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Customer Journey

Complete path of a customer from first awareness of a brand to long term retention or repeat purchase.

Also known as: Buying Journey, Customer Path

The customer journey describes the entire path a customer travels from first awareness of a brand through purchase and ideally beyond. Unlike the pure conversion funnel it considers all touchpoints, whether paid advert, organic search, recommendation, service contact or use of the product. It is both an analytical and a design tool.

Which phases are typically distinguished

Awareness is the first contact, consideration the active engagement, decision the concrete purchase step, retention the bond after purchase and advocacy the recommendation to others. Each phase contains different touchpoints that vary by industry and customer. In B2B contexts the journey is significantly longer and involves several persons per decision.

How the journey can be made visible

Customer journey maps depict phases, acting personas, used channels, emotional state and concrete touchpoints together. They emerge from interviews, behavioural data, service tickets and qualitative research. The map helps surface break points such as long service waits or confusing transitions between online and store.

Reference to JD Mail and JD Partner

JD Mail represents important stages of the customer journey, from initial awareness via co sponsoring or stand alone mailings through to reactivation of dormant recipients. JD Partner delivers the advert contacts for early phases, while JD Mail carries continuous nurturing and relationship building. Cleanly joined data lets you address each recipient with a phase appropriate message instead of treating all the same.