Imagine discovering a marketing strategy that identifies the most effective advertising channels and maximises spending. This is a reality for brands that move beyond viewing their advertising efforts in isolation.

Traditionally, companies have evaluated the impact of TV, print, radio, and online ads separately, with each channel measured independently for its contribution to sales. However, this approach misses the bigger picture of how ads interact across different media. A compelling TV advertisement might initiate a series of consumer actions, from a Google search to a click on a digital ad, eventually leading to a purchase. Unpacking these interactions requires sophisticated data analytics, revealing insights like the effectiveness of seemingly minor investments in platforms like YouTube compared to major spending on traditional TV ads. 

By harnessing the power of advanced analytics and predictive modelling, brands can redistribute their advertising budgets more efficiently, achieving significant sales increases without additional expenditure. This evolution from traditional media-mix models to a comprehensive understanding of advertising synergy is not just an enhancement of marketing strategy—it’s a revolution.

Overview of Attribution Models

Definition and Purpose of Attribution Models

Attribution models are frameworks that determine how various touchpoints in a customer’s journey assign credit for sales and conversions. They help marketers understand which channels, messages, and strategies are most effective in driving desired outcomes. Attribution models enable more informed decision-making and budget allocation by providing insights into how different marketing activities contribute to conversions.

Types of Attribution Models

Attribution models can be categorised into two types:

  • Single-touch Attribution Models: These models assign all the credit for a conversion to one touchpoint in the customer journey. They are simpler to implement but often fail to capture the complexity of modern consumer behaviour.
  • Multi-touch Attribution Models: These models distribute the credit for conversion across multiple touchpoints, providing a more comprehensive view of the customer journey. They offer greater accuracy but require more sophisticated data collection and analysis.

Why are attribution models important?

Understanding which marketing channels and strategies are effective is crucial for optimising ROI. Attribution models reveal the impact of different touchpoints on consumer behaviour, helping marketers refine campaigns, allocate budgets efficiently, and achieve better business results.

Single-touch Attribution Models

Single-touch attribution models assign all the credit for a conversion to one touchpoint in the customer journey. This approach is straightforward to implement but often oversimplifies the complexity of modern consumer behaviour. Below, we explore the two most common single-touch attribution models: First-Touch Attribution and Last-Touch Attribution.

First-Touch Attribution

First-touch attribution assigns 100% of the credit for a conversion to a consumer’s first interaction with a brand. This model posits that the initial touchpoint is crucial in driving the consumer’s journey toward conversion.

Strengths:

  • Simplicity: Easy to implement and understand, making it accessible for marketers with limited resources or technical expertise.
  • Focus on Awareness: It highlights the importance of awareness campaigns and top-of-the-funnel marketing efforts, helping marketers understand which channels and strategies are most effective at capturing initial interest.

Weaknesses:

  • Ignores Subsequent Interactions: This approach overlooks the impact of all other touchpoints that may have influenced the consumer’s decision, providing an incomplete picture of the customer journey.
  • Potential for Misleading Insights: This may lead to overemphasising initial touchpoints and underinvestment in mid- and bottom-of-the-funnel activities that drive conversions.

Use Cases:

  • Brand Awareness Campaigns: This approach is ideal for campaigns focused on generating brand awareness and attracting new leads, where the primary goal is to understand which channels are most effective at capturing initial attention.
  • Simpler Marketing Ecosystems: Suitable for companies with relatively simple marketing ecosystems where consumers typically convert shortly after their first interaction.

Example: Retail Company Using First-Touch Attribution

Scenario: A retail company running a brand awareness campaign to attract new customers to their online store could use First-Touch Attribution to measure the effectiveness of their initial touchpoints.

Implementation:

  • Channels Used: Social media ads, display ads, and influencer marketing.
  • Attribution Model: First-Touch Attribution to assign credit to the first interaction a customer had with the brand.


Let’s say, social media ads were identified as the most effective initial touchpoint, driving 60% of first-time visits. The company could increase its budget for social media ads and see an increase in overall site traffic.

Last-Touch Attribution

Last-Touch Attribution assigns 100% of the credit for a conversion to the consumer’s final interaction with a brand before converting. This model assumes that the last touchpoint is the decisive factor in the consumer’s decision to convert.

Strengths:

  • Simplicity: Like First-Touch Attribution, it is easy to implement and understand.
  • Focus on Conversions: This approach emphasises the touchpoints directly leading to conversions, providing clear insights into which channels and strategies are closing sales.

Weaknesses:

  • Ignores Previous Interactions: This approach neglects the influence of earlier touchpoints that may have significantly contributed to the consumer’s journey, resulting in an incomplete view of the customer experience.
  • Potential for Misleading Insights: This may lead to overemphasising the final touchpoints and underinvestment in awareness and consideration-stage activities essential for nurturing leads toward conversion.

Use Cases:

  • Conversion-Focused Campaigns: This approach is ideal for campaigns where the primary goal is to drive immediate conversions, and understanding the final touchpoints is critical for optimisation.
  • Direct Response Marketing: Suitable for direct response marketing efforts, focusing on understanding which channels are most effective at generating quick sales.

Example: E-commerce Brand Using Last-Touch Attribution

Scenario: An e-commerce brand wanted to boost conversions during a seasonal sale. They employed Last-Touch Attribution to identify which final interactions were driving purchases.

Implementation:

  • Channels Used: Email marketing, retargeting ads, and direct search.
  • Attribution Model: Last-Touch Attribution to credit the final interaction before purchase.

Let’s say retargeting ads accounted for 50% of last-touch interactions leading to sales. It could adjust the campaign to increase its retargeting ad spend, increasing sales during the sales period.

While single-touch attribution models like First-Touch and Last-Touch Attribution provide a straightforward and accessible way to measure ad effectiveness, they often fail to capture the full complexity of modern consumer journeys. They can lead to overemphasising specific touchpoints at the expense of a holistic understanding of how various channels and interactions collectively drive conversions. For marketers seeking a more nuanced and accurate view of their campaigns, multi-touch attribution models offer a more comprehensive solution.

Multi-touch Attribution Models

Multi-touch attribution models distribute the credit for conversion across multiple touchpoints in a customer’s journey. They provide a more nuanced understanding of how interactions collectively drive conversions, offering greater accuracy and insights than single-touch models. 

Linear Attribution

Linear Attribution assigns equal credit to all touchpoints in a customer’s journey. This model assumes that every interaction equally impacts the conversion decision, regardless of when it occurred.

Strengths:

  • Simplicity and Fairness: Easy to implement and ensures that all touchpoints receive recognition, providing a balanced view of the customer journey.
  • Comprehensive Insight: This tool helps marketers understand the overall role of each channel in driving conversions, making it useful for campaigns where multiple touchpoints contribute significantly.

Weaknesses:

  • Over-simplification: Assumes equal influence of all interactions, which may not accurately reflect their actual impact on the conversion decision.
  • Potential for Misleading Insights: May undervalue critical touchpoints that have a more significant role in influencing conversions.

Use Cases:

  • Awareness Campaigns: Suitable for campaigns aimed at raising awareness across multiple channels, where understanding the collective impact of various touchpoints is important.
  • Complex Customer Journeys: Ideal for brands with long and complex customer journeys involving multiple interactions across different channels.

Example: SaaS Company Using Linear Attribution

Scenario: A SaaS company aimed to understand the customer journey to optimise its marketing mix. To this end, it used linear attribution to assign equal credit to all touchpoints.

Implementation:

  • Channels Used: Content marketing, social media, email campaigns, and PPC ads.
  • Attribution Model: Linear Attribution to distribute credit equally among all touchpoints.

All channels contributed significantly, but content marketing and PPC ads were particularly effective in nurturing leads. The company could maintain a balanced budget across channels but increase investment in content creation and PPC campaigns.

Time Decay Attribution

Time Decay Attribution gives more credit to touchpoints closer to the conversion event. The rationale is that the closer an interaction is to the conversion, the more influence it likely has on the consumer’s decision.

Strengths:

  • Focus on Recent Interactions: Highlights the importance of recent touchpoints, which are often more influential in driving the final conversion.
  • Balanced View: This view provides a balanced approach by recognising the contribution of all touchpoints while giving more weight to those closer to the conversion.

Weaknesses:

  • Potential Bias: May overemphasise the importance of recent interactions at the expense of earlier touchpoints crucial in building awareness and consideration.
  • Complexity in Implementation: Requires more sophisticated data analysis than simpler models, making it more resource-intensive.

