The Basics of the Customer Journey: Why Colourful Maps Alone Do Not Make a Strategy

Every company believes it knows its customers. Yet customer journeys are often based more on the marketing department’s gut feeling than on the reality of the customers’ experience. If you want genuine insights, you need to dig deeper and not be misled by linear funnels.

Analysing the customer journey is one of the most powerful frameworks for understanding customer needs throughout the lifecycle. When applied correctly, it highlights where needs are being met and where the brand and its competitors are falling short.

Yet in practice, we often see the opposite. Customer journey maps that look plausible but are merely idealised visions of internal departments. A genuine analysis is not a design project, but work based on reality.

The most common mistake: customer journeys are devised around the conference table. Sales and marketing sketch out an ideal path based on assumptions. Yet these prototypical journeys rarely stand up to real-world testing.

Empirical data is valuable, but it is no substitute for real-world evidence. To truly understand what makes the target audience tick, we need neutral observations and, for example, so-called cultural probes. These are genuine insights into customers’ lives, such as photos, selfie videos or screenshots. Only these pieces of the puzzle reveal how touchpoints are actually experienced.

To ensure that the analysis does not degenerate into mere theory, we must break away from old ways of thinking. Here are the four most important factors for an effective analysis:

1. Say goodbye to the linear funnel: We love models such as ‘Awareness, Consideration, Purchase’. The reality, however, is chaotic. Real customer journeys are non-linear, full of jumps, loops and drop-offs. Anyone who builds a linear model is planning without taking the customer into account.

2. Emotions are more important than clicks: Many analyses rely purely on rational metrics such as dwell time or click-through rates. Yet data is often ambiguous: does a short dwell time indicate disinterest or perfect usability? Emotions and frustrations are crucial for conversion and loyalty. We must specifically gather these, for example through interviews or accompanied shopping.

3. Breaking down silos: Often, different departments are responsible for different channels (website vs. social media vs. support). From the customer’s perspective, this is irrelevant; they experience a brand. To identify gaps at the touchpoints, methods such as mystery shopping help, where professionals systematically test the journey.

4. After the purchase is before success: Many journey maps end abruptly with the completion of the purchase. However, usage, support and word-of-mouth recommendations are the drivers of long-term success and loyalty. The post-purchase phase should be part of the strategy.

It’s tempting to rush straight into using sophisticated software tools and stylish visualisations. But even the most beautiful map is worthless if it isn’t based on real insights.

Our advice at bemorrow: spend less time on the design of the map and more on understanding the people who are supposed to navigate it. 

When was the last time you tested your customer journey against reality?

If you’re interested in discussing this topic, please feel free to get in touch at hello@bemorrow.com.