## Customer Journey Map: Types, How to Create, and Use Them

# Introduction

What do product managers and marketers often seek? They want to delve into their customers’ minds to understand their thoughts, what delights or frustrates them, and how they make purchasing decisions. A Customer Journey Map (CJM) is the tool that helps answer all these questions, providing valuable insights into the customer experience.

# What is a Customer Journey Map?

A Customer Journey Map, or CJM, is a detailed depiction of the customer’s path from the moment they become aware of your product to the purchase and beyond. It’s a strategic tool that visualizes the customer’s interactions, emotions, and experiences with your company.

Key Point: CJM focuses on the customer’s journey. Sometimes, the person who purchases the product is different from the one who uses it. Therefore, in CJM terminology:

• Customer: The individual who seeks, chooses, and purchases.
• User: The individual who uses the product/service.

A CJM can represent one person or multiple personas, depending on your target audience. It helps identify unmet customer needs, challenges they face when interacting with your company, and opportunities to enhance the user experience using these insights.

# Other Types of User Experience Maps

Besides the Customer Journey Map, there are other types of user experience maps tailored to different purposes:

• User Journey Map (UJM): Focuses on the user’s interactions within the product.
• Customer Experience Map: Provides a broader view of the customer’s interactions across various touchpoints.
• Service Blueprint: Integrates the CJM with the company’s internal processes, highlighting which departments are responsible for different stages and touchpoints.

While all these maps share the common technique of mapping, they differ in their focus and applications. We’ll explore these differences further in later sections.

# Why Build User Journey Maps

Journey mapping is invaluable for visualizing how users interact with your product. It allows you to:

• Identify Detailed Interactions: See every small interaction, emotion, and factor that influences purchase decisions, beyond what traditional sales funnels reveal.
• Spot Strengths and Weaknesses: Recognize where your marketing strategy excels and where it falters. Positive transitions indicate success, while problem areas highlight opportunities for improvement.
• Enhance Customer Experience: Use the insights gained to refine processes, improve service quality, and better meet customer needs.

For venture capital firms and startups, understanding the customer journey is crucial. Tools like Co-Founder Ai can assist in creating detailed CJMs to ensure your investment opportunities and startup ventures align perfectly with market needs and investor expectations.

# Differences Between User Journey Maps

While the technique for building journey maps is consistent—a graph plotting stages of interaction, contact points, user actions, and emotions—the primary difference lies in for whom the map is created:

• Customer Journey Map: Focuses on the path of the buyer, from awareness to purchase and loyalty.
• User Journey Map (UJM): Concentrates on the user’s experience within the product or service after purchase.
• Life Experience Map (LXM): Outlines a person’s broader life path to identify additional needs your product might fulfill.
• Service Blueprint: Combines the CJM with the company’s internal processes, identifying which departments handle various touchpoints.

In complex organizations or startups supported by private equity companies, a comprehensive CJM might incorporate multiple UJMs to reflect different user roles and interactions, ensuring all user needs are addressed.

# 3 Examples of Customer Journey Maps

## CJM for B2C

A Customer Journey Map for an online clothing agency details the customer’s actions, expectations, and emotional reactions. For example, a startup engine-backed fashion retailer might map out the journey from casual browsing to becoming a loyal customer, highlighting key touchpoints like social media advertising, website usability, and post-purchase support.

## CJM + Service Blueprint

Combining a CJM with a Service Blueprint provides a holistic view of both customer interactions and internal business processes. This approach helps venture capital companies assess how efficiently a startup manages its operations in response to customer needs, identifying areas for potential investment and support.

## CJM for B2B

For B2B companies, such as private equity firms or venture capital businesses, a Customer Journey Map might involve multiple decision-makers and longer sales cycles. Mapping out these complexities helps in understanding the nuanced interactions and decision-making processes unique to B2B transactions.

# 5 Steps to an Effective Customer Journey Map

Creating an effective CJM involves five crucial steps:

## Step 1: Collect Data About Your Audience

1. Leverage Existing Research:

   • Utilize previously gathered data about your customers.
   • Verify the relevance and timeliness of this data.
   • Ensure your product addresses the identified customer problems.

2. Conduct Surveys for Fresh Insights:

   • Use tools like Google Forms, SurveyMonkey, or Typeform to gather current customer opinions.
   • Focus on both open-ended and closed questions to capture comprehensive feedback.
   • Distribute surveys via email, social media, and your website to maximize response rates.

3. Analyze Website and Social Media Data:

   • Use analytics tools to understand customer behavior on your site.
   • Monitor how users interact with different channels and identify drop-off points.

4. Engage with Customer-Facing Teams:

   • Collaborate with sales and support teams to gather firsthand insights about customer challenges and feedback.

5. Direct Customer Conversations:

   • Speak directly with customers to gain deeper insights into their experiences and expectations.

## Step 2: Create Buyer Personas

Develop detailed buyer personas representing different segments of your customer base. Include attributes such as:

• Demographics: Age, gender, location.
• Psychographics: Lifestyle, values, interests.
• Behavioral Traits: Buying habits, preferred channels, pain points.
• Goals and Challenges: What they aim to achieve and the obstacles they face.

For startups seeking investment through platforms like Co-Founder Ai, well-defined personas help tailor offerings to meet specific investor and market needs.

## Step 3: Describe the Customer Journey from Awareness to Repeat Purchases

Map out each stage of the customer’s journey:

1. Awareness: How customers discover your product (e.g., online ads, referrals, content marketing).
2. Consideration: How customers evaluate your product against competitors.
3. Decision: The factors influencing the purchase decision.
4. Retention: Efforts to keep customers engaged and satisfied.
5. Advocacy: Encouraging satisfied customers to promote your product.

## Step 4: Analyze the Customer Journey Map and Address Pain Points

Review the CJM to identify:

• High Drop-off Points: Stages where customers disengage.
• Common Frustrations: Issues that inconvenience customers.
• Opportunities for Enhancement: Areas where you can exceed customer expectations.

Implement strategies to mitigate pain points, such as improving website navigation, enhancing customer support, or streamlining the purchase process.

## Step 5: Iterate and Reassess

Customer needs and market dynamics evolve. Regularly update your CJM to reflect these changes, ensuring your strategies remain aligned with customer expectations.

# Useful Tools for Building User Journey Maps

Enhance your CJM creation process with the right tools:

## For Designing Maps and Buyer Personas:

• Google Sheets: A flexible platform for data organization and basic mapping.
• UXpressia: Specialized in creating detailed journey maps and personas.
• Canva Charts: User-friendly design tools for visually appealing maps.
• Miro: An online collaborative whiteboard ideal for team-based mapping.
• Touchpoint Dashboard: Focuses on tracking and visualizing key customer touchpoints.

## For Conducting Surveys:

• Google Forms: Free and easy-to-use survey tool.
• SurveyMonkey: Advanced survey features and analytics.
• Typeform: Interactive and engaging survey formats.

For startup jobs and equity investors leveraging platforms like Angels List or Y Combinator companies, integrating these tools can streamline your customer research and journey mapping processes, ultimately attracting more investment opportunities.

# Conclusion

A well-crafted Customer Journey Map is instrumental in understanding and optimizing the customer experience. Whether you’re a private equity company, a venture capital firm, or a startup engine, leveraging CJMs can lead to more informed decisions, improved customer satisfaction, and sustained business growth. Utilize tools like Co-Founder Ai to facilitate this process and stay ahead in a competitive market.