Use Cases:

  • Sales and Promotion Campaigns: Effective for short-term campaigns focused on driving immediate sales, where understanding the influence of recent touchpoints is crucial.
  • Long Purchase Cycles: Suitable for brands with long purchase cycles, where multiple interactions over time lead to the final conversion.

Example: Financial Services Firm Using Time Decay Attribution

Scenario: A financial services firm sought to optimise its marketing for short-term promotional offers. They used the Time Decay Attribution to emphasise recent touchpoints.

Implementation:

  • Channels Used: Email marketing, social media ads, and SEO.
  • Attribution Model: Time Decay Attribution to assign more credit to interactions closer to the conversion.

Let’s say email marketing, particularly recent campaigns, drove most conversions. The firm increased its focus on timely, targeted email campaigns during promotional periods.

Position-based Attribution

Position-based Attribution (U-shaped or bathtub model) assigns 40% of the credit to the first and last touchpoints, with the remaining 20% distributed evenly among the middle interactions. This model emphasises the importance of the initial and final interactions in the customer journey.

Strengths:

  • Balanced Emphasis: Recognises the critical role of initial awareness and final conversion-driving touchpoints while accounting for middle interactions’ contributions.
  • Strategic Insight: Provides valuable insights into which channels are most effective at capturing initial interest and closing sales.

Weaknesses:

  • Arbitrary Credit Distribution: The 40-20-40 split may not accurately reflect the true impact of each touchpoint, leading to potential biases.
  • Complexity: More complex to implement and analyze compared to single-touch models.

Use Cases:

  • Full-funnel Campaigns: These are ideal for campaigns that span the entire customer journey from awareness to conversion, where understanding the role of each stage is essential.
  • New Customer Acquisition: Useful for brands focused on acquiring and nurturing new customers through the sales funnel.

Example: Global Tech Company Using Position-based Attribution

Scenario: A global tech company wanted to optimise its marketing strategy for a new product launch. They used Position-based Attribution to balance the emphasis on initial and final touchpoints.

Implementation:

  • Channels Used: Display ads, video ads, email marketing, and organic search.
  • Attribution Model: Position-based Attribution to assign 40% credit to the first and last touchpoints, with 20% distributed among middle interactions.

Let’s say display ads were crucial for initial awareness, while email marketing effectively closed sales. The company could increase investment in display ads for awareness and email marketing for conversions.

Data-driven Attribution

Data-driven Attribution uses machine learning and advanced analytics to assign credit to each touchpoint based on its actual contribution to conversions. This model dynamically adjusts the weight of each interaction based on real-time data and observed consumer behaviour.

Strengths:

  • Accuracy: Provides the most accurate representation of each touchpoint’s impact, as it is based on actual data rather than predefined rules.
  • Customisability: Adapts to the brand’s unique customer journey and behaviours, offering highly tailored insights.

Weaknesses:

  • Complexity and Cost: It requires sophisticated data collection, machine learning algorithms, and significant computational resources, making it expensive and resource-intensive.
  • Data Dependency: It relies heavily on the quality and quantity of available data, which may be a limitation for some companies.

Use Cases:

  • Advanced Marketing Analytics: Suitable for brands with access to robust data and analytics capabilities looking to gain deep insights into their marketing performance.
  • High-value Conversions: These are effective for industries where understanding the precise contribution of each touchpoint is crucial due to the high value of conversions, such as B2B or luxury markets.

Example: Consumer Electronics Brand Using Data-driven Attribution

Scenario: A consumer electronics brand aimed to maximise its digital marketing effectiveness. They adopted Data-driven Attribution to dynamically assign credit based on real-time data.

Implementation:

  • Channels Used: Paid search, social media, video ads, influencer marketing, and content marketing.
  • Attribution Model: Data-driven Attribution using machine learning to analyze and assign credit dynamically.

Let’s say paid search and social media had the highest impact on conversions, with influencer marketing significantly contributing to brand awareness. The brand could optimise its budget allocation in real-time, increasing investment in high-performing channels.

Multi-touch attribution models offer a more comprehensive and accurate way to measure ad effectiveness than single-touch models. By distributing credit across multiple interactions, these models provide deeper insights into the complex consumer journey, enabling marketers to optimise their campaigns and achieve better ROI. The model choice depends on each brand’s goals, resources, and data capabilities.

Comparing different attribution models 

Comparing attribution models helps understand their strengths, weaknesses, and suitability. Let’s explore the criteria for comparison, analyze the performance of each model, and discuss their implications for marketing ROI.

Criteria for Comparison

  • Accuracy: How well the model reflects the true impact of each touchpoint on conversions.
  • Complexity: The level of difficulty in implementing and maintaining the model.
  • Data Requirements: The volume and quality of data needed for the model to function effectively.
  • Cost: The financial investment required for setting up, running, and analyzing the model.

Strengths and Weaknesses of Each Model

ModelAccuracyComplexityData RequirementsCost
First-Touch AttributionLow accuracy as it ignores subsequent interactions.Very low complexity, easy to implement.Minimal data is required; only the initial touchpoint is tracked.Low cost due to simplicity.
Last-Touch AttributionLow accuracy as it ignores previous interactions.Very low complexity, easy to implement.Minimal data is required; only the final touchpoint is tracked.Low cost due to simplicity.
Linear AttributionModerate accuracy considers all touchpoints equally, which may not reflect true impact.Low complexity, easy to implement.Moderate data is required; all touchpoints must be tracked.Low to moderate cost, depending on the number of touchpoints tracked.
Time Decay AttributionHigh accuracy for short-term conversions, lower for long-term as it emphasises recent interactions.Moderate complexity requires more sophisticated analysis.High data requirement; needs tracking of all touchpoints and timing information.Moderate to high cost due to data and analysis needs.
Position-based AttributionHigh accuracy, balances an emphasis on initial and final touchpoints, considers middle interactions.Moderate complexity involves predefined credit distribution.High data requirement: all touchpoints must be tracked.Moderate to high cost due to data needs and predefined model setup.
Data-driven AttributionVery high accuracy, as it uses real-time data and machine learning to assign credit dynamically.Very high complexity requires advanced analytics and machine learning capabilities.Very high data requirement; comprehensive tracking and high-quality data are essential.High cost due to the need for sophisticated technology and analytics capabilities.

Implications for Marketing ROI

Impact on Budget Allocation

  • Optimised Spending: Accurate attribution models help marketers optimise budgets by identifying effective channels. This leads to more efficient spending and higher ROI.
  • Informed Decisions: By understanding the true impact of each touchpoint, marketers can make informed decisions about where to invest more or less, ensuring that marketing dollars are spent where they will have the greatest effect.

Influence on Campaign Strategy

  • Holistic Campaign Planning: Multi-touch models support holistic planning by highlighting important touchpoints, leading to more integrated and cohesive marketing strategies.
  • Tactical Adjustments: With insights from time decay and linear attribution models, marketers can make tactical adjustments to their campaigns, such as increasing investment in channels that drive short-term conversions or maintaining a balanced approach across all touchpoints.

Effects on Long-term Planning

  • Long-term ROI Optimisation: Advanced models like data-driven attribution provide detailed insights that support long-term ROI optimisation. By continuously analyzing and adjusting campaigns based on real-time data, marketers can achieve sustained improvements in performance.
  • Strategic Alignment: Understanding the full customer journey and the interplay between channels helps align marketing strategies with overall business goals. This ensures that marketing efforts contribute to long-term business success.

Best Practices for Choosing an Attribution Model

Choosing the right attribution model is critical for accurately measuring ad effectiveness and optimising marketing strategies. This section outlines best practices to help businesses select the most suitable attribution model based on their specific needs and goals.

Assessing Business Needs

  • Define Objectives:
    • Clearly outline the goals of your marketing campaigns (e.g., brand awareness, lead generation, conversions).
    • Determine the specific insights you need from your attribution model (e.g., understanding initial touchpoints closing sales).
  • Understand the Customer Journey:
    • Map out the typical customer journey for your brand, identifying key touchpoints across different channels.
    • Consider the complexity of your marketing ecosystem and the number of touchpoints involved in a typical conversion path.
  • Evaluate Available Resources:
    • Assess the technical expertise and resources for implementing and maintaining an attribution model.
    • Consider the budget allocated for marketing analytics and data management.

