A Customer’s Journey

Each customer’s journey is unique and whether they are a former customer returning to your brand or a new one interacting with you for the first time, every touchpoint needs to positively impact the relationship in a way that propels them further along in their journey. Understanding where your customer is—and the next steps they might take—enables you to offer them a more personalized, targeted experience that centers on their needs, encourages customer action and connects the entire customer journey. As Noam Paransky, Gap Inc Senior Vice President, Digital put it, “Regardless of the size of the brand, customers are seeking relevant points of connection.”

Identify

The first step in the customer journey is the identification stage, during which the customer becomes aware of their pain points. This is when they begin to recognize they are either lacking a provider for a product or service to satisfy these pain points or they are unhappy with the one they currently have. No matter the scenario, the result is the same: they begin to look for solutions. And that is where your brand comes in – ready to find the right solution and work with the customer, cultivating a positive customer experience.

Acquire

This stage offers you the first opportunity to shape a positive customer experience with your brand and differentiate yourself from the competition. Introducing your brand and beginning some form of engagement increases your chances of becoming that customer’s brand of choice. Using tools such as online display ads and digital media buying allows you to get your message in front of the right customers, starting the conversation.

Convert

Converting a new customer takes consistent, positive engagement, personalized attention and illumination as to how your product or service is best suited for the customer’s pain points. The key to successfully converting a new customer is understanding what drives that customer to engage with your product or service. Customers expect interactions that feel relevant to their lives. Brands that utilize a customer-centric strategy are able to provide solutions and experiences tailored to each customer.

Cross-Sell and Up Sell

When done right, cross-selling and up-selling utilizes customer data to promote new products and services based on previous buying habits, goals and interactions. Like the conversion stage, the key to success is understanding your customer’s needs and translating that insight into targeted, personalized messages designed to enhance the existing customer experience. Microdynamics Transpromotional Marketing allows you to specifically target your customers with key messages because while you may have an existing customer relationship, it is now the goal to win them over and introduce them to a multitude of additional products – a task which can require extensive customer knowledge.

Retain

Customers are fickle and quick to desert a brand if it is no longer meeting their expectations. While you may be inclined to focus on growing your customer base, the time and energy put into maintaining the existing base will benefit your brand in the long run. According to the Harvard Business Review, “…acquiring a new customer is anywhere from five to 25 times more expensive than retaining an existing one.” Translation: retaining your customers is a must.

Once you have acquired a customer, communication touchpoints transition from selling and promoting to maintaining positive interactions designed to reinforce customer satisfaction and loyalty. Whether this engagement comes in the form of a survey or a reminder of new services, frequent interactions build the relationship and keep the lines of communication open should any customer issues arise.

Reactivate

Losing a customer can happen for a variety of reasons, but a complete understanding of the lost customers and what drove them to leave will help you win them back. Reconnecting with these customers requires your brand to open the channels of communication that your customer closed. Whether it is digital or print and mail, Microdynamics offers the omnichannel capabilities to reach these lost customers. Once you have restarted the conversation it is up to you to demonstrate why the customer should come back to your brand and begin to rebuild the customer relationship.

Every interaction has the potential to drive the customer forward in their journey, combining a customer centric strategy with the right communication tools enables you to do so successfully.