Customer Journey

The Awareness phase of the customer journey has many levels. Consumers can range anywhere from “unaware”, meaning they have no familiarity with their own problems or the products and services that a company offers; to “very aware”, meaning that the consumer fully understands their own problem or need and is familiar with an advertisers products or services, but they haven’t made the decision to buy yet.

At this stage in the customer journey, consumers have moved past awareness and are actively seeking solutions for their problems. This is where it is crucial for a business to have the ability to be found, easily and accurately. One of the most important factors in a business’s ability to be found is their online listings. Their NAP information- which stands for NAME, ADDRESS, and PHONE NUMBER must be accurate, not just on major sites and search engines but on hundreds of smaller listing sites as well.

At this stage, customers are finalizing their purchase or choice of vendor. They are moving ever closer to action and are scrutinizing their options even further. As customers weigh their options, there are several things that make a prospective business and its products and services look even better. Online reviews, case studies, and social media presence and activity are among some of the critical things that make up a business’s online reputation. These things can make or break decisions for a customer.

Businesses have to be in-tune with how their customers prefer to engage with them and they need to be equipped to meet their customer’s needs in whichever way they prefer. A business’s website, listings, social platforms, and digital advertising campaigns must be set up to allow for phone calls, form fills, or even physical store visits. If businesses can’t allow customers to buy and convert in their preferred method, then all the hard work they’ve done through the customer journey up to this point might all be for nothing; and the customer is going to go somewhere else where they can conduct business in their preferred way.