Data Collection and Management

  • Comprehensive Data Tracking:
    • Ensure all touchpoints in the customer journey are tracked accurately and consistently across all channels.
    • Utilise tools and technologies that facilitate robust data collection, such as CRM systems, marketing automation platforms, and analytics software.
  • Data Quality and Consistency:
    • Maintain high data quality by regularly cleaning and validating your data to remove inaccuracies and inconsistencies.
    • Standardise data formats and ensure consistency across different data sources.
  • Integration of Data Sources:
    • Integrate data from various marketing channels and platforms to create a unified view of the customer journey.
    • Use data integration tools to merge disparate data sources into a cohesive dataset for analysis.

Testing and Optimisation

  • Experiment with Different Models:
    • Test multiple attribution models to compare their performance and insights.
    • Use A/B testing to evaluate the effectiveness of different models in measuring ad performance and driving business outcomes.
  • Continuous Monitoring and Adjustment:
    • Regularly monitor the performance of your chosen attribution model and adjust as needed based on new data and insights.
    • Implement a feedback loop to continuously refine your model and improve its accuracy and relevance.
  • Scenario Analysis:
    • Conduct scenario analysis to understand how different attribution models impact your marketing strategy and budget allocation.
    • Use predictive analytics to forecast the potential outcomes of different attribution approaches.

Integration with Marketing Strategy

  • Align with Business Goals:
    • Ensure your attribution model aligns with overall business objectives and supports strategic decision-making.
    • Use insights from your attribution model to inform broader marketing strategies and campaigns.
  • Cross-functional Collaboration:
    • Foster collaboration between marketing, sales, and data analytics teams to ensure a holistic approach to attribution modelling.
    • Share insights and findings across departments to align efforts and drive cohesive marketing strategies.
  • Leverage Technology:
    • Utilise advanced technologies such as machine learning and AI to enhance your attribution model’s capabilities.
    • Invest in marketing analytics platforms that offer built-in attribution modelling and predictive analytics features.

Choosing the right attribution model requires thoroughly understanding your business needs, customer journey, and available resources. Continuous monitoring, optimisation, and strategic alignment ensure the chosen attribution model remains relevant and effective in an ever-evolving marketing landscape.

Future Trends in Attribution Modeling

Attribution modelling is evolving rapidly due to technological advancements, changes in consumer behaviour, and new regulations. So, how do these developments shape the future of measuring ad effectiveness?

Advancements in Technology

  • Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning:
    • Enhanced Predictive Capabilities: AI and machine learning are increasingly being integrated into attribution models, allowing for more accurate consumer behaviour predictions and better credit attribution to different touchpoints.
    • Real-time Analytics: AI-driven models can process vast amounts of data in real-time, providing marketers with up-to-the-minute insights and enabling more agile decision-making.
  • Multi-channel Attribution:
    • Cross-device Tracking: Advances in technology now enable more effective cross-device tracking, allowing marketers to follow consumers across multiple devices and touchpoints for a more comprehensive view of the customer journey.
    • Integration of Online and Offline Data: The ability to integrate online and offline data sources (e.g., in-store purchases and call centre interactions) will provide a complete picture of consumer behaviour and improve the accuracy of attribution models.
  • Advanced-Data Analytics:
    • Big Data: The increasing availability of big data allows for more granular analysis of consumer interactions and more precise attribution of marketing efforts.
    • Predictive Analytics: Leveraging predictive analytics, marketers can forecast future consumer behaviour and adjust their strategies proactively.

Privacy and Data Regulations

  • Impact of GDPR and CCPA:
    • Data Privacy Compliance: The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) impose strict data collection and usage regulations. Attribution models must comply with these regulations, ensuring consumer data is collected and used ethically and legally.
    • Transparency and Consent: Marketers must be transparent about data collection practices and obtain explicit consent from consumers, which may limit the amount of data available for attribution modelling.
  • Evolving Data Practices:
    • Privacy-first Attribution Models: As privacy concerns grow, there will be a shift toward privacy-first attribution models prioritising consumer consent and data security.
    • First-party Data: With restrictions on third-party data, marketers will increasingly rely on first-party data collected directly from their interactions with consumers, enhancing the quality and relevance of their attribution models.

Evolving Consumer Behavior

  • Omni-channel Consumer Journeys:
    • Seamless Integration: Consumers increasingly interact with brands across multiple channels seamlessly. To provide accurate insights, attribution models will need to account for these complex omnichannel journeys.
    • Personalised Marketing: The demand for personalised marketing experiences will drive the need for attribution models to analyze individual consumer journeys and tailor marketing efforts accordingly.
  • Emergence of New Channels:
    • Social Media and Influencers: The growing influence of social media and influencers requires attribution models to accurately measure the impact of these channels on consumer behaviour and conversions.
    • Voice and IoT: The rise of voice-activated devices and the Internet of Things (IoT) have introduced new touchpoints in the customer journey, necessitating the inclusion of these interactions in attribution models.
  • Consumer Trust and Engagement:
    • Building Trust: As consumers become more aware of data privacy issues, building trust through transparent and ethical data practices will be essential. Attribution models that respect consumer privacy will foster greater trust and engagement.
    • Enhanced Engagement: Understanding the customer journey will enable marketers to create more engaging and relevant experiences, leading to higher consumer satisfaction and loyalty.

Technological advancements, regulatory changes, and evolving consumer behaviour shape the future of attribution modelling. AI and machine learning will enhance predictive capabilities and real-time analytics, while privacy regulations will drive the adoption of privacy-first models. As consumer journeys become more complex and omnichannel, attribution models must adapt to measure ad effectiveness accurately. By staying ahead of these trends, marketers can ensure their attribution models remain relevant and effective, ultimately driving better marketing ROI and fostering stronger consumer relationships.

We provide comprehensive market research and ad testing services as a global market research agency with offices in ten countries. We help you uncover your marketing impact and optimise strategies for maximum ROI.

Contact us today to learn more about how our market research services can support your company. Whether you need help choosing an attribution model, collecting data, or refining your strategy, we are here to assist you every step.

Understanding consumer behaviour is crucial as digital technology continues to reshape the retail industry. Every click, view, and scroll by a potential customer holds significant value. The journey from browsing a website to finally hitting the ‘Buy’ button is intricate, often driven by many factors that marketers need to comprehend. 

This is why market research becomes the compass guiding brands to understand and influence buying behaviours. 

But first, let’s step back and explore the fundamental questions: When and why do consumers decide to buy?

The Transformative World of Shopping

In the last two decades, the retail environment has witnessed remarkable shifts that have redefined the shopping experience. These subtle and significant transitions have reshaped consumer behaviour and posed challenges and opportunities for marketers. 

Let’s delve into the four primary areas where change has been most profound:

  • Empowerment through Knowledge: The modern consumer is armed with information. With uninterrupted access to many sources, shoppers today often possess insights about products, brands, and pricing that even some sales professionals might lack. This vast knowledge base enables them to make well-informed purchasing decisions.
  • Lifestyle Evolution: The globalised world has reshaped lifestyles with its swift information flow. New entertainment forms vie for the same attention and dollars that shopping once monopolised. The accelerated pace of life, coupled with global influences, has heightened the impact of social dynamics on purchasing decisions.
  • Technological Revolution: The digital age, with its internet accessibility, mobile innovations, and social media platforms, has opened up novel shopping avenues, like showrooming and webrooming. Moreover, these advancements have equipped researchers with invaluable consumer behaviour and preference data.
  • Structural Overhaul: There’s been an explosion in product variety and brand choices available to consumers. The emergence of omnichannel retailing has necessitated a rethink in marketing strategies, compelling consumers to juggle choices across products, brands, and online shopping platforms.

The Modern Buyer’s Journey

Gone are the days when shopping was a linear affair, often constrained by physical boundaries. The digital age presents a multifaceted buying process, marked by multiple touchpoints ranging from social media ads to email marketing and decision-making moments that can make or break a sale. Understanding this nuanced journey is crucial for any brand aiming to thrive online.

A Deeper Dive into the Shopper’s Journey

Marketers often question the moment consumers convert from mere interest to a purchase. “Why do they shop?” and “What sparks that transition from browsing to buying?”  are common conundrums,

The significance of these inquiries is evident from the many decision frameworks and choice models that have tried to define consumer shopping habits.

