The customer journey has five distinct stages: Awareness, Findability, Reputation, Conversion, and Advocacy. This blog will take a closer look at each stage and how small businesses can make the most of them. Stay tuned!
Stage 1: Awareness
The first stage of the customer journey is when people become aware of a company and what it offers.
Small businesses can build awareness by advertising on TV, radio, and social media.
Stimulus (like ads or word-of-mouth) drives curiosity and makes people want to learn more about a company, which leads them further into the customer journey.
Stage 2: Findability
Businesses need to be easy to find online. This way, people can learn about the company and what it does.
Google and Bing are two ways businesses can make themselves known. Small businesses need a Google Business Profile to be easily found online. They can reach more people, get more customers, and build their reputation.
Another way businesses can increase findability online is by using search engine optimization (SEO) techniques. Done correctly, SEO puts the company at the top of search results, making people more likely to see it.
Furthermore, making sure listings are accurate and optimized across different search platforms can help brands stand out among competitors.
Stage 3: Reputation
The “Reputation” stage of the customer journey is about ensuring customers trust your business. This stage concerns researching word-of-mouth and social media and having meaningful conversations with customers.
It’s also essential to have relevant reviews and to respond quickly and thoughtfully to both good and bad feedback.
By communicating with customers, you’ll show that you’re attentive and that you care about their concerns. An excellent reputation will make your business stand out from the competition as the trusted choice for customers.
Stage 4: Conversion
Conversion is when someone buys something from a business. This stage is essential because it helps the company make money.
Companies should have websites that look good and are easy to use on the phone. They should also have an excellent in-store experience so people will want to keep coming back and telling their friends about the company.
Stage 5: Advocacy
Businesses must have customers that support them. This support is called advocacy.
Advocacy is when customers share their positive experiences with the business with other people. Customers often share their thoughts in places like online communities and personal conversations.
When this happens, it makes the business look more credible and trustworthy to potential new customers.
Advocacy is crucial for any business that wants to be successful, especially small businesses.
It helps create a ripple effect of word-of-mouth marketing that can bring in many more potential customers and sales. With growing competition, businesses need customers who will tell others about their services and products.
Word-of-mouth marketing has proven to be a potent tool for businesses. According to a survey by Nielsen, 84% of customers say that they trust the recommendations made by friends and family more than any other form of advertising.
The Circular Customer Journey?
It’s important to remember that the customer journey isn’t static. People enter and leave at all stages, including the customers you have managed to win.
You may have noticed that “word-of-mouth” is essential for at least two stages: reputation and advocacy.
For example, a customer may have had a great experience with you initially, which is why they chose to buy from you. They may have even been an advocate at that time, telling people how great the experience was.
But, later on, they may have a bad experience buying from you, so they leave a bad review. That review, in turn, could affect a customer doing their reputation research and turn them away.
It may be more helpful to think of the customer journey as circular rather than linear.
However you choose to see it, it is essential to understand the customer journey to increase your business’s online sales.
By breaking it down into five stages, you can create a clearer picture of where your customers are in their decision-making process and how you can best serve them.
If you want to learn more about how your business is performing online and how we can help improve your digital marketing strategy, click below!
