Welcome back!

Whether you begin your mornings with a strong espresso or a cup of OJ, you’ve likely got a routine to kick off the day with a fresh start.

We’ve all got those go-to products that become staples in our daily lives— like that one non-negotiable coffee brand.

At Beyond 9to5, we’re here to help you leverage marketing strategies to make your product a staple, keeping loyal customers coming back from more. A key part of doing so involves locking in those customers at every stage of the buying process, from acquisition to retention.

Check out our tips just past News and Tools for optimizing the customer journey as part of this week’s theme of customer relationship management.

Let’s get started!☕

News

Tools + Productivity

Strategy

What are we talking about when we reference “customer journey”? Essentially, it’s the series of decisions customers make before finally hitting “buy” or tapping a card— as well as decisions resulting from developing brand loyalty, like telling everyone about how awesome a product is.

Traditionally, customers go through a drawn-out stage of evaluation, comparing similar products from different companies all vying for buyers’ attention. But many brands are catching on to the ineffectiveness of this strategy, instead opting for a shortcut through the customer journey which involves proactively directing customers into the loyalty loop, playing a bigger role in the decision process to boost acquisition and retention.

The loyalty loop begins when a user experiences a product or service, which can eventually lead to advocating the brand and developing a bond— think your mandatory daily Dunkin run.

Providing value from the first interaction is key to skipping the longer “consider” and evaluating portions of the traditional customer journey.

Delivering these immersive experiences is easier than ever with technologies that enable simulations, along with data processing algorithms that facilitate personalization.

Digitizing steps formerly done manually— from the setup phase to using different features— has become an obvious method of streamlining the customer journey.

The intelligent music system Sonos, for example, automates setup with wireless speakers and centralizes controls of sound systems. Many banks now allow customers to photograph checks rather than depositing at an ATM, cutting down on the time and effort it takes to use the bank’s services.

Reel them in like L’OREAL
Beauty giant L’OREAL has implemented a strategy that allows shoppers to experience their products FO’REAL— without unsanitary “try me” palates and lipsticks typically displayed in stores.

Their Makeup Genius app allows customers to try on makeup virtually by analyzing more than 60 facial characteristics to display how various products and shade mixes achieve different looks. If you like a look, you can instantly order the products online or pick up in-store.

Since the app tracks how the customer uses it, and what they end up buying, it learns their preferences to tailor responses based on similar customer’s responses to easily lead a customer from consideration to purchase.

Ok, ok, we know most of you aren’t selling makeup, but there is much to be learned from this - mainly, the importance of an immersive digital experience.

 Sungevity, a residential solar panel provider, also uses digital tools to show their unique value— upon clicking on a unique URL in your inbox, you’re sent to a Google Earth image of your house with solar panels on the roof, along with custom calculations of energy savings and energy-generation potential using the company’s panels.

Compelling customers with immersive initial interactions with your product can speed up the evaluation phase and move from step to step without even considering alternative providers.

Pain points over touchpoints
When companies rigidly adhere to the same old customer journey playbook, they end up missing the mark because they’re too focused on their own goals and not on what customers really need.

The problem with tying specific touchpoints to each aspect of customer journey design is that the effectiveness of such a strategy relies on customers following a predictable script— but the changing preferences, impulses, and whims that guide people’s decisions are far too volatile to pin down.

Instead of wasting time by trying to appeal to any customer with a generalized acquisition strategy, appealing to different customer needs by addressing specific pain points is more effective than outcome-centric methods.

Pivoting to a customer-centric journey that appeals to a specific purpose not only increases conversion, but also opens the door to future purchases through targeted follow-up marketing tools relevant to their first buy.

Let’s say a family planning a camping trip receives ads for equipment, leading them to a website where they are then tasked with figuring out what they need.

A customer-centric journey would link to a more needs-focused section of the company website organized by camping activities such as hiking, fishing, or camping as well as filters for equipment needs, setups, and locations.

The benefits are twofold: creating a needs-oriented customer journey is more cost-effective, while follow-up marketing towards new customers can influence them to share their experience or make related future purchases.

By the Numbers

In terms of product and brand interactions, there’s not one linear path each customer will take. In fact, these interactions can be split up into multiple customer journeys, each tailored to specific scenarios or goals a customer may have. These might include onboarding, purchasing, renewing, upgrading, or offboarding.

Here are some stats highlighting the importance of optimizing these journeys to fuel growth:

1. A one-point improvement on a ten-point scale of customer satisfaction corresponds to at least a three-percentage-point increase in revenue growth rate in the three most important journeys, outlined below:

   1. Customer onboarding

   2. Resolving a technical issue

   3. Upgrading a product or service

2. The gap in customer satisfaction between top-quartile and bottom-quartile companies on journey performance was 50 percent wider than the gap in touchpoint performance

3. The correlation between performance on journeys with customer satisfaction and outcomes such as revenue, churn, and repeat purchases exceeds that of touchpoints

4. The three journeys that matter most to customers account for more than 25% of total customer satisfaction

Source: McKinsey

Looking Ahead
Between last week’s and today’s article, it probably seems like we can’t stop talking about personalization. That’s because incorporating it throughout your marketing strategy is key to outselling competitors.

When it comes to customer journeys, rigid, one-size-fits-all designs based on “touch points” won’t suffice. Instead, focus on understanding customers’ pain points to more easily adapt to changing consumer behavior and macro trends— while harnessing tools like automation to personalize product interactions and speed through the path towards brand loyalty.

Next week we’ll focus on maximizing engagement to secure long-term brand devotees that can help fuel organic growth. You can look forward to seeing this strategy focus in your inbox next week!

For a recap of this month’s subtopics, take a peek below:

Customer Relationship Management
Week 1: Personalization
Week 2: Customer Journey (This Week)
Week 3: Engagement
Week 4: Feedback

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