The Customer Journey in B2B
We are now in a cut-throat competition in which the strongest often wins in the end! This is because there are no longer any real differences in the added value of products and services - which makes them more and more interchangeable. This applies to both B2C and B2B. As a result, it is becoming increasingly difficult and time-consuming for B2B companies to find their own positioning.
However, the homogeneity of products and services is bringing another criterion more to the fore - and this offers huge potential for the majority of B2B companies: the customer experience.
However, what works in B2C cannot simply be transferred to the B2B sector. This is because the B2B sector has one or two special features that differentiate an analysis of customer journey touchpoints from the B2C sector. A gearbox or a rotary lobe pump sell differently to a gym subscription or a meal in a restaurant.
CONTENTS
- Why do I need a customer journey?
- What does a classic customer journey look like?
- What is customer journey mapping?
- What makes the customer journey in B2B special?
- Advantages of customer journey mapping in B2B
- Evaluation criteria for a B2B customer journey map
- How to create a customer journey map
- These tools help with customer journey mapping
- Customer Journey Map Templates
- 4 tips for working with the customer journey map
- Ausblick B2B Customer Journey Mapping
The customer is the focus! For many companies today, this is the basis for their activities.
Because if your own products and services are no longer clearly differentiated from those of the competition, the customer experience must be the unique selling point that makes customers choose you.
And the better you understand your customers, know their needs and offer them an exceptional customer experience, the greater the chance of winning them as regular customers.
The customer journey helps to visualize the customer journey and identify levers for optimizing individual touchpoints.
What does a classic customer journey look like?
In the first phase of the customer journey, companies want to draw the attention of strangers to their company or product. Possible touchpoints here include social media, recommendations or product demonstrations.
In the consideration phase, a prospective customer begins to take a closer look at your company's offer and compare it with other options. They read product reviews, search for information and compare prices. The aim here is to convince the prospect that your brand or product is the best choice. Touchpoints here include website content, demos, customer reviews or white papers.
Once a customer is convinced by you or your product, a conversion occurs. This can be a newsletter registration, a subscription or a product purchase. The bottom line is to turn an interested party into a buyer or user. In this phase, product pages, registration forms or in-app purchases are examples of possible touchpoints.
If a customer is satisfied with an offer, they will remain loyal to the brand or product. Retention is primarily about getting the customer to return and make further purchases. Examples of touchpoints are email newsletters, special offers, up- and cross-selling or customer support.
If a customer is enthusiastic about you, they will become an advocate and recommend you to friends or family. You can turn your customers into active brand ambassadors via social media, review platforms or customer surveys.
The individual phases of the customer journey offer different possibilities and types of touchpoints at which you come into contact with your customers. For these touchpoints to lead to a positive customer experience, they must go hand in hand and form a coherent overall picture. Customer journey mapping helps you to see where there is still room for optimization.
What is customer journey mapping?
Customer journey mapping is a method that is used in marketing and customer analysis. It involves visualizing and analysing the various touchpoints throughout the entire customer journey.
The aim of customer journey mapping is to develop a deep understanding of how customers experience and perceive your offering, what their needs are and what challenges or problems they may encounter. With this information, companies can then improve their marketing and customer service strategies to make the customer experience as smooth and enjoyable as possible.
There are several aspects in which customer journey mapping differs in B2B and B2C. In order to create customized and effective customer experiences in B2B, it is important to know these differences and adapt strategies accordingly. After all, it makes no sense to simply apply a B2C customer journey map to the B2B sector.
Target groups and buyer personas
The target groups and buyer personas in the B2B and B2C sectors are different. In the B2B sector, marketing and sales measures are mostly aimed at companies, while in the B2C sector the focus is on individuals and consumers. This can lead to different needs, expectations and buying motives.
CMS - Website, landing pages & blog
In the B2B sector, purchasing decisions are generally more complex and often involve several decision-makers. In this context, we speak of a buying center - a group of people who are involved in the purchasing decision process. The customer journey in B2B can therefore take longer and involve more touchpoints than in B2C.
Social Media
B2B buyers often conduct extensive research and analysis before making a purchase decision. This makes it essential for you to provide relevant information and support throughout the entire customer journey.
Relationships and customer service
In the B2B sector, the focus is on long-term relationships and a strong customer orientation. As B2B customers often make repeat purchases and rely on ongoing cooperation, aspects such as customer support, training and upselling play a particularly important role here.
Reporting & Analysis
The sales cycle in the B2B sector is often longer and requires more thorough support and follow-up than in B2C.
CUSTOMER CENTRICITY
Customer journey mapping allows companies to focus on the needs of their customers and develop a better understanding of how customers interact with their products and services. This can help create personalized experiences for customers and strengthen relationships. At the same time, you can stand out from the competition and gain a competitive advantage.
IMPROVE EFFECTIVENESS
Customer journey mapping enables companies to optimize their sales strategies and achieve more successful results. Only when you understand a customer's journey in detail can you develop truly effective marketing and sales strategies.
