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Siegfried SchneiderCMO, Red Dot Design
customer experience
20 min
Written by Daniel Luecke
The user journey helps you to better understand the path your users take. But how exactly do you optimize this journey and how do you create a user journey map? You’ll learn this and much more in this article!
The user journey plays a decisive role in individual parts of the customer journey or in the context of software and apps.
This is a process in which companies try to make the user’s journey from the first contact with a brand to the purchase decision (or other desired action) as smooth as possible.
Regardless of whether we are talking about purely digital channels, physical locations or hybrid models: Accompanying the journey and ensuring that all stages are well coordinated is a leitmotif of many corporate strategies, as this is the only way to succeed in meeting, understanding and satisfying the customer or buyer at all times.
When it comes to users and their journey, it’s not just about marketing, but about the entire experience you provide to potential customers – from initial research into products or services to post-purchase support.
A well thought-out structure and an in-depth understanding of needs help to develop and sustainably implement ideas and suggestions for improvement. Word has now gotten around in many industries:
If you neglect the user journey, you quickly lose touch with your target groups and run the risk of prospective customers turning away before they even take in more detailed information.
Another reason for its growing importance is that users today have so many ways of accessing information. They compare prices, read testimonials and reviews, get information from friends and acquaintances or their circle of friends and acquaintances and then jump to another provider if they can’t find what they are looking for straight away.
At the same time, messages must not be arbitrary, but must be used in the right place to attract the attention of interested parties.
Whether in an online store, on social media or in bricks-and-mortar retail, a well-designed user journey offers the opportunity to shape the customer journey in a way that has a positive impact on sales, satisfaction and loyalty. Even if “the customer is king” seems like an old adage, it remains an essential success factor.
In the following, we look at the specific phases and steps that a user goes through in contact with a company and how this journey can be optimized.
We explain why a good customer experience is much more than just an appealing design, how to structure a user journey or customer journey and why the desire to increase the intent to purchase is closely linked to the design of a well-thought-out user journey.
A user journey is the sequence of interactions between a user and a company or its offers that should ultimately lead to a specific result. This process can take place across several touchpoints, such as the homepage of a website, a social media channel, an email newsletter or a personal conversation in a store.
The decisive factor is that the company has become aware of the needs of its target group and tries to inspire them along this journey.
The user journey can be a purchase process, but also a registration for a newsletter, a visit to an event or downloading an app. In any case, it is important to accompany the user so that they do not feel lost and all the necessary information is provided.
Especially with complex products or services that require extensive consultation, it is crucial that everything is thought through down to the smallest detail.
In addition, it makes sense to use perspective in every step to see the user not just as a consumer, but as a person with specific goals, expectations and concerns. By understanding and meeting the user’s requirements, the journey can be optimized.
This is because the user journey plays a central role in how a company can position itself as an efficient and trustworthy provider. Those who have recognized the signs of the times are making targeted investments in UX, marketing and service in order to create a seamless experience across all channels.
Ultimately, it is important to pick up the user in a relevant way: from the first impulse to loyalty to the company – ideally over a long period of time. If you understand your user journey, you can make the right adjustments and create a positive, recurring experience.
The term “user journey” is often mentioned in the same breath as “customer journey”. The two are closely related, although the user journey sometimes focuses more on the digital aspect, while the customer journey also includes all possible offline contacts.
While the customer journey usually focuses on the entire purchasing process – from the first contact with the brand to long-term customer loyalty – the user journey is often more focused on interaction with digital products or platforms.
The customer journey therefore focuses on all contact points, from entering a physical store to interacting with support. The user journey, on the other hand, looks specifically at the digital path that a user takes, for example on a website or within an app.
However, both concepts complement each other as they pursue the same goal: To create a smooth, satisfying experience that ideally leads to the desired action.
Each user journey can be divided into different stages, which are often referred to as phases of the user journey. It is important to note that these phases can vary greatly depending on the industry, product or service and target group. Nevertheless, some basic steps have become established:
These steps of the user journey are rarely completed in a linear fashion. Users can skip a phase or jump back several times. It is therefore all the more important to analyze each phase in order to create a truly effective design. The end result is an optimized, positive user experience that promotes the intent to purchase – or another conversion.
When we talk about the user journey, touchpoints are the be-all and end-all. At these touchpoints, the prospective customer encounters your company’s content, products or services. Touchpoints can be digital or analog:
It is essential to identify all touchpoints and understand their role in the overall user journey. Finally, it is important to collect, categorize and evaluate these touchpoints. Without this foundation, it will be difficult to know exactly where to start in order to optimize the user journey.
