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Sales are essential to any business, but sales teams are under constant pressure to find new customers and sell more products without realizing that there are even more revenue drivers. Acquiring new customers, increasing sales, and upselling are important, but it’s a mistake to think that these are the only ways to increase revenue. This idea can be seen in both startups and large companies. So why should we be concerned about focusing on new customer acquisition, and how can we change this mindset?
Most entrepreneurs realize that their business needs to solve a problem or fill a void in the market. Throughout launch and funding rounds, the focus is on building a customer base and continuing to grow that base as founders prepare and present pitch decks outlining their path to revenue. However, not enough time is spent on the journey a potential customer takes from initial awareness to purchase.
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How your brand is disappointing your customers
A customer’s brand journey begins with initial brand awareness, consideration and actual purchase from the brand, and then moves to loyalty and advocacy for the brand. It’s important to build a customer journey map and deeply understand the most fundamental touchpoints of the customer journey. Without this, too many missed opportunities will impact sales and customer loyalty over time.
The most fundamental touchpoints when mapping the customer journey, such as understanding why customers buy, how negative and positive experiences turn customers into advocates, are the These are some of the most valuable insights you need to implement.
If a real customer journey strategy is not properly developed and implemented, it is only a matter of time before failure occurs within your brand. What would this failure look like?
Here are eight common signs of a failed customer journey.
1. Brands without a real awareness strategy
An easy way to tell if your company doesn’t have an awareness strategy is to find out if you’re relying too much on your sales team without first building an awareness campaign and core messaging strategy. is. Without the equipment to continually build awareness efforts, all the pressure to build a customer base is placed on sales.
2. Awareness isn’t built around the right message.
Customer problems, needs, and demands are not being met. No or little effort is made in terms of problems solved, solutions provided, or experiences that bring about change. Rather, messaging is about product features and benefits.
3. The reason for purchasing the product is not compelling enough.
When you move from awareness to consideration, there aren’t enough compelling reasons to continue purchasing. Two versions of this can occur. Either one isn’t purchased at all, or one purchase is made and no value is defined in the purchasing process to drive continued purchases. Additionally, there may not be any support messages to encourage continued purchases.
4. The path to purchase is too complex and has too many barriers.
Unfortunately, complicated purchasing processes are all too common. Too many layers, too many steps within a layer, confusion with delivery, final results, timelines, the list goes on. Without a clear, concise, and simple purchasing experience, it can create undue confusion and reduce the value of the purchase.
5. Purchasing process underdelivers, underpromises, or doesn’t match the message
The most important sign of this is a failure to meet expectations, especially when those expectations are set by the brand’s messaging. Surprises, inconsistencies, or not taking feedback seriously about the buying process can ruin the entire experience during this part of the process.
6. Brands lack clear incentive processes to continuously increase brand loyalty
It’s not enough to encourage repeat customer loyalty. Additional awareness will only be created if campaigns are created that consistently tell the loyalty story. Moreover, without clear incentives, maintaining loyalty is at risk.
Related: More brands are losing touch with their customers. To make sure you’re not one of them, do these four things.
7. Not thoroughly reviewing your brand advocacy strategy quarterly.
Too many companies are missing out on the benefits of strategic reviews. Done correctly, a purposeful quarterly review can help you determine changes needed to change the market or improve awareness, and ensure that other steps are seamless and build on each other.
8. Direct brand advocacy to ensure brand support is received. Advocacy messages are often overlooked and not presented consistently enough to have an impact.
By recognizing customer journey failures early, brands can readjust (or re-evaluate) their customer journey strategies to avoid failing themselves and their customer base. By honestly evaluating your brand and competitive products in the market, you will develop a unique differentiator, a compelling key message, and a robust and consistent process that drives purchase and repurchase awareness. It can be streamlined. Continuously reviewing your strategy maintains and extends the success of your customer journey.