PROMOTING INTERDISCIPLINARITY
Customer journey mapping requires collaboration between different teams in a company. When marketing, sales, customer service and product development work together, you can pursue your vision of a better customer experience more sustainably.
Evaluation criteria for a B2B customer journey map
Before you create a customer journey map, you first need to define the relevant evaluation criteria.
These questions will help you:
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What exactly does the potential customer do in each phase?
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Which touchpoints does he use?
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Which team, which department takes responsibility in this phase?
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What exactly is the information requirement?
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What content and offers are provided?
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What is the business goal of the individual phase and which key figures do we measure?
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Which buyer personas are involved in the phase?
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How do we evaluate the current performance of the individual phases?
How to create a customer journey map
This is where you lay the foundation for the implementation and coordination of the entire process, promote cooperation between different departments and signal the commitment to prioritizing a customer-oriented strategy.
Clearly defined target groups and buyer personas give you a better understanding of your customers' needs. They also help you to develop personalized marketing and sales strategies that are tailored to the specific needs and requirements of your target customers.
A touchpoint audit allows you to record and analyze all points of contact between you and your customers. This means you know directly how customers come into contact with you.
By visualizing the actual situation, you can better identify optimization potential in the current customer journey.
You should then use the existing customer journey map to derive possible goals and fields of action. Logically, you should choose them in such a way that the customer experience improves
You should then use the existing customer journey map to derive possible goals and fields of action. Logically, you should choose them in such a way that the customer experience improves
Customer journey mapping tools
TheyDo
TheyDo helps teams visualize customer journeys, identify touchpoints and gather insights to support the development of more targeted customer experiences.
Lucidchart
Lucidchart is an online platform that allows you to create flowcharts, diagrams and other visualizations. There is even a template for customer journey maps that can be customized.
Canva
Canva is a creative platform that allows you to create different types of designs, including customer journey maps. There are several templates that can be customized.
mural
Mural is a digital whiteboard that can be used for many types of collaboration, including customer journey mapping. The tool allows users to share and edit ideas and visualizations in real time
Miro
Miro is a popular online collaboration tool that can also be used to manage customer experiences. It offers functions for visualizing journey maps, sharing ideas and team collaboration.
Smaply
Smaply is a platform for user experience mapping and customer journey mapping. It enables you to create user-friendly journeys and maps, work collaboratively and gain important insights
UserZoom
UserZoom is a tool for user research and the testing of digital products. It also offers functions for creating customer journeys and analyzing user behaviour.
Collaboard
Collaboard allows teams to securely collaborate, brainstorm and visualize customer journeys to create a shared understanding of the customer journey.
Customer journey map templates
Do you want to create a customer journey map for your company, but don't know exactly where to start? We've picked out some helpful templates from the web to help you get started with customer journey mapping:
- ClickUp offers a variety of free templates.
- Zapier offers a detailed guide to customer journey mapping, including a free template.
- Hootsuit offers you a free template including detailed explanations.
- On Canva you will find a selection of customer journey map templates that can be customized and shared.
- WordStream also offers a guide to customer journey mapping, including a free template and examples.
4 tips for working with the customer journey map
Working with a customer journey map requires a clear strategy and preparation in order to achieve effective results. Finally, here are four tips that can help you get the most out of your customer journey map:
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Clearly define your goals
Before you start creating a customer journey map, it's important to set clear goals. What do you want to achieve through the customer journey? Do you want to identify weak points, improve customer satisfaction or discover new business opportunities? A clear definition of goals enables you to focus your work and make targeted improvements.
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Create the organizational conditions
In order for the customer journey map to be implemented successfully, the necessary organizational prerequisites must be in place. This includes, for example, involving the relevant teams and departments. Ensure that everyone involved is informed and actively involved in the process in order to achieve the best possible results
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Control and reporting along the individual touchpoints
A customer journey map is only as good as the data it contains. To enable comprehensive analysis and continuous improvement, it is important to set up control mechanisms and reporting along the individual touchpoints. This will give you valuable insights into how customers interact with your company and where potential weaknesses lie.
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Designing the touchpoints of the corporate culture & vision
Use the customer journey map to incorporate your corporate culture and vision into the design of the touchpoints. A consistent customer journey that reflects your company's values and vision leads to stronger customer loyalty and a differentiating brand presence. So make sure that every touchpoint is in line with your corporate identity.
B2B customer journey mapping outlook
Although we cannot predict the future, some exciting trends and developments for B2B customer journey mapping are already emerging. Personalized customer journeys and the integration of customer feedback are just as much a part of this as omnichannel experiences. The use of technologies such as artificial intelligence, data analytics and automation will also become more important for the B2B customer journey in the future.
The aim is always to achieve improved customer satisfaction and long-term customer loyalty. So that customers stay with you in the long term.
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