puzzle of their customer’s experience together with this method, as well as learn where their present procedures fall short by referring to customer feedback. Still, it is not always simple to construct a seamless B2B customer journey and doing it wrong might eventually lead to a lack of direction. In this article, we’ll examine the benefits of creating a customer journey map for your B2B clients and offer some suggestions for a successful customer journey map.
Why is the Customer Journey important for your business?
A B2B customer journey is the sum of a buyer’s interactions with a business, from the initial point of contact through well after a purchase has been made. For example, how a business takes care of their customers after they make a purchase reflects on the company and may make or break their ability to keep their business. To increase client retention and satisfaction, follow-up contact after a purchase is essential.
As opposed to consumer purchases, there are many decision-makers involved in B2B transactions. There are often a wide variety of job titles and job duties among the people participating in a purchase, each with its own unique set of requirements and priorities. And that’s why it’s so crucial to emphasize customer service to provide everyone with a satisfying experience.
An important first step in understanding and enhancing the customer experience is to visualize it. Plotting the steps a B2B client takes with your product or service may help you learn what kind of experience they have with your company and its offerings at each point of the journey. In order to enhance the B2B customer experience and increase conversions from prospects to buyers, you must first assess the current condition of your business’s process.
What factors determine a successful B2B customer journey?
Be upfront and clear
You and the rest of the company must be on the same page on the project’s genuine purpose and business objectives before you can move forward. Customer journey mapping may collect a lot of data, so it’s crucial to keep an eye on the big picture from the beginning.
Recognize complications early
Before beginning the journey mapping process, it’s important to consider the unique aspects of your company and how they could impact the overall strategy. To illustrate, a customer’s journey may look very different depending on whether they are a new or a returning customer, or whether they are purchasing a different set of products. These need to be considered in the journey mapping exercise, and it might be useful to construct several journey maps to account for them.
Gather feedback directly from customers
Feedback from customers consists of their observations, complaints, suggestions, and other comments about a company’s products or services. Customers themselves might shed light on the processes. In-depth interviews with a limited number of participants are usually sufficient for this purpose. It is possible that just certain job positions or segments of the client base need to be contacted regarding a specific step of the journey.
Creating your Customer Journey map
Your customers’ experiences can be mapped out with the use of a customer journey map. An important first step in enhancing the customer journey is to check your current workflow and look for any missed touchpoints or new obstacles. To get you started on your own customer journey map, here are the five things you should do first.
1. Examine buying groups
There are often multiple decision makers in a B2B environment, they all serve different roles and responsibilities. Each of them will have different conditions you will have to take on board. Determine how much authority they really have over buying decisions.
2. Comprehend your customer’s goals
If you want to sell more of your product, you need to know what problems or wants your customers are seeking to answer. Spend some time understanding what drives them so you can better convey the value you will bring.
3. Make use of data analytics
In order to better serve your customers, data analytics is an invaluable asset. Making judgments based on facts rather than feelings is facilitated by this method. Make use of information from several analytics platforms to gain a more complete picture of the journey.
4. Detail the steps of the journey
Your company’s unique procedures will determine the specifics of your customer journey map. An easy way to get started is by using a general template, which may subsequently be subdivided into more complex parts as you progress. A good exercise is to put yourself in the customer’s position and try to go through the steps as if you were them.
5. Map out the different touchpoints
The B2B and B2C markets share several touchpoints, including websites, blog material, and organic search. On the other hand, some are exclusive to B2B interactions. There should be a plan for mapping out everything from product demonstrations to sales meetings to employee onboarding.
Take notes from the B2C journey
In most cases, B2C customer journeys are what come to mind first. However, the truth is that B2B purchasers want and even demand a shopping experience similar to that of a B2C client. One area in which B2C excels is in the area of personalization. Remembering that there are people behind every business will help your B2B customer journey stand out from the crowd.
Looking to create a customer journey map for your clients? Look no further than Convergence Concepts. With our knowledge and skills in the areas of strategy, creativity, experience design, and digital media, we are qualified to craft a bespoke customer experience for your clientele, both future and existing.
Reach out to us at marketing@convergenceconcepts.com.sg to inquire more!