However, the retail sector has drastically evolved. These transformations, driven by technological advancements, societal shifts, and market changes, have reshaped consumer behavior, prompting new questions about why and how people buy. 

No longer is the consumer journey a linear path but a myriad of touchpoints filled with decisions, micro-moments, and varying motivations.

Existing shopper journey models, while insightful, may not entirely capture this complexity. For instance, the exponential growth of e-commerce, the influence of peer reviews, and the convenience of mobile searches have created a multifaceted environment where traditional models might fall short.

Retailers need a more comprehensive picture of today’s consumers, focusing on their motivations and the various paths they take when shopping. Within this paradigm are four main archetypes, and we will discuss the design principles to guide each one.

The Four Customer Journey Archetypes and Design Principles

Understanding a customer’s journey to buy your product or use your service is essential for improving user experience and your bottom line. 

Brand managers can distil customer journeys into four archetypes to simplify the complex web of possibilities. Each demands a unique design principle to optimise the experience. 

Routine: Effortless and Predictable

In a routine journey, the customer knows exactly what they want and how to get it. There’s no fuss, no overwhelming choices—just a straight path to the product or service.

Design Principles: Simplification and Efficiency

What Brands can do: Simplify the process as much as possible. Employ intuitive navigation and a clean UI on your website. For services, consider subscription models that automatically renew, sparing the customer the need to revisit their decision each time.

Joyride: Effortless and Unpredictable

A joyride is all about exceeding customer expectations in unexpected ways. They aren’t just buying a product; they’re buying into a delightful experience.

Design Principles: Surprise and Delight

What Brands can do: Offer unexpected perks, like free same-day shipping or bonus loyalty points. Use AI to offer personalised product suggestions. The goal is to make the customer feel delighted by the extra value you provide, turning a routine interaction into a joyride.

Trek: Effortful and Predictable

Customers are willing to put in the effort in a trek but expect a reliable outcome. Often seen in industries like insurance, healthcare, or complex B2B services, the purchase process may be long, but the steps are standardised.

Design Principles: Guidance and Reliability

What Brands can do: Provide a robust FAQ section, live chat support, or even dedicated customer service agents. Streamline the steps needed to complete a purchase or reach a solution, and ensure each step is transparent and leads to a predictable outcome.

Odyssey: Effortful and Unpredictable

Customers are not only investing effort but are also uncertain about what exactly awaits them. This is common in sectors like travel and adventure, personalised products, or unique, high-end experiences.

Design Principles: Adventure and Discovery

What Brands can do: Use storytelling, rich media, and interactive elements to make the process engaging. While the journey is complex, each touchpoint should offer something valuable, like advice or an exciting preview of what’s to come.

Crafting the Ideal Customer-Journey Map Through Data-Driven Market Research


Customer journey maps offer a visual guide that outlines a person’s steps to accomplish a specific goal. To ensure these maps resonate and drive action, they must be grounded in reality, not idealistic scenarios. 

Identify the Archetype

Start by identifying which of the four archetypes best suits the customer journey for your product or service. You may find that different aspects of your marketing align with different archetypes.

Align Your Strategy

Once you know the archetype, align all aspects of your customer interaction model—from marketing to sales to customer service—around the design principles for that archetype.

Audit and Iterate

Continually assess the customer journey to ensure it aligns with the intended archetype. Gather customer feedback and track metrics like Net Promoter Score (NPS) or Customer Satisfaction Score (CSAT) to measure your success.

Adapt

Keep an eye on market trends, new technologies, and customer behaviour. Be prepared to pivot your strategy to a different archetype if needed.

Understanding these archetypes and their corresponding design principles provides a robust framework for creating customer journeys that meet and exceed customer expectations. Whether your customer is on a routine or an odyssey, the ultimate goal is to make their journey with your brand memorable and rewarding.

Market research methods for creating an authentic customer-journey map.

You might wonder why you can’t rely on stakeholder input to construct a journey map. While stakeholders provide valuable insights, their view is often too narrow to completely understand the entire customer journey and the varying user needs at each step. A journey map solely based on assumptions can result in:

  • Less credibility, diminishing its potential as a tool for change.
  • Incorrect decision-making that could either improve or worsen the customer experience.

The steps outlined below will ensure you check all the boxes to improve the Shopper experience of your brand. 

Step 1: Start with Existing Data

Before diving into new research, explore any existing data within your company that might be pertinent to the customer journey. Both qualitative data (like previous focus group results) and quantitative data (such as customer satisfaction scores) can offer valuable starting points for your research.

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Step 2: Prioritise Qualitative Research

While existing quantitative data can offer a general idea of customer attitudes, they often lack the depth needed for a comprehensive journey map. For a more nuanced understanding, employ qualitative research methods such as:

  • Customer or User Interviews: These provide firsthand accounts of customer experiences and concerns. Specific questions yield more insightful answers than broad ones.
  • Field Studies: Observing customers in their natural settings is crucial for authentic insights, allowing you to compare what customers say versus what they do.
  • Competitive Analysis: If your product or service is still in the conceptual stage, studying competitors can offer vital clues about what could work for your journey map.

Planning a Multi-Faceted Qualitative Research Study

When possible, employ a mix of qualitative methods to get a multi-dimensional understanding of the customer journey. For instance:

  • In-person User Interviews: Begin with direct conversations, using visual aids like sticky notes to help participants articulate their journey.
  • Field Studies / Focus Groups: Complement interviews by observing users in their actual environments.
  • Competitive Analysis: Analyse competitor customer journeys to benchmark your own.

Complement with Quantitative Data

Once qualitative research is complete, reinforce your findings with quantitative data. For instance:

  • Surveys can quantify behaviours and attitudes discovered during interviews.
  • Web analytics can highlight areas where users are most frustrated.
  • Customer satisfaction metrics can correlate with specific interactions within the journey.

To kickstart your customer-journey research initiative:

  • Explore existing internal data to help shape your research focus.
  • Use a combination of qualitative research methods for a comprehensive view.
  • Bolster qualitative insights with quantitative data for a well-rounded map.

Always keep key stakeholders in the loop throughout the research process. Their involvement fosters greater commitment to the data, reducing reliance on assumptions.

The Role of Market Research

Market research is the bridge that connects companies with consumers, providing invaluable insights. Researchers use many different methodologies depending on the goals:

  • Qualitative research provides in-depth insights into consumer behaviours and motivations.
  • Quantitative research offers statistical data about markets, competitors, and consumers.
  • Primary research entails firsthand data collection tailored to specific business needs.
  • Secondary research utilises existing data and research for insights.

Linking these research methods with actionable marketing strategies allows retail brands to cater to their audience more effectively.

Consumer Insights

Why did Jane abandon her shopping cart last night? Why does John oscillate between brands A and B? These are critical questions retail brands grapple with. 

Delving deep into the consumer psyche reveals answers. Micro-moments — those brief instances when consumers turn to their devices for quick answers significantly shape the purchase journey. Recognising and optimising for these moments can make all the difference.

Strategies to Boost Conversions

So, knowing the modern consumer’s purchase journey, how can retail brands cater to them and boost sales?

  • Personalisation and Tailored Marketing: Segmenting audiences using market research and crafting personalised campaigns speaks directly to individual needs and preferences. 
  • Enhancing User Experience (UX): A seamless, intuitive user experience can significantly reduce cart abandonment. Market research identifies areas of friction and facilitates improvements.
  • Effective Pricing Strategies: With market data, brands can set competitive prices, offering discounts or incentives precisely when they’re most impactful.
  • Content Optimisation: By understanding consumers’ needs and concerns, brands can craft content that attracts and converts.

Translating raw data into actionable strategies is often challenging. It’s essential to discern between actionable insights and mere data noise. Ensuring that teams are aligned, and strategies are iteratively tested can pave the way for success.

Market research is not merely a tool; it’s the foundation of successful digital marketing. By understanding and leveraging its insights, brands can guide the casual browser seamlessly from browsing to purchasing. It’s an investment that reaps dividends in higher sales and enhanced brand value and loyalty.

For a deep dive into the future of online shopping and the key trends in the eCommerce space, download our full report here.

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The world of commerce is constantly evolving, and as technology advances at breakneck speed, so too does the purchasing journey. From awareness to consideration to purchase, what was once a linear process has now become a complex web of interconnected touchpoints and channels. In fact, according to a study by Google, the average shopper interacts with over ten different touchpoints before making a purchase.

