We all know how shopping can be. We go with something in our mind or a desire to purchase something that we might require. Then we surf through things and try to make a decision to select something that matches our desires and requirements. This is the stage where we fix on buying a product. Later, we make an actual purchase and evaluate the decision of how the purchase affected us. This journey of decision-making and purchasing is called the customer journey.
This can be defined as the process that a potential customer goes through from becoming aware of a product or service to making a purchase decision. Typically, there are multiple stages in this process and they can be classified as follows –
1. Awareness stage –
This is the beginning of the customer journey where they realise that a need or problem needs to be solved. For example, a customer requires a sunscreen that has Spf 50. This is the stage where they are aware of the need. This can happen through various channels such as social media, search engines, or word of mouth.
2. Consideration stage –
Since the need is known now, the next possible step would be to consider a solution for the need. This would include lots of research and understanding of the product that the customer might need. In this case, the person would look for the best possible sunscreens out there which would fit their budget, have the desired qualities and also read reviews on the said product. They may compare different products or services, read reviews, and seek recommendations.
3. Decision stage –
At this stage, the person needs to decide which product they are going to purchase. This could be according to the price, quality, relevance and popularity. For example, there are multiple sunscreens in the market but not all of them are reliable for each person. May be the person is looking for something that is more hydrating and would go for high hydration complex formula. This would solve the problem of decision-making.
4. Purchase stage –
The decision has already been made and this stage is like the confirmation of the decision. The person will now go ahead and buy the product as decided. This will denote the completion of the action.
5. Post-purchase stage –
After making a purchase, the customer evaluates their decision. They may provide feedback, seek support, or become repeat customers. For example, if the person finds the sunscreen to be the exact match for what they were looking for they will give good reviews and become a repeating customer. But if they were disappointed with the product or found something missing the process would repeat and they would go for another suitable product.
Wrapping it up –
From this glossary, we can understand the customer journey over the cycle of purchasing an item. It starts with the realisation of a need and ends with the realisation of the purchase being satisfying or not satisfying. This journey that a customer goes through shows the behaviour of a customer helping the business owners in making more sales. The key elements are advertisements that match the quality of the product. However, a lot of times people are scammed. Hence people are now relying more on customer reviews and word of mouth when purchasing an item.
