The Road Map of Buying: Understanding the Customer Journey

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Walking through the Journey

Breaking it Down

Why This Matters

In the world of marketing, there's a phrase that frequently emerges: "The Customer Journey." For small businesses and nonprofits alike, understanding this journey is crucial. It's not just about promoting a product or service; it's about crafting an experience, nurturing relationships, and ensuring that each interaction matters to your target audience. But what exactly is this journey, and why is it so important?

Walking Through the Journey

Think back to the last thing you bought online… Now retrace the steps you took before clicking that “Buy” button:

• Why did you buy it? Was it something you needed? A gift for someone? Or maybe just something cool you wanted?

• How did you hear about it? Maybe a friend told you, you found it on Google, or saw an ad?

• Why did you choose that specific one? Was it the cheapest, had the best reviews, or did you want to support a local shop?

This process you went through tends to be a similar process for most decisions we make:

1. We realize we need or want something.

2. We check out our options.

3. We make our choice.

4. Next time, we either choose the same thing or try something new.

This process in marketing is the “Customer Journey” or “Sales Funnel,” which maps out the stages a potential customer or supporter navigates through during their interactions with an organization.

Breaking it Down

The journey can usually be divided into 4 steps, which begins from the moment they first hear about you, and ideally, it never ends, evolving into a lasting relationship.

1. Awareness: This is where potential customers or donors first learn about your organization.

• Small Business Example: A local bakery starts a blog about baking techniques, which catches the attention of someone looking to order custom cakes.

• Nonprofit Example: A children's education nonprofit gets mentioned in a local community group on Facebook for their outstanding work in the neighborhood.

2. Consideration: At this stage, the individual is weighing their options, considering whether to get involved or purchase something.

• Small Business Example: That same individual reads customer reviews about the bakery's custom cakes, checks out a photo gallery of cakes created in the past, and compares prices.

• Nonprofit Example: A potential donor visits the nonprofit’s website, reads up on past projects, and checks out testimonials from families that have benefited from their services.

3. Decision or Conversion: This is the “I’m in!” moment. For businesses, this typically means making a purchase or booking a service. For nonprofits, it could be making a donation or volunteering.

• Small Business Example: The individual decides to order a custom cake for an upcoming birthday, convinced by the bakery's expertise and positive reviews.

• Nonprofit Example: The potential donor, moved by the stories on the website, decides to make a monthly contribution to the nonprofit.

4. Loyalty & Advocacy (Post-Decision): The journey doesn't end after the purchase or donation. It's about fostering a continuing relationship, encouraging repeat interactions, and turning satisfied customers or supporters into advocates.

• Small Business Example: The bakery sends a thank-you note with the cake, offers a discount for the next order, and the happy customer recommends the bakery to friends.

• Nonprofit Example: The nonprofit sends regular updates to the donor about how their contribution is making a difference, prompting the donor to volunteer and share the organization's mission with their network.

Why This Matters

Every step in the customer journey presents an opportunity to build and strengthen relationships. It's about more than transactions; it's about trust. Especially in a digital age, where there are so many choices and often the interactions are faceless, the distinction between one organization and another often boils down to the relationships they nurture.

While the techniques and tools of digital marketing are essential, they are most effective when aligned by an understanding of the customer journey. For small businesses and nonprofits, every touchpoint is an opportunity. Next, we will discuss actual strategies you can implement to enhance each stage of the journey. But for now, remember: authentic and genuine relationships remain at the heart of success, especially so in the digital world.