This complexity has presented significant challenges for brands, making it increasingly difficult to form a coherent narrative and strategy that resonates with consumers. It’s no wonder consumers and B2B buyers are experiencing greater overload and confusion in their purchasing decisions.

However, despite these challenges, there is one constant in the purchasing journey – the human factor. By focusing on the human at the centre and understanding how they make decisions, brands can develop strategies and tactics that have been scientifically proven to influence and change behaviour across touchpoints and channels. And because human behaviour is consistent across categories, sectors, and industries, these strategies are equally effective for B2C and B2B purchasing.

The Human Factor: Why Understanding Consumer Behaviour is Essential

To develop effective marketing strategies, it’s crucial to understand the human factor and how it impacts purchasing behaviour. According to a study by the Harvard Business Review, emotions play a critical role in decision-making, with up to 95% of our decisions made subconsciously.

Furthermore, the decision-making process is heavily influenced by a range of cognitive biases, such as confirmation bias, the framing effect, and the bandwagon effect. These biases impact our perceptions of reality, attitudes toward products, and decision-making behaviour.

By taking a human-centred approach, brands can develop strategies and tactics grounded in understanding human behaviour. This approach involves understanding the motivations and needs of consumers and the emotions and biases that drive decision-making. By leveraging this knowledge, brands can create messaging and experiences that resonate with consumers on a deeper level, building trust and driving engagement.

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Mapping the Complex Purchasing Journey: Understanding Touchpoints and Channels

In today’s world, the purchasing journey is no longer a linear path. Instead, it’s a complex web of interconnected touchpoints and channels. 

According to a study by Salesforce, the average B2B customer now uses six different channels to interact with a brand before purchasing.

These touchpoints include social media, email, search engines, review sites, and more. 

It’s essential to understand the different touchpoints and channels consumers use to interact with your brand and make purchasing decisions. Mapping out the customer journey can help identify key touchpoints where engagement and messaging can be optimised to drive conversions.

In addition, understanding the customer journey can help identify potential pain points or barriers to purchase. By addressing these issues, brands can create a smoother and more engaging purchasing experience, increasing the likelihood of conversion. 

A comprehensive understanding of the customer journey is critical in today’s complex landscape. It allows brands to build a cohesive narrative and strategy that resonates with consumers across touchpoints and channels.

Strategies for a Human-Centered Purchasing Journey

So, how can brands develop effective strategies that focus on the human at the centre? One approach is to create a consistent and cohesive narrative across touchpoints and channels. According to a recent study, a consistent customer experience across all touchpoints can lead to a 20-30% increase in customer satisfaction.

Another strategy is to leverage the power of social proof. A study found that 92% of consumers trust recommendations from friends and family over all other forms of advertising. By incorporating social proof elements into messaging and experiences, brands can build trust and increase the likelihood of conversion.

A third strategy is to create engaging and personalised experiences for consumers. According to a study by Epsilon, personalised messaging can lead to up to 80% higher open rates and 50% higher click-through rates. By leveraging data and analytics to create personalised experiences, brands can increase engagement and build stronger connections with consumers.

These are just a few examples of strategies that can be utilised to create a human-centred purchasing journey. By focusing on the human factor and understanding the complex landscape of the modern purchasing journey, brands can develop effective strategies and tactics that drive success across touchpoints and channels.

Realising Success: Examples of Brands That Have Embraced a Human-Centered Approach

Many brands have successfully embraced a human-centred approach to their purchasing journey, leading to increased engagement and conversions. 

One such example is Airbnb, which focuses on creating personalised user experiences. By leveraging user data and analytics, Airbnb recommends personalised destinations and experiences, building a stronger connection with users and increasing the likelihood of conversion. According to a study by Airbnb, this approach has led to a 30% increase in bookings.

Another example is Nike, which has created a consistent and engaging narrative across touchpoints and channels. Nike has built a strong emotional connection with consumers by emphasizing its brand values and creating a consistent messaging framework, increasing engagement and brand loyalty. This approach has led to a 36% increase in revenue, according to a study by Bain & Company.

A third example is Glossier, which has leveraged the power of social proof to build trust and drive conversions. Glossier has created a community of engaged and loyal customers by encouraging user-generated content and reviews. According to a study by Forbes, this approach has led to a 600% increase in revenue.

These brands demonstrate the power of a human-centred approach to the purchasing journey. By understanding the human factor and developing strategies and tactics that resonate with consumers, brands can drive success across touchpoints and channels, building trust, engagement, and customer loyalty.

The Future of Purchasing Journeys: Remaining Focused on the Human Factor

As technology continues to evolve, so too will the purchasing journey. According to a study, today, 75% of B2B buyers will make purchasing decisions based on digital experiences alone.

Despite these changes, the human factor will remain critical in driving success for brands. Consumers will continue seeking personalised and engaging experiences, and brands that focus on building emotional connections will be best positioned to succeed.

One potential growth area is using artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) to create more personalised and engaging experiences. By leveraging user data and AI/ML algorithms, brands can create customised experiences for users, building stronger connections and increasing the likelihood of conversion.

Another area of growth is using augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) to create immersive experiences that engage users on a deeper level. By leveraging AR/VR technologies, brands can create experiences that feel more real and personal, building stronger connections and increasing engagement.

As the purchasing journey continues to evolve, focusing on the human factor is essential. By understanding the motivations and needs of consumers and developing strategies and tactics that resonate with them, brands can drive success in the complex landscape of the modern purchasing journey.

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Putting the Human at the Center of Your Purchasing Journey

The complexity of the modern purchasing journey can be overwhelming. Still, by placing the human at the centre, brands can develop strategies and tactics that drive success across touchpoints and channels. By understanding the human factor and how it impacts decision-making, brands can create engaging experiences that resonate with consumers on a deeper level.

According to a Deloitte study, companies that prioritise customer experience are 60% more profitable than companies that don’t. By focusing on the human factor, brands can create experiences that build trust, loyalty and drive conversions, leading to increased profitability and success.

The key to success in the modern purchasing journey is to remain focused on understanding the motivations, emotions, and biases that impact decision-making and developing strategies and tactics that resonate with consumers; brands can build a cohesive narrative and strategy that drives success across touchpoints and channels. As the purchasing journey continues to evolve, the human factor will remain constant, and brands prioritizing the customer experience will be best positioned to succeed.

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Customer journey mapping is the process of creating a visual representation of the steps and touchpoints a customer goes through in their interaction with a company. It aims to understand the customer’s needs, emotions, and motivations at each stage of the journey. 

The importance of customer journey mapping lies in its ability to improve the customer experience by identifying pain points and opportunities for optimization. By mapping the journey, companies can comprehensively understand the customer’s perspective and use this information to enhance the overall experience, increase customer satisfaction, and drive loyalty. 

Customer journey mapping helps companies to align their operations and messaging with customer expectations, leading to more efficient and effective communication and improved customer experiences.

“The customer journey map is a tool to help you understand what your customers are thinking and feeling as they engage with your company.” – Jeannie Walters, customer experience consultant and author of “The Customer Journey: Mapping the Future of Your Brand.”

The concept of customer journey mapping has its roots in the fields of marketing and customer experience design. It is a relatively recent development, with the first recorded use of the term dating back to the early 2000s. However, the practice of mapping customer interactions with a company can be traced back to the early days of market research and customer satisfaction studies.

Other names, including customer experience mapping, customer journey design, and customer journey visualization, sometimes refer to customer journey mapping. 

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Regardless of the name, the underlying process and goals remain the same: to create a comprehensive understanding of the customer’s experiences and use this information to improve the customer experience.

It has become an increasingly important tool for companies looking to improve the customer experience and is widely recognized as a valuable method for understanding and optimizing customer interactions.

Signs a Brand Would Benefit from Customer Journey Mapping

  1. Decreased customer satisfaction: If a brand is experiencing a decrease in customer satisfaction or loyalty, it may be a sign that the customer journey needs to be reevaluated.
  2. Increased customer complaints: An increase in customer complaints can indicate pain points in the customer journey that need to be addressed.
  3. Decreased conversion rates: A decrease in conversion rates can indicate issues in the customer journey that prevent customers from making a purchase.
  4. Increased churn: An increase in customer churn can indicate that the customer experience is not meeting expectations and needs to be improved.

