Touchpoints
The customer journey is an evolving pathway that comprises various phases, each marked by distinct touchpoints where consumers interact with a brand and its offerings. These interactions can span from the discovery phase, when a prospect first becomes aware of a product or service, to the devotion phase, marked by ongoing support and engagement from the brand. To create a viral customer experience, pinpointing key touchpoints for optimisation becomes critical. This might entail a complete overhaul of the customer experience or could simply focus on specific points where word-of-mouth impact can be maximised.
It's not just about contact but about making a significant impact. This approach is strategic and deliberate. It transforms ordinary interactions into meaningful exchanges that not only guide customers along their journey with us but also influence them toward desired outcomes, whether that's conversion, engagement, or overall satisfaction.
When it comes to making decisions and fostering innovation, having clear objectives for each customer touchpoint is crucial. These objectives serve as a guiding compass, directing both the company and its employees towards their desired destination. Creating objectives for each customer’s touchpoint is not just about setting targets or KPIs. It's about establishing a clear vision of what success looks like at every stage of the customer journey. By making these objectives visible and accessible, employees are provided with a framework that helps to shape their decisions and streamline processes.
When objectives are clear, it is easier for employees to understand the impact of their actions on the overall customer experience. They can see how their efforts contribute to the company's mission and vision. This transparency empowers employees to take ownership of their roles and responsibilities, driving them to make decisions that align with the company's goals. Moreover, having well-defined objectives for touchpoints can serve as a catalyst for innovation. Employees are more likely to think creatively and propose new ideas when they have a clear understanding of what needs to be achieved. This sense of purpose and direction fosters a culture of innovation where employees are motivated to find new and better ways to meet and exceed customer expectations.
To identify touchpoints that can be optimised for viral customer experience, businesses must first answer some key questions:
1. What are the key moments where customers interact with your brand? The initial step in optimising your customer journey involves identifying key touchpoints where customers engage with your brand. A key touchpoint stands as a decisive interaction point in the customer journey that holds considerable sway over their overall perception, satisfaction, and loyalty to your brand.
These aren't just routine or transactional moments; they are strategically crafted interactions that reflect your brand's core values and mission. Serving as catalysts, they can either amplify the positive aspects of the customer experience or potentially harm essential business metrics such as retention, referrals, and revenue. Therefore, the design and execution of these touchpoints should be intentional, designed to fulfil customer expectations, reinforce your brand promise, and nurture lasting relationships.
2. What is the objective of touchpoints? Once the key touch points have been identified, the next crucial step for businesses is to clarify the objective of each touchpoint. Understanding the purpose behind these interactions helps to refine the customer journey, making it more effective, meaningful, and aligned with your brand values. Without clear objectives, touchpoints can become arbitrary interactions that neither engage the customer nor drive business goals.
Objectives serve as a guiding framework that informs both the design and execution of each touch point, ensuring that they contribute to a holistic, optimised customer experience. Here are some example touchpoints and objectives for a few important steps at a software company. These example objectives show how setting goals helps to start building a strategy.
Website Landing Page: “To provide clear, concise information that helps potential customers understand the value proposition and unique benefits of our service.”
Newsletter Signup: “To establish an initial trust-based relationship with potential customers by offering valuable content."
Product Demo: “To showcase the capabilities and advantages of our product in a context relevant to the customer, aiming to move them further along the decision-making process.”
Post-Purchase Follow-up: “To affirm the customer's purchase decision, offer necessary support, and initiate a long-term relationship based on quality service and trust.”
Customer Reviews: “To gather authentic feedback for continuous improvement and to build social proof that can be leveraged in future marketing efforts.”
Each of these strategic objectives serves as a guiding light for designing and refining the respective actions for the touchpoints, aligning them with the broader goals of the customer journey and the company's overall mission.