How well do you know your brand's customer journey? By experiencing it first-hand, (and regularly!) you'll gain a better understanding of the process that buyers go through, what their pain points are, and, critically, why they might be abandoning their baskets ...

First of all, with online competition fiercer now than ever before, customers can afford to be choosy - and rightly expect a flawless purhasing experience. That's why knowing every touch point where your customer meets your brand is vital to your sales or bookings.

The Problem with Knowing Your Business Too Well

Of course, most of us are familiar with our businesses inside and out. And no business wants to lose a customer on the path to a purchase ...so why does it happen?

Often, it's because we know our businesses inside and out. Unwittingly, we can make bold assumptions about the level of knowledge that others have of our industry and the purchasing process. It's actually very common for business owners to overestimate how accessible their process is - particularly if they have had built it themselves.

This is why it's crucial to gain direct experience of your customer journey. A few small tweaks in a customer's favour can dramatically boost your completed sales - and reduce cart abandonment.

Step Into Your Customer's Shoes: Take Your Own Journey

Sign up as a new customer, and take note of all the touchpoints you meet on the way to making a purchase. Consider each touchpoint as a standalone event, and ask yourself how you could improve upon the overall experience. People can abandon their carts for many reasons you'll never fathom, but you might find glaring mistakes such as broken links, wording that isn't sufficiently clear, or mandatory input fields that prevent a customer from moving forward through the process.

For this reason, it can be helpful to ask colleagues, friends or family members from a diverse range of ages and backgrounds go through the same process and feed back to you how they experienced your customer journey.

Learn from the Frontlines: Shadow your Sales and Support Reps

Another way to improve your customer journey is to shadow those who engage with your customers. This will provide you with a behind-the-scenes look at how they handle common problems, resolve customer complaints, and foster strong relationships with their customers. In fact, those who are at the coal-face of your business often have the best intel on how to fix regularly recurring issues.

Who Are You Talking To? Create a Customer Persona

Many small businesses don't realise the value of creating a customer persona when it comes to understanding their demographic. A customer persona - or avatar - is a fictional representation of your ideal customer. By creating one, you can more intuitively identify the specific needs, pain points, and expectations of your target audience.

For example, using language or jargon that doesn't align with your target demographic will turn them off from the outset. Simple instructions in your customer journey may be more effective than sounding clever!

The same goes for imagery; your demographic will feel more connected to your brand when you use elements that resonate with them, their age, or their background. And when you have a solid understanding of what your buyers need, you can refine your customer journey to better suit their needs.

Listen to Your Audience: Get Creative in Gathering Customer Feedback

Of course, the best source of feedback comes from your customers! Integrate a simple feedback method into every completed journey. This can be something as simple as a gentle request if customers reach you by phone, in a follow-up email, or a post-purchase survey, using platforms such as MailChimp, Zoho or SurveyMonkey.

Many businesses add incentives such as discounts on next purchase, prize draws or free downloads to encourage feedback, knowing that a few genuine, constructive, customer comments can be the quickest way to pinpoint an errant ghost in the sales machine.

Assume that there is Always an Improvement to be Made

However you glean information, ensure that you ask what customers would like to see improved. Rather than asking 'are you satisfied?', you are asking them what they would change - even if they're happy with your service. This can give rise to new ideas and solutions if you're willing to embrace feedback, and where appropriate, make necessary changes. Ultimately, you want to hear about issues from your customers before you read them on a Google review!

Implementing some of these suggestions can help you create more effective touchpoints, and, in turn, will help you to:

• Build a more customer-centric approach to how you do business
  
• Gain a deeper understanding of your customers' needs and pain points
  
• Identify areas where your company can improve the customer experience
  
• Build stronger relationships with your customers
  
• Create more effective marketing and sales campaigns

Check your Customer Journey Regularly

Lastly, a great customer journey isn't a one-off project; it's an ongoing commitment to putting your customers at the heart of everything you do. By regularly walking in their shoes, listening to their feedback, and continuously refining your processes, you're not just fixing problems—you're building a foundation for long-term success.