Touchpoints and Pain points

The customer journey refers to a customer’s experiences with a company, from initial brand awareness to post-purchase evaluation. Understanding the customer journey is critical for companies looking to improve the customer experience and increase customer satisfaction.

The key components of the customer journey include touchpoints and pain points. Touchpoints are the moments of interaction between a customer and a company, such as a visit to a website, a phone call, or an in-store purchase. 

Pain points are the parts of the customer journey that cause frustration or dissatisfaction. These can include long wait times, confusing navigation on a website, or poor product quality.

Understanding touchpoints and pain points are essential to map the customer journey effectively. Touchpoints provide insights into the customer’s motivations and needs at each stage of the journey, while pain points indicate areas for improvement. By identifying and addressing pain points, companies can create a more seamless and enjoyable customer experience.

Here’s a fictional example of a customer journey map for a company that sells luxury skincare products:

Industry: Luxury Skincare Marketing Personas:

  • Persona 1: “The Health-Conscious Beauty Enthusiast” – A young professional who values natural and organic products and prioritizes self-care.
  • Persona 2: “The Anti-Aging Advocate” – A mature individual who is looking for skincare products that address ageing and wrinkling.

The Customer Journey:

  1. Awareness: The customer becomes aware of the company through social media, influencer partnerships, and recommendations from friends.
  2. Consideration: The customer starts researching the company’s products and reviews online. They may also attend a skincare event or visit a store to try the products.
  3. Purchase: The customer purchases online or in-store and receives personalized recommendations based on their skin type and concerns.
  4. Delivery: The customer receives the products and begins using them, receiving regular follow-up emails and phone calls from the company to ensure satisfaction.
  5. Loyalty: The customer continues using the products and becomes loyal, referring friends and family to the company.
  6. Advocacy: The customer may become a brand advocate, sharing positive reviews and experiences online and attending events on behalf of the company.

Pain Points:

  • Difficulty finding the right products for their skin type and concerns
  • Lack of personal attention and support during the purchasing process
  • Lack of clear instructions and usage guidelines
  • Inconsistent results with the products

Key Touchpoints:

  • Social media and influencer partnerships
  • In-store events and product demonstrations
  • Personalized recommendations and follow-up calls
  • Clear instructions and usage guidelines

The Benefits of Customer Journey Mapping

One of the key benefits of customer journey mapping is increased customer satisfaction. By identifying and addressing pain points, companies can create a more seamless and enjoyable customer experience. This can lead to higher levels of customer satisfaction and improved brand loyalty. Customers with a positive experience with a company are more likely to return and recommend the brand to others.

Another benefit of customer journey mapping is improved brand loyalty. By understanding the customer’s experiences, companies can align their operations and messaging with customer expectations. This can lead to more efficient and effective communication and a stronger emotional connection between the customer and the brand. This, in turn, can drive customer loyalty and encourage repeat business.

The benefits of customer journey mapping are evident, from increased customer satisfaction and improved brand loyalty to more efficient operations and better communication. By mapping the customer journey, companies can gain a comprehensive understanding of the customer’s experiences and use this information to drive improvements and create a more positive customer experience.

Gathering Customer Feedback

Gathering customer feedback is an essential component of the customer journey mapping process. It provides valuable insights into the customer’s experiences and helps companies understand their needs, motivations, and pain points. Customer feedback is a powerful tool for informing the customer journey mapping process and driving improvements in the customer experience.

There are various methods for gathering customer feedback, including surveys, focus groups, and online reviews. Each method has its strengths and weaknesses, and the best approach will depend on the specific goals and needs of the company. For example, online reviews can provide a wealth of information about customer experiences, while focus groups can offer more in-depth and personalized insights.

It is important to use customer feedback to inform the customer journey mapping process. Companies can use this information to identify pain points and opportunities for improvement, as well as to gain a deeper understanding of the customer’s needs and motivations. By incorporating customer feedback into the customer journey mapping process, companies can create a more accurate and comprehensive representation of the customer’s experiences.

By using customer feedback to inform the customer journey mapping process, companies can create a more accurate and comprehensive representation of the customer’s experiences and drive improvements in the customer experience.

The Importance of Empathy in Customer Journey Mapping

Empathy is a critical component of customer journey mapping, as it allows companies to understand the customer’s experiences from their perspective. Empathy helps companies to understand the customer’s needs, motivations, and pain points and to create a more accurate representation of the customer journey.

By incorporating empathy into the customer journey mapping process, companies can understand the customer’s experiences more deeply. This can lead to more accurate and comprehensive mapping and improved customer experience design. Companies can use this information to identify pain points and opportunities for improvement and create a more seamless and enjoyable customer experience.

Empathy can also help companies to build stronger emotional connections with their customers. By understanding the customer’s experiences and needs, companies can align their operations and messaging with customer expectations. This can lead to more efficient and effective communication, improved brand loyalty, and increased customer satisfaction.

Brands that use Customer Journey Mapping 

These are just a few examples of well-known brands that have used customer journey mapping to improve their customer experience and drive business success. Using this approach, these brands have identified areas for improvement, created more meaningful and memorable experiences for their customers, and ultimately differentiated themselves from their competitors.

  • Starbucks: Starbucks used customer journey mapping to understand its customers’ experiences with its mobile ordering app. By mapping the various touchpoints, the company could identify areas for improvement, such as reducing wait times and improving the ordering process. As a result, Starbucks improved the customer experience and increased customer satisfaction.
  • Amazon: Amazon is known for its exceptional customer experience, and customer journey mapping has been a key component of this. The company maps the customer journey across multiple touchpoints, including its website, delivery process, and customer service. By using customer journey mapping, Amazon is able to identify areas for improvement, such as streamlining the checkout process and improving delivery times.
  • Nike: Nike used customer journey mapping to understand its customers’ experiences in China. By mapping the customer journey, Nike identified areas for improvement, such as simplifying the online ordering process and improving product availability. These insights helped Nike to create a more seamless and personalized customer experience, increasing customer satisfaction and loyalty.
  • Apple: Apple has a reputation for delivering an exceptional customer experience, and customer journey mapping has been a key component of this. By mapping the customer journey across multiple touchpoints, such as its retail stores and online support, Apple is able to identify areas for improvement, such as streamlining the product return process and improving the in-store experience.

Creating a Customer Journey Map

Creating a customer journey map is crucial in improving the customer experience. By visualizing the customer’s experiences, companies can gain a deep understanding of the customer’s needs, motivations, and pain points and use this information to drive improvements and create a more positive customer experience.

Here is a step-by-step guide for creating a customer journey map:

  1. Identify your customer segments: Start by identifying your key customer segments. This will help you to understand the different types of customers and their unique needs and experiences.
  2. Gather customer feedback: Use various methods to gather customer feedback, such as surveys, focus groups, and online reviews. This information will provide valuable insights into the customer’s experiences and help you to identify pain points and opportunities for improvement.
  3. Map out the customer journey: Create a visual representation of the customer’s experiences, including all key touchpoints. This can be done using various tools, such as flowcharts, diagrams, or mind maps.
  4. Identify pain points: Use the information gathered from customer feedback to identify pain points in the customer journey. These are the points in the customer’s experience where they encounter frustration, confusion, or other negative emotions.
  5. Analyze the data: Analyze the information gathered from customer feedback and the customer journey map to identify patterns and trends. This will help you to understand the customer’s needs and motivations and to create a more accurate representation of the customer journey.
  6. Drive improvements: Use the information gathered from the customer journey mapping process to drive improvements in the customer experience. Identify opportunities to streamline processes, improve communication, and address pain points, and use this information to inform your customer experience design.

The Role of Data in Customer Journey Mapping

Data plays a critical role in customer journey mapping. There are a variety of data sources that companies can use to inform their customer journey mapping. 

Some common sources of customer data include:

  • Surveys: Surveys can be used to gather customer feedback and insights into their experiences. This can include their motivations, pain points, and overall satisfaction with the customer experience.
  • Behavioural data: Behavioral data can be collected from a variety of sources, including website analytics, customer service logs, and sales data. This data can provide valuable insights into the customer’s actions and behaviours and help identify trends and patterns in the customer journey.
  • Customer feedback: Customer feedback can be collected through various channels, such as online reviews, focus groups, and customer service interactions. This information can provide valuable insights into the customer’s experiences and help to identify pain points and opportunities for improvement.

