An effective customer journey map relies on data-driven research and depicts various steps of the customers’ experience, recorded from the customers’ perspective. A unique feature of customer journey maps is that it is rarely linear as it has become second nature for customers to switch channels even in the middle of a purchase.

For instance, a customer might research about your product online, then visit your store to compare prices and then again go online to order the product via your mobile app. Else, he might research on your mobile app, go to your store to check quality and price, go home and order the product from his laptop. Channel-hopping has become the norm!

Here’s what you need to keep in mind while designing a customer journey map.

• Depict the customers’ experience with your brand in a step-by-step format
• Include every single channel and touchpoint – both online as well as offline
• Create the map from the customers’ perspective and not from the brand’s
• Collaborate with other departments such as Sales, Marketing, etc to get a wider and more holistic perspective