If you’re in the process of scaling your online business, understanding the customer journey of your ideal client is essential to success. In marketing, the customer journey is the multi-stage process that transitions potential buyers into loyal brand ambassadors.
Online businesses have the ability to brand every step of this journey. This means that you can consistently immerse your target customers in your brand experience.
Step 1: Brand Awareness
At this point in the journey, the customer is not aware of your service or products. Their first impression of your brand may come through your advertising campaigns or social media pages.
Many small businesses choose to focus on their products and fail to incorporate branding into their advertising. This can create confusion for customers, who may not be aware of what your company does and the types of clients you serve.
To create brand awareness through your advertising, you will need to identify your key messaging and ensure that this is consistently represented. For example, if your products are sustainably designed, this message should be at the front and center of all of your marketing.
You can use a combination of a signature color scheme, specific tone of voice, and design style to create consistency in your advertising.
Social media is also an opportunity to reinforce your branding. You can customize all aspects of your social media pages and develop a recognizable voice that you use to interact with customers.
Also read: What are Important Concepts of Brand Management
Step 2: Brand Consideration
Customers in this second stage are actively considering purchasing from you. They may be comparing your services with similar competitors or reading through testimonials and reviews.
It is essential that the branding story you’ve used for your advertisements is carried over onto your website marketing strategy. Customers are more likely to trust businesses with consistent branding across all channels. This is especially important when you are a small business without a strong reputation.
Your website’s copy and design should resonate with your ideal client. For example, if you’re targeting enterprises, your product or service descriptions should reflect your professional capacity. On the other hand, if you want to attract individual customers, your descriptions should have a personable and relatable tone.
Step 3: Brand Decision
In this stage, the customer has decided to buy your product or service. Their experience includes the transaction, payment process, and order delivery. You should be very mindful of how your brand is represented throughout this process.
For example, rather than delegating payment processing services to a third party, you can keep the customer on your branded webpage throughout the entire process. This ensures a seamless branded experience and gives you more control over the customer experience. You can click here to learn more about building a branded payment processing experience.
Depending on your final product, you should also align your packaging and presentation with your brand story. Well-worded copy and thoughtful design can delight customers after the purchase is completed and create a memorable buying experience.
Step 4: Brand Retention
Retention is the pivotal point in the journey where first-time buyers become repeat customers. As the cost of acquiring a new customer can cost up to 25 times more than retaining one, it is in your best interest to offer the best possible post-purchase experience.
Your after-sales process should contain the same branding elements that attracted your clients in the first place.
Your after-sales process could be an email chain that gives customers the opportunity to leave feedback. This stage also includes customer service and handling returns and refunds.
Also read: Best 7 Ideas AI will Drive Your Customers Attention & Business Branding
Step 5: Brand Advocacy
By the time customers reach the final stage, they are actively recommending your brand. While many of these behaviors can occur without prompting, you can encourage your best customers to promote your business through branded loyalty programs.
Consider each customer’s profile and your branding to offer an effective incentive. If your brand messaging includes elements of exclusivity, V.I.P. programs can add an extra layer of attraction for long-term customers.
Standout Examples of the Branded Customer Journey
While any sized business can effectively deliver a branded customer experience, some of the most notable examples come from major firms such as Apple or Disney.
Disney enjoys a highly visible and well-known reputation but still invests in its customer experience. The Disney brand message of childhood nostalgia is pervasive throughout the buyer’s journey.
The company’s website features many of its most familiar characters and provides ongoing customer support throughout the decision and retention stages. After purchasing Disney passes, customers receive special packages to maintain their excitement for their upcoming trip.
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