By collecting and analyzing customer data, companies can gain a deeper understanding of the customer’s experiences and use this information to improve customer experience. Data can inform your understanding of the customer journey and help create a more accurate representation of the customer’s experiences.

Implementing Changes Based on Customer Journey Mapping

Using the information gathered from the customer journey mapping process, companies can identify opportunities for process improvements and product modifications to help drive customer satisfaction and brand loyalty.

Here are some steps for implementing changes based on customer journey mapping:

  1. Prioritize changes: Based on the customer journey map and the feedback gathered, prioritize the changes that will significantly impact the customer experience. This can include process improvements, product modifications, or changes to the customer service experience.
  2. Design new processes and products: Use the insights gained from the customer journey mapping process to design new processes and products that address the customer’s pain points and meet their needs.
  3. Test and iterate: Implement the changes in a controlled environment and gather customer feedback to evaluate the impact. Use this feedback to refine the changes and make further improvements.
  4. Roll out changes: Once the changes have been tested and refined, roll out the changes to the entire customer base. Continuously monitor customer feedback to evaluate the impact of the changes and make further improvements as needed.
  5. Stay flexible: The customer journey constantly evolves, and customer needs and expectations change over time. Stay flexible, gather customer feedback, and improve the customer experience as needed.

Companies can drive customer satisfaction and improve brand loyalty by prioritizing changes, designing new processes and products, testing and iterating, and continuously monitoring customer feedback.

Best Practices for Customer Journey Mapping

While customer journey mapping can be an effective tool for improving the customer experience, it is important to follow best practices to ensure success. 

Here are some best practices for customer journey mapping:

  • Involve key stakeholders: Involve key stakeholders in the customer journey mapping process, including representatives from sales, marketing, customer service, and product development. This will ensure that all perspectives are considered and that the customer journey map accurately reflects the customer experience.
  • Use a data-driven approach: Use data to inform the customer journey mapping process. This includes customer feedback, website analytics, and sales data. This data can provide valuable insights into the customer’s experiences and help to identify pain points and opportunities for improvement.
  • Test changes before implementation: Before making any changes based on the customer journey map, it is crucial to test them in a controlled environment. This will help evaluate the changes’ impact and refine them before they are rolled out to the entire customer base.
  • Continuously monitor customer feedback: The customer journey constantly evolves, and customer needs and expectations change over time. Continuously monitor customer feedback to ensure the customer journey map accurately reflects the current customer experience.
  • Foster a customer-centric culture: Foster a customer-centric culture within the organization by prioritizing the customer journey. This includes regularly reviewing and updating the customer journey map and improving the customer experience as needed.

Negatives of Customer Journey Mapping

  1. Time-consuming and resource-intensive: Customer journey mapping can be a time-consuming and resource-intensive process, especially for larger organizations with complex customer journeys.
  2. Limited to current understanding: Customer journey mapping is only as good as the data and information used to create it. A brand needs to fully understand its customers and their journeys so that the resulting map accurately reflects reality.
  3. Can be subjective: Customer journey mapping is often created by a team, which can lead to subjectivity and bias in the final map. To minimize this, it’s important to involve multiple stakeholders and gather data from various sources.

Frequency of Customer Journey Mapping

It’s recommended that a brand conduct customer journey mapping regularly, at least once a year or as needed, based on changes in the market, customer behaviour, and the brand’s offering. The frequency of customer journey mapping will depend on the size of the brand, the complexity of its customer journeys, and the speed at which the market and customer behaviour are changing.

What to Consider before Embarking on Customer Journey Mapping

  • Data collection: Before conducting customer journey mapping, it’s important to have a solid understanding of your customers, including their behaviours, preferences, and pain points. This information can be collected through surveys, focus groups, and customer interviews.
  • Stakeholder involvement: To ensure that customer journey mapping is comprehensive and accurate, it’s important to involve key stakeholders, including representatives from sales, marketing, customer service, and product development.
  • Clear goals: Before conducting customer journey mapping, it’s important to have clear goals and objectives, such as identifying areas for improvement, increasing customer satisfaction, or improving the overall customer experience. This will help guide the process and ensure that the resulting map is actionable and relevant.

The Role of Market Research in Customer Journey Mapping

Market research plays an important role in customer journey mapping. By gathering customer feedback and data, brands can gain a deeper understanding of their customer’s needs, motivations, and behaviours. This information can then be used to inform the creation and refinement of the customer journey map, ensuring that it accurately reflects the customer experience.

Customer journey mapping is a critical component of a brand’s customer-centric strategy, and market research is essential in ensuring that it is based on accurate and up-to-date information. By combining these two approaches, brands can create a customer experience that exceeds customer expectations and drives business success.

Just like we need a GPS to take us from point A to Point B, businesses need to intuitively map their customer’s journey to ensure they are moving through the process. But instead of plotting it physically on a map, brands need to use technology to visualise each touchpoint the customers interact with when they engage with them. 

Today, customers interact with brands multiple times on various platforms, and brands need to funnel them to continue moving forward. 

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What is customer journey mapping?

A customer journey map is a visual plotting or representation of customers’ experiences and touchpoints with a brand. It tells the complete story of a brand’s relationship with a customer, starting with the first engagement and moving toward a path to purchase and becoming a loyal customer. 

Journey mapping is not a single instance or solution; it is a process that integrates every facet of an organisation, from marketing to sales to customer service.

Why Customer Journey Mapping is Invaluable for Brands

Today, customers expect a lot from each interaction with a given brand. Personalisation, consistency at each touchpoint, and relevance are not just “good to have” anymore; they are necessary to drive conversions and brand loyalty. 

Customer Journey Mapping is beneficial not only for sales and marketing but also for the creative team. Armed with this information, content creators can develop timely, relevant, personalised copy and speaks to the customer at each touchpoint. Designers can derive context from this information and design an elevated customer experience. 

Customer Journey Mapping is helpful for many reasons, and it primarily helps with the following three steps:

1. Identify all touchpoints to understand the customer experience better.

Customer Journey Mapping helps you construct a seamless and intuitive customer experience through every touchpoint. This is often missed by quantitative research.

For instance, a journey map may uncover a tremendous amount of online research in the discovery phase of a particular product or service. This would lead a brand to question how it appears on search engines and the content customers find when researching the product online. 

2. Get in tune with your customers at every step of the way.

Customer Journey Maps are visual aids that help understand the customers better at each touchpoint. It visually reveals patterns in customer behaviour and emotions, and once these are identified, brands have an account of the steps that are working and those with gaps.

3. Identify gaps in your CX and lead your customers intuitively through the funnel.

Customer Journey Mapping aims to understand each touchpoint and ensure measurement tools are in place to help monitor each customer interaction. 

For instance, for a travel website, a customer’s journey starts when they search for airline tickets and cover all the steps through research, queries, finding tickets, booking them, making a payment, and receiving confirmations and other travel-related information. It includes signing up for a newsletter, recommendations to book hotels, prompting the user to check-in, and offering additional information. In a retail setting, Customer Journey Mapping would include the signage, lighting, store layout, temperature, smell, comfort, and other physical elements in addition to interactions with the employees. 

Customer Journey Mapping helps you fill gaps and focus on areas that need improvement for an intuitive and seamless customer experience. 

How to Get the Most out of Your Customer Journey Map

The ultimate goal of a Customer Journey Map is to improve the customer journey and move prospects through the funnel. This is because inefficient systems and interactions cause frustration amongst users and prospects, impeding conversions and sales. 

Below are a few tips to keep in mind when researching your customer journey.

  • Some brands do a great job acquiring customers but are not good at activating. Therefore, brands should include every touchpoint, like packaging, labels, messaging and ads, and social voice.
  • A Customer Journey Map should be a combination of analytics and customer feedback. Therefore, brands must gather quantitative data from multiple sources, including call centre and CRM software, QR codes scanned, website and social media analytics, and other metrics.
  • It is essential to include post-purchase components into the Customer Journey Map. The relationship with the customer continues long after they purchase something. This helps you get repeat business, loyal customers, favourable reviews, and raving fans who will refer the product or service to others. 

How Market Research can help brands build Customer Journey Maps

So how do you use market research to help improve the customer experience? 

Let’s examine this with the example of a retail shoe store. You identified the salesperson as a critical touchpoint. You can use a focus group to experience the store just as they would if shopping for shoes. 

