A Guide to Creating an Insightful Customer Journey Map for Nigerian Businesses

150

To thrive in Nigeria’s thriving economy, businesses need to understand and meet the specific needs of their customers. Developing a customized customer journey map for the Nigerian market is not only a key to success but also a valuable tool for effective customer management.

This guide aims to help Nigerian businesses create customer journey maps that accurately show customer behaviours, preferences, and touchpoints. It provides valuable insights into the customer experience in Nigeria and all the important information necessary for effective customer journey mapping.

What is a Customer Journey Map?

A customer journey map is a complete layout of all touchpoints that a customer has with a brand. It is the concept that helps the organization gain insight into the customer’s thoughts, behaviours, processes, and needs.

Customer journey maps are a visualization or theoretical representation of each stage that a customer goes through when interacting with an organization. This includes how they initially learn about the organization through social media or brand advertising, and their direct interactions with the product, website, or support team. 

The map encompasses all the actions the customer takes to achieve their objective over a specific timeframe. This mapping of the user journey is crucial as it compels the organization to consider how customers experience the brand, as opposed to how they perceive it.

Read also: 10 Unbelievable Techniques to Get to Know Your Customers Better

Importance of Customer Journey Mapping

Creating a customer journey map helps organizations to clearly define and agree on the customer experiences and how they can serve them well. This leads to various opportunities for increasing value such as:

• Identifying cost reduction opportunities.
• Lowering cost of recruitment.
• Identifying pains that reduce customer’s loyalties.
• Enhancing the ability to identify customer’s needs.
• Encourages internal communication.
• Improves customer retention and acquisitions.
• Increases customer value.

Connect with us on Instagram. Don’t miss out on our insightful posts.

Essential Stages of a Customer Journey Map 

The customer journey map framework aids in gaining a better understanding of how individuals engage with products or services. It consists of important stages that customers go through during business interactions. These stages include:

• Awareness

At this stage, potential student customers gain knowledge about specific products and services, whether through passive or active methods.

• Reaching out

The reach (entice) section in customer journey mapping, details how customers learn about a product and what causes them to gain interest.

• Impress 

The impress or “enter” section focuses on the customer’s first impression about a product or service, and why they would choose to patronize.

• Consideration

At this point, the customer has gained awareness of various solutions to address their specific requirement and initiates research to evaluate and compare them.

• Decision

 At this stage of the user’s journey map, the customer is well-informed about the different options presented to them and proceeds to complete a purchase.

• Engage

This stage focuses on the primary tasks and behaviours that the customer performs when utilizing your product or service.

• Exit

This is the stage that describes what happens when the customer leaves.

• Return

This phase, also referred to as the “extend” section, involves outlining strategies for ensuring repeat usage of your product or service by your customers.

Read also: How to Become a Customer Care Representative in Nigeria

• Retention

This stage in customer journey mapping holds great significance as it focuses on creating a lasting and positive impact on the customer, ultimately encouraging them to make additional purchases. It serves as a reminder of the importance of leaving a favourable impression on the customer.

• Advocacy stage

This is a crucial phase in the user journey where customers become a valuable asset for organizations. They actively promote products and services to their friends, family, followers, and colleagues.

How to Create a Customer Journey Map

There is no definitive method for creating meaningful customer journey maps. Nevertheless, it is recommended to start by matching a specific user journey map with a selected customer persona. Carefully consider which journeys and stages are most relevant for a company to evaluate, while paying attention to the following suggestions:

• Understand the Nigerian market

Recognize the diversity within the Nigerian market. Consider factors such as cultural variations, language preferences, and regional differences which are very important for the user’s journey map.

• Define objectives

Begin by clearly defining the objectives of creating a customer journey map. Whether it’s enhancing customer satisfaction, improving retention, or boosting sales, having well-defined goals will guide the entire process

• Segment customer personas

Identify and segment your target audience into distinct personas based on demographics, behaviours, and preferences.

• Gather data

Make use of valuable data from various sources, including customer feedback, surveys, social media, and analytics tools. Collect information on customer behaviours, preferences, pain points, and satisfaction levels.

• Customer touchpoints

Organize the various points of contact customers have with your business throughout their journey. This includes both online and offline interactions, starting from initial awareness to post-purchase experiences.

• Identify pain points

It is essential to identify and examine the areas of frustration and difficulty that customers may encounter throughout their journey. These could involve issues such as payment options, delivery arrangements, or cultural differences.

• Highlight positive moments

Recognize and highlight the positive moments customers have during their experience. Point out exceptional customer service, individualized interactions, and smooth transactions.

• Develop empathy maps

Create empathy maps to understand the emotions and motivations of your customers at each touchpoint.

• Prioritize improvements

Based on the insights gathered, prioritize key areas for improvement. Address issues that have the most significant impact on the customer experience. This may involve refining processes, providing additional staff training, or enhancing digital platforms.

• Implement changes

Work together across different departments to implement the recommended enhancements. This could involve updating procedures, providing training to employees, or improving online platforms.

• Monitor and iterate

Continuously monitor customer feedback and key performance indicators to assess the impact of implemented changes.

Read also: A Beginner’s Guide to Customer Relationship Management: CRM Tools and Software

Essential Customer Journey Mapping Tools and Software

1. ClickUp

ClickUp is an excellent customer journey mapping tool that lets you create the best visual workflow representations with its whiteboard feature and mind map maker. 

2. Custellence

Custellence is a customer journey mapping tool that helps teams and organizations understand and improve customer experiences. 

3. Sample

Here’s one of this list’s top customer journey mapping tools because it helps create visually appealing journey maps and facilitates customer feedback tools for real-time online collaboration.

4. UXPressia

This is a visual collaboration software for creating not just customer journey maps but user persona and impact maps as well etc.

Do you need more business insights like this? Subscribe to our newsletter today; let’s keep you updated with premium insights.

Conclusion 

Nigerian businesses must create a detailed customer journey map to navigate the diverse and constantly changing market landscape. By accurately understanding the Nigerian consumer experience, including cultural aspects and regional differences, businesses can develop a customized map that effectively meets customer needs. 

Edited by Priscilla Ajayi.