Understanding the Customer Journey
IN THIS CHAPTER
Getting clear on your ideal customer Understanding the value you bring to the marketplace Learning to take a prospect from awareness to raving fan
Think about the last important purchase you made . Perhaps you bought a car , hired a babysitter , or switched coffee suppliers at your office . Chances are , you consulted the Internet to read reviews , get recommendations from friends and family on social sites like Facebook , and boned up on the features , options , and price of the product or service before you made your choice . Today , purchases and purchasing decisions are increasingly made online . Therefore , regardless of what you sell , an online presence is necessary to capitalize on this trend .
This new digital landscape is impacting organizations in more than just the lead and sales generation departments , though . Savvy companies use the Internet to drive awareness and interest in what they offer , but also to convert casual buyers into brand advocates who buy more and encourage members of their network to do the same .
In many ways , nothing in marketing has changed . Marketing is still about developing a mutually beneficial relationship with prospects , leads , and customers . We call the development of this relationship the customer journey . In this chapter , you learn to create a customer journey for your organization and the role digital marketing plays in that journey . The rest of this book helps you to create and execute offers and marketing campaigns that intentionally move customers through the stages of this customer journey .
The role of your digital marketing is to assist in moving a prospect , lead , or customer from one stage of the customer journey to the next .