The importance of customer journey optimisation for sustainable business success
Today, companies are faced with the challenge of organising the numerous points of contact with their customers in such a way that they lead to a positive and smooth experience. Customer journey optimisation helps to systematically improve these experiences and provide customers with targeted support. When customers perceive their interactions with a company as meaningful and pleasant, not only does satisfaction increase, but also loyalty and the recommendation rate.
Many clients come to us for advice with questions such as "How can I recognise the weak points in the customer journey?" or "How can I improve the user experience across different channels?". Customer journey optimisation helps here by providing insights into the actual behaviour of customers and providing impetus for change.
How to optimise the customer journey step by step
The first step in optimising the customer journey is to precisely analyse the existing processes. The aim is to find out where customers are experiencing difficulties or cancelling the purchase process. A real-life example shows how a company from the e-commerce sector simplified the process and increased the completion rate by monitoring checkout cancellations.
In order to provide customers with targeted support, it is important to understand the ideal customer precisely. This includes characteristics such as age, interests and behaviour as well as the channels through which customers interact with the brand. This is the only way to customise the experience along the customer journey.
BEST PRACTICE at company XYZ (name changed due to NDA contract) An online service provider used detailed customer profiles to customise communication via social media, email and website. This enabled personalised offers to be displayed at the right time, which noticeably increased customer satisfaction.
Strategic improvements should be prioritised based on the insights gained. Clients often report that even small optimisations, such as a more comprehensible ordering process or faster response times in customer service, lead to better experiences. The consistent avoidance of frictional losses plays a central role here.
Customer journey optimisation with practical examples from various industries
In retail, customer journey optimisation helps to harmonise the in-store and online shopping experience. For example, companies use digital information points to help customers find products. This reduces uncertainty and minimises abandoned purchases.
BEST PRACTICE at ABC (name changed due to NDA contract) A retailer implemented an IT-supported system that analyses visitor data and provides customers with suitable additional offers directly via an app when they check out. Customers found this helpful and convenient, which increased sales.
Similar approaches can be seen in the service sector. Here, the focus is on designing consulting processes that are clear, transparent and as digitally supported as possible in order to optimally serve customer needs and reduce waiting times. Such measures promote trust and loyalty.
BEST PRACTICE at DEF (name changed due to NDA contract) A consultancy firm developed a structured online platform that guides customers step by step through the project process. Feedback options were integrated to enable continuous improvements and quickly address individual requests.
Customer journey optimisation is also of great importance in the B2B sector in order to support complex purchasing decisions and long decision-making processes. Technological tools such as CRM systems play an important role here in providing relevant information at the right stage and integrating contacts in a coordinated manner.
Tips for sustainable implementation of customer journey optimisation
Customer journey optimisation support also includes the use of various tools and methods to identify and improve touchpoints. It is worth involving cross-functional teams that bring in different perspectives and thus create holistic solutions.
Regular updates to the customer journey are also important, as customer needs and market conditions are constantly changing. This allows companies to react flexibly to trends and integrate new technologies in order to provide their customers with even better support.
Open communication within the company promotes the exchange of experiences and enables the identification of further optimisation potential. Impulses for new ways of optimising the customer journey often come from such dialogues.
My analysis
Customer journey optimisation is an ongoing process that supports companies in effectively accompanying their customers and creating positive experiences. This creates relationships across all phases and touchpoints that are based on trust and ensure long-term success. Supporting you in optimising your customer journey creates orientation and valuable impetus without making promises of effectiveness - because every customer journey is individual and dynamic.
Further links from the text above:
[1] Customer journey optimisation: definition & implementation
[2] Optimising the customer journey: Definition, phases & strategies
[3] Journey Maps: Definition, variants and best practices
For more information and if you have any questions, please contact Contact us or read more blog posts on the topic TRANSRUPTION here.
Deutsch 
English (UK)