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The “customer journey” and “customer experience” are two of the most popular concepts in today’s digital industry. But what do they mean and how do they differ from each other?
While customer journey mapping and customer experience mapping are similar concepts, there are some clear differences.
One of the most notable similarities is that both involve focusing on the emotions and the experience. In that way, it is possible to generate empathy internally and help the company see things from the customer’s point of view, by identifying the big picture.
When the company can visualize each step that customers go through – from the first stage of the buyer’s cycle to after they make a purchase – it is mapping their journey. The purpose of this process is to identify potential pain points that customers might encounter.
As you go through this process, the map should look like a line diagram that describes the phases of the user’s journey and the emotions they experience throughout those stages.
How to create a customer route
Creating a travel map means developing a visual aid to understand what customers are doing in the buying process. The phases include:
Awareness: they are exposed to advertising or receive word of mouth recommendations.
Consideration: search, view social media posts, receive direct emails, and visit websites.
Decision / purchase: make purchases online or buy in a store or through a mobile application.
Service: They have access to call centers, social posts, chat, or other community forums when they need help or have questions.
Loyalty: they receive special offers when paying or finding promotions. They can also participate in a loyalty program, receive newsletters, take surveys or subscribe to blogs.
About customer experience mapping
Customer experience mapping is when you take a holistic, holistic approach to visualizing the user’s journey. It means looking at experiences from start to finish without focusing on a specific department or product. The map focuses on a person’s behavior by determining what happens to them and the thought processes they go through during each stage of the buying process.
Compared to a customer journey map, this map takes an in-depth look at customer experiences. While it could include tour information, it emphasizes what happens to users beyond a path they take with a specific product.
How to create a customer experience map
Creating this type of tool means placing information in the purchasing stages. For example, by categorizing customer touch points and analyzing them. Below is a breakdown of what your customer might be experiencing in various stages:
Stage of consciousness: My son vomits, sneezes and has watery eyes.
Consideration stage: My son has a common cold that infects his nose and throat.
Decision stage: I can take my son to his pediatrician for a recommendation or buy cold medicine without a prescription.
How to know which travel map to use
Whenever you want to put yourself in the shoes of your potential customer, travel mapping is an optimal resource. These maps are also beneficial when you want to develop an understanding of the customer experience while interacting with your business. If you have specific issues or issues that need to be solved or another specific goal in mind, customer journey mapping is best. That way, you can focus on the personality of a specific customer and develop a better understanding of a specific aspect of your business.
Compared to customer journey mapping, a customer experience map is ideal when you don’t know where problems are occurring. You know there is a problem, and by creating this map, it is possible to identify weak spots.
Taking this process requires an open-minded and honest approach to help you identify issues you may not have known existed. One thing that cannot be forgotten is that this map is not from a business perspective: it looks at things from the customer’s perspective. So you are not going to map what you think your experience should be, but you are mapping what is actually happening.
Conclusions
Once you understand the difference between customer experience and journey mapping, consider that these tools are not used just once. They must be constantly evaluated and updated.
That way, you can accurately measure each other’s progress. Your maps may not look like any other brand’s, and that’s okay because by creating them, you’re focusing on achieving your business goals.