Ask them to identify the experiential element of each touchpoint, including what they see, smell, hear, and feel. The focus group will then prioritise what parts of the journey need improvement. They will provide insights on how easy it was to find what they were looking for, the annoying details, how the store stacks up to a competitor, and the customer satisfaction score. The brand can then build an action plan to improve the customer experience at their store. 

This is how the brand identifies gaps, determines development priorities, builds a plan to remedy the issues and bottlenecks, and allocates funds to optimise sales and Return on Investment (ROI). 

Customer Journey Mapping should be a combination of quantitative and qualitative methods. 

Market research and building Customer Journey Maps allow brands to compare what they believe the customer journey looks like and what it is like in reality. When you combine the metrics and data with sensory components, you can experience the journey through your customer’s eyes. This “outside looking in” approach will significantly improve the customer experience and revenues.

Every shopper embarks upon a journey when purchasing desired goods or services. That journey can differ dramatically among various types of audiences. On the other hand, certain aspects of the shopper’s journey are similar, regardless of the product or service involved. This is where organizations can benefit dramatically by mapping the customer journey.

A comprehensive understanding of the customer experience enables businesses to: 

  • Refine offerings and identification of gaps in what a company offers 
  • Pinpoint relevant marketing channels and promote targeted offers
  • Deliver on customer expectations
  • Respond to ever-evolving customer preferences
  • Anticipate customer needs and boost retention

Agile adaptation is key to any business’s long-term success. As we have noted before, “many sales and marketing leaders take for granted that they know what their customers need.” Assumptions like these can prove costly and lose business and trigger a loss in customer retention rates.

By contrast, when you know your offerings suit current and emerging customer needs, your business will develop a reputation for being wholly customer-centric that your competitors can’t match. 

Digging Deep into Customer Needs and Preferences

What are you attempting to uncover through shopper research? Information that describes customer behaviour is key, with many elements that fit together for a broader picture. These elements include insights into:

  • Why do consumers contemplate buying a product? 
  • Why do they ultimately decide not to make a purchase?
  • Buying behaviours of different target audiences 

Conducting shopper research isn’t just about identifying shortcomings in how to deliver what people want. This information enables companies to undertake proactive steps that anticipate changing trends in shopper preferences and behaviours. Ultimately, pinpointing innovative ways to reduce gaps between your business and customer needs can result in a significant boost in customer acquisition and retention.

It’s essential to recognize that a wealth of data may already exist in your company. Everything gleaned from business analytics, and customer survey scores to the reasons behind customer service calls offer potential insights into customer behaviour. This is an excellent place to start with your research to reduce any duplication in data mining.

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Incorporate Quantitative and Qualitative Research

Broadly speaking, two types of research into customer experiences yield the most helpful insights. 

The first is quantitative, a kind of “view from 30,000 feet” of consumer behaviour. The process involves gathering numerical data points to help establish trends and patterns of behaviour. The benefits lie in a deeper understanding about:

  • Broad groups of individuals
  • How different groups of shoppers behave (designated, for example, by age, gender, or market) 
  • Reducing complicated issues around shopper behaviour into a clear-cut number of factors

Among the most useful tools to employ are online surveys, where consumers can be asked (a) about the decision that led to a purchase; (b) what obstacles prevented them from buying; (c) the type of research they conducted before purchase, and (d) what, if any, competitors they considered. 

Demographic data on the makeup of a “typical” shopper is also helpful. This can include information on age, gender, income level, etc., which can lead to creating buyer or shopper personas (more to come below). 

The raw data produced by quantitative research can be analyzed through a range of online tools that helps closely define who wants to buy a particular product or service and predict future customer behaviour. 

Qualitative research aims at drilling down for more precise insights than typically yielded by quantitative study efforts. In general, this approach is more human-focused and relies less upon numbers and figures. What counts is gaining a better grasp of what customers have to say. The objective is to explore “the more intangible and subjective reasons why customers behave the way they do.” 

While there may be occasional overlap in quantitative and qualitative research methods, the latter is designed to zero in on identified target populations to examine more closely what drives them to make specific buying decisions.

Tools include:

  • Open-ended questions in online surveys that require more than a simple “yes” or “no” answer and can also identify shopper pain points (specific problems or challenges that a given product or service can favourably address)
  • “Contextual” inquiries that focus on observing shoppers in their “native habitat” (retail outlet, e-commerce, etc.)
  • Social listening, where information is gathered from social media platforms and other online communities 
  • Shopper journals or diaries, where selected customers maintain a running record of their shopping preferences and behaviours

As part of qualitative research, direct customer interviews can be very effective. Key market questions to ask during this process may include:

  • What specific problem were you attempting to solve when you selected our product/service?
  • What made you choose us over a competitor?
  • How well did our product/service address your needs?
  • What do you like the most (and the least) about our product/service?
  • How would you rate your customer experience with our company?

A combination of quantitative and qualitative research efforts often generates the most accurate insights into why shoppers act the way they do.

Creating a Shopper Persona

What can you do with all the data you collect as part of your research efforts? One necessary action is creating a shopper (or buyer) persona—a fictional representation of your ideal customer. This can be achieved through a focus on your most loyal customers. What shopping patterns are common within this specific group? Do they share specific demographic qualities (such as age or gender)? In what ways are their experiences, motivations, and pain points alike? 

Use the answers to these and related questions to put together a profile consisting of information on a typical shopper’s purchasing decisions and objections, competitors they consider, and final determining factors that lead them to become your loyal customer. For greater ease of understanding, companies often attach a fake name and stock profile to round out the shopper persona. 

A Map of the Shopper’s Journey

It’s often helpful to translate research findings into a visual representation of the shopper’s journey. Outlining the exact steps customers undertake from first becoming conscious of a brand to actual purchase and delivery. When depicted in visual form (map, diagram, etc.), the journey becomes clearer to understand and makes it easier to address any gaps or shortcomings in the process.

In general, the shopper’s journey proceeds from awareness (shoppers recognize a problem or challenge they must contend with) to consideration (shoppers seek ways to address those problems or challenges), culminating with a decision (shoppers determine a preferred solution and begin to act on it). 

You can pinpoint where each of your existing customers stands within these three stages through a well-crafted journey map. This can prove enormously valuable for tailoring your marketing and related communications where they can have the most impact.

Also included in a journey map are clearly defined touchpoints—that is, every possible place where a shopper comes into contact with (or becomes aware of) your business. Touchpoints cover a wide range, including:

  • Customer interactions with employees
  • Business website
  • Digital content
  • Product catalogues
  • Social media platform
  • Paid advertisements
  • Third-party review sites
  • Articles in print/electronic media

The shopper journey “can rarely be represented in a linear journey from point A to point B because buyers often take a back and forth, cyclical, multi-channel journey,” notes HubSpot. To facilitate visualization of this non-linear path, “savvy business leaders use a variety of methods [ranging] from post-it notes on a boardroom wall, to Excel Spreadsheets, to infographics.” It’s critically important that “the map makes sense to those who’ll be using it.”

Take a Tour of Your Shopper’s Journey

After marshalling your resources and analyzing your data, it’s time to create a shopper’s journey map. But the process isn’t complete until you and your team take the journey map for a “spin” and see what your customers experience.

“Take time once a quarter to go through every step of the customer experience yourself,” advises Forbes. Only by adopting a “do-it-yourself” approach to shopper journey mapping “can you understand and prioritize essential changes and improvements.” 

Two key points to keep in mind:

Shopper research always means more than merely locating and identifying problems along the customer’s journey. Adopting a broader view of this research enables businesses to become more proficient in terms of customer service. When the quality of this service improves, and disgruntled customers become satisfied customers, there’s more room for upsell and cross-sell opportunities. Another powerful marketing resource is favourable word-of-mouth from shoppers who feel a business anticipates and responds to issues quickly. 

Also, customer needs and priorities never remain static. (The ever-widening ramifications of the global pandemic are a stark reminder of this fact.) Customer loyalty remains a moving target, mainly when it’s relatively easy for shoppers to move from one company to another, claiming “more improved” products or services.

In-depth shopper research and mapping helps businesses anticipate, predict, and plan for future contingencies. Companies possessing detailed shopper research and a vibrant, real-time shopper journey map are unlikely to be caught wrong-footed when shopping trends take an unexpected turn. 

Do you think you know what your customers need and want from your business? Based on your company’s experience in the industry, you may have a general idea. Still, a comprehensive understanding will only occur when you and your team conduct extensive (and highly focused) shopper journey research.