Customer Journey Mapping: Your Secret Weapon for Funnel Success

Let’s talk about something that’ll transform your funnels and sales: customer journey mapping.

From the moment they first stumble upon your Instagram post to the day they become your biggest fan, every step matters. 

Understanding this journey (which is unique to you) is really about crafting funnels that actually work and building relationships that last way longer than your average Netflix binge.

Understanding the Customer Journey (AKA Your Marketing Funnel on Steroids)

First things first: what exactly is a customer journey? 

Ina nutshell: It’s the path your customer takes from “Who are you?” to “OMG, I love you!” It’s like a marketing funnel, but way cooler and more dynamic.

Traditional funnels often look like this:

Awareness → Consideration → Decision

But let’s be real – customer relationships aren’t always that linear. 

They’re more like a choose-your-own-adventure book. Sometimes they skip ahead, sometimes they go back a few pages. That’s where customer journey mapping comes in handy.

Key Stages of the Customer Journey (and How They Relate to Your Funnel)

Awareness:

This is the “meet-cute” of your business. Maybe they stumbled upon your TikTok or read your killer blog post (I love content marketing). Now in funnel terms, this is often where your freebies or low-ticket offers shine.

Consideration:

Now they’re thinking, “Hmm, this brand might be onto something.” They’re comparing you to others, weighing options. In your funnel, this might be where mid-tier offers come into play.

Decision:

Cue the confetti! 🎉 They’ve decided to take the plunge. This could mean buying your signature course or booking your high-ticket offer.

Retention:

The journey doesn’t end at purchase! Now it’s about keeping the connection alive. Think: amazing customer service, exclusive member perks, etc.

Advocacy:

This is one of the best phases: They’re now singing your praises from the rooftops. These peeps are gold for your business.

But here’s where it gets interesting: unlike a traditional funnel where customers might “fall out” at the bottom, a well-crafted customer journey keeps them in your orbit. 

They might move between stages, try different offers, or continually engage with your content.

Tools for Customer Journey Mapping (Including Your Secret Weapon)

Now you’re probably thinking, “Great Ingrid, but how do I actually map this out?” I’ve got you covered:

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1. Customer Journey Mapping Software: Tools like Lucidchart or Smaply can help visualize the journey. I like to use Whimsical! It’s free and works great for so many things!

2. Analytics Tools: Site analytics tools like Google Analytics, Fathom (what I use), Plausible, etc are your BFF for understanding website behavior.

3. Offer Synergy: This is my secret weapon, and now it’s yours too. It’s a tool I’ve created to help you identify gaps in your current offers and create a seamless customer journey. Perfect for multi-passionate entrepreneurs who want a clear map of what to focus on next. (Check it out!)

The clearer you are, the less energy you spend “figuring it out”

Map your customer journey best offers for only $9.

When you create your very own Customer Journey Offer Tracker following my lead inside Offer Synergy, you’ll easily map your unique customer journey and track your timely, relevant offers that help boost conversion rates and bring more revenue in the door. 

LEARN MORE

Using Journey Mapping to Supercharge Your Funnels

Here’s where the magic happens. By mapping out your customer’s journey, you can optimize your funnels for maximum impact:

1. Identify Pain Points: Spot where customers are getting stuck in your funnel and fix it.

2. Personalize the Experience: Use journey insights to tailor your funnel stages to specific customer needs.

3. Create Seamless Transitions: Ensure each stage of your funnel naturally leads to the next.

4. Develop Targeted Content: Craft messages that resonate at each stage of the journey.

5. Build Long-Term Relationships: Use your map to create opportunities for customers to re-enter your funnel or explore new offers.

Crafting a Conversion-Friendly Funnel: Best Practices & Examples

Now let’s get into the nitty-gritty of building a funnel that actually converts.

Matching the funnel parts to your customer journey, this structure is the rule of thumb I would suggest having as your base for conversions:

1. Top of Funnel (TOFU): Awareness

• Offer: Free, valuable content (blog posts, social media content, lead magnets)
• Goal: Attract attention and collect email addresses

Example: A free downloadable guide on “5 Mistakes Coaches Make That Cost Them Clients”

2. Middle of Funnel (MOFU): Consideration

• Offer: Low-ticket product or deeper educational content
• Goal: Build trust and showcase your expertise

Example: A $27 mini-course on “Creating Your First Coaching Package”

3. Bottom of Funnel (BOFU): Decision

• Offer: Your core product or service
• Goal: Convert leads into paying customers

Example: Your signature 12-week coaching program

4. Post-Purchase: Retention & Advocacy

• Offer: Upsells, cross-sells, and exceptional support
• Goal: Increase customer lifetime value and generate referrals

Example: A VIP day add-on or an affiliate program for successful clients

Here’s the secret sauce that makes this funnel structure work:

• Consistency: Make sure your branding and messaging are consistent across all stages. You want your funnel to feel like a cohesive journey, not a disjointed maze.

• Value ladder: Each stage should offer increasingly valuable solutions. Your free content should be good, your paid content should be great, and your high-ticket offers should be mind-blowing.
  
  Big note here: Not everyone has to go through your value ladder but it’s best that you have a natural progression so the next stage is always “the most logical next step”.

• Clear CTAs: At each stage, make it crystal clear what action you want people to take next. Don’t leave them guessing!

• Personalization: Use the data you gather at each stage to personalize the experience. Did they download your lead magnet on Instagram marketing? Great! Your next offer should probably be Instagram-related.

• Nurture Sequences: Between each stage, use email sequences to nurture your leads. Share success stories, address common objections, and provide more value.

• Testing and Optimization: Your funnel isn’t set in stone. Use tools like A/B testing to continually refine and improve each stage.

Wrapping It Up

I think you can see now how mapping your customer’s journey is a powerful strategy to enhance your client/customer experience, optimize your funnels, and grow your business! 

By understanding each stage of their journey, using the right tools, and creating a dynamic funnel system, you can truly turn casual browsers into loyal advocates.