A data analysis tool can provide support and show which channels are particularly effective and where potential customers are dropping out.
If you work on your touchpoints in a targeted manner, you can pick up customers or buyers where they are. In addition to content aspects, it is also possible to take technical aspects into account. This creates a coherent overall experience that has a positive effect on brand perception.
To better understand and document the entire customer journey, many companies use a user journey map. This clear representation shows chronologically which steps the user goes through, what emotions and thoughts they have and what hurdles they are confronted with.
The aim is to visualize the user journey so that potential for optimisation can be clearly identified.
A comprehensive user journey map is not only helpful for marketing, but also for product development, sales and service.
Tip: This free Figma template helps you to create the perfect User Journey Map
This is because it allows everyone involved to view the processes from the same perspective, facilitates mutual understanding and creates a common basis for driving improvements forward. This approach is particularly helpful if you want to align different departments in the company towards a common goal.
Designing the user journey with the help of a map enables the team to develop targeted solutions that respond to the individual needs of users. After all, many user journeys are very complex, take place across several channels and involve different forms of interaction.
A map-based overview means that you can work on a clear story and view the experience not only from the company’s perspective, but also from the user’s point of view. Validating this perspective is an essential building block for long-term success.
Systematic user journey mapping gives you the opportunity to keep an eye on all interactions, uncover weak points and refine processes. In many cases, you start with a persona definition to characterize the typical user. This is followed by a structured approach:
Optimizing interaction is the ultimate goal: you want to remove obstacles, guide users more efficiently and offer them an even better experience. Be it through optimized navigation on the website, prompt customer service or a personal approach in the newsletter – the possibilities are diverse and depend on the products and services offered.
Once an initial map has been created, it is time for regular reviews, i.e. to be able to analyze the user journey. You should not just rely on gut feelings, but use structured methods:
These tools provide deeper insights into which factors influence the purchase decision or engagement level. This also includes taking a closer look at the intent to purchase: At which points does it jump sharply, and at which points does interest drop rapidly?
Based on these findings, measures can be developed to improve the user journey. This can mean simplifying forms, providing more targeted content or optimizing internal processes so that users can find the information they need more quickly.
Companies that understand how to manage their entire process in this context create more transparency and can gain more satisfied customers in the long term.
An example of a user journey could look like this:
Anyone who accurately maps this type of journey will quickly notice where stumbling blocks lie and where adjustments can still be made. The aim is to create an optimal user experience through iterative adjustments.
The user journey is much more than just a buzzword from the world of marketing and UX. It is a tool that helps to accompany the journey and guide the entire process so that users feel they are in good hands at all times.
In this way, companies can use their products to strengthen their brand and strengthen their relationship with customers. A deep understanding of users forms the basis of any successful strategy in this area.
Especially in times when the range of products and services is growing in almost every industry, it is worth paying particular attention to the user journey. Those who focus on shaping the user’s journey will be more successful in the long term than those who leave it to chance.
Once a company has become aware of the levers that really make the difference, it can quickly achieve the desired result.
To summarize: The customer is king, and the user journey ensures that this motto is not just an empty phrase. With clear analyses, regular updates and a strategy that has been thought through down to the smallest detail, companies can not only retain existing customers, but also tap into new target groups.
If you then manage to keep the guiding principle of many corporate strategies – namely customer satisfaction and the intent to purchase – permanently high, nothing stands in the way of sustainable success.
In principle, the two concepts are very similar. However, the user journey is often more strongly related to digital experiences, while the customer journey increasingly includes all possible offline contacts. In essence, both are about picking up the user at all touchpoints and understanding their needs.
A user journey map makes it easy to clearly display complex interactions and identify potential for improvement. Specific data can be used to understand exactly where users are satisfied and where they drop out. This allows you to work on targeted fine-tuning.
It is best to do this regularly, especially when there are major changes in the company or in the market environment. New products, a redesign of the website or major campaigns are typical occasions to reassess the journey.
Absolutely. Even though the term is often used in a digital context, the principle of the user journey also applies to stationary retail or services that take place offline. The goal is a consistent brand experience across all channels.
Daniel Luecke
Director Software Solutions
I work together with my colleagues to make our product a little better every day – and to be a partner who helps our customers work successfully with their media and product data.