The Importance of Touchpoints in the Customer Experience
The way your customers experience your business is paramount to your success. Focusing your attention on a great product and high service levels is a start, but your customer should be front of mind when you begin exploring every touchpoint they have with your brand. Touchpoints that miss the mark – delivering ads to the wrong segment, unclear billing, an outdated website – can drive customers away. Knowing exactly what your customers experience during all phases of the sales process with your brand can help you identify weak places in your strategy and deliver a smoother experience.
What are customer touchpoints?
Simply put, a customer touchpoint is any place your potential and current customers interact with your brand. The interactions change depending on where they are in the sales funnel. The image below shows an example of some typical touchpoints a customer would experience during the buying process.
Finding all of your customers’ touchpoints is an essential step in building a customer journey map, which will ultimately lead to an optimized experience and allow the focus to be placed on the customer. By looking at your brand through the eyes of your customer, you can get a better understanding of where your business could be missing the mark.
Finding the touchpoints.
To begin this process, you start by making a list of every single place you know that your customers interact with your business. This can vary from depending on your industry, but there are many common touchpoints from business to business. Begin with those first touchpoints, before your customers are interested. Next, move on to the touchpoints they encounter during the buying process. Finally, take a look at all the interactions they have with you after the purchase is made.
#1 Customer Touchpoints Before Buying
In most scenarios, customers purchase from businesses after they have had significant exposure to that brand. In fact, many customers will perform some heavy due diligence to find out all they can about your business and product before they ever open their wallet. Take a look at your customer reviews on all channels, if your ads are getting to the right audience and if your social media efforts are up to par.
#2 Touchpoints During Purchase
Any kinks or hiccups during the buying process, and your business stands to lose a lot of customers. Here are the touchpoints to consider optimizing for middle of the funnel customers.
#3 Touchpoints After Buying
Just because someone becomes your customer doesn’t mean you ignore them. Current customers require all the attention of potential ones. Here is a list of places to create a better experience after the purchase is complete.
Finding your customer touchpoints is just one step in the customer journey mapping process. Knowing how your customers experience your business allows you to fully understand where your strengths and weaknesses are and what you can do to fix them. Correcting any issues will help you to build a flawless and enjoyable overall experience with your brand.
Want to share these touchpoints with your team? Below is a handy infographic you can download and keep.
