The online customer journey (and why it matters)<\/h2>\n
If you\u2019re looking to sell products or services online, you\u2019ll have a lot of competition. It\u2019s not enough to simply list out what you have to offer and hope people will start making purchases. Instead, you\u2019ll want to provide a clear path for potential customers to follow and encourage them to move forward at every step.<\/p>\n
While each business is a little different, most customers go through a few predictable stages. The result is an online customer journey resembling something like this:<\/p>\n
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- Awareness:<\/strong> First, leads need to become aware of your business and website.<\/li>\n
- Consideration:<\/strong> Then, they\u2019ll learn about your product or service, and consider whether to buy it.<\/li>\n
- Purchase:<\/strong> At this stage, the lead makes their first purchase and becomes a customer.<\/li>\n
- Retention:<\/strong> After the first purchase, you\u2019ll want to ensure the customer keeps coming back.<\/li>\n
- Advocacy:<\/strong> As long as the customer is happy with their experience, you may be able to get them to advocate for your business (bringing in even more leads).<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
If you want to maximize conversions, your website will need to account for and guide visitors through each stage.<\/p>\n
How to lead website visitors through the online customer journey (in 5 stages)<\/h2>\n
There are a lot of ways to incorporate the five stages of the online customer journey on your WordPress website<\/a>. What follows are some suggestions to get you started, which should be relevant to most sites. However, don\u2019t be afraid to get creative as well!<\/p>\n
Stage 1: Awareness<\/h3>\n
Naturally, people can\u2019t buy your products or services if they don\u2019t know you exist. Therefore, the first stage of the online customer journey is \u2018awareness\u2019.<\/p>\n
![\"An](\"https:\/\/mllj2j8xvfl0.i.optimole.com\/cb:c5QE.37290\/w:auto\/h:auto\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/themeisle.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/airbnb-twitter-marketing.png\")
<\/p>\nYour website plays a huge role in this stage. In fact, one of the primary reasons businesses run websites is to expand their reach and visibility. To do the same, you\u2019ll want to focus on attracting as many people as possible to your site.<\/p>\n
We\u2019ve written extensively on how to attract website traffic<\/a>. However, if you\u2019re new to the topic, here are the best places to start:<\/p>\n
- \n
- Search Engine Optimization (SEO).<\/strong> A huge proportion of potential customers will find your website through search engines. Taking a few simple steps to optimize your site and content<\/a> increases your odds of ranking highly and getting seen.<\/li>\n
- Social media marketing.<\/strong> Setting up social media profiles and cultivating an online following<\/a> can do wonders for awareness of your business. Just make sure your profiles and posts direct people back towards your site<\/a>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
While there are plenty of strategies you can employ<\/a>, putting some effort into these two areas is often enough to get lots of new eyes on your website.<\/p>\n
Stage 2: Consideration<\/h3>\n
Once you\u2019ve succeeded at bringing new visitors to your site, they\u2019ll start considering whether or not to purchase your products or services. Your job is to encourage them to take the plunge.<\/p>\n
![\"Testimonials](\"https:\/\/mllj2j8xvfl0.i.optimole.com\/cb:c5QE.37290\/w:auto\/h:auto\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/themeisle.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/example-testimonials-page.png\")
<\/p>\nThis means paying attention to the basics of your site\u2019s design, such as providing clear navigation<\/a> and a strong User Experience (UX). After, here are a few of the best steps you can take:<\/p>\n
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- If you\u2019re a service-based business, create a dedicated \u2018services\u2019 page<\/a>.<\/strong> This should clearly explain what you do, and how your customers will benefit. It also helps you provide examples of your results (if relevant).<\/li>\n
- If you sell digital or physical products, you\u2019ll want to set up an individual page for each item.<\/strong> Include plenty of descriptions and images \u2013 everything a potential customer will need<\/a> to make a decision. Plugins such as WooCommerce<\/a> and Easy Digital Downloads<\/a> can help you accomplish this.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
No matter what you\u2019re offering, consider including testimonials on your site as well. A few quotes from satisfied customers can be the nudge visitors need to take the next step. This is simple with the right tool, such as the ever-popular Testimonials Widget plugin<\/a>.<\/p>\n
Stage 3: Purchase<\/h3>\n
You may think that once a visitor decides to make a purchase, you\u2019re home free. Unfortunately, there are still plenty of pitfalls during this stage.<\/p>\n
![\"A](\"https:\/\/mllj2j8xvfl0.i.optimole.com\/cb:c5QE.37290\/w:auto\/h:auto\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/themeisle.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/storefront-checkout-example.png\")
<\/p>\nYou\u2019ll need to make the process of purchasing your products or services easy and intuitive, so visitors don\u2019t change their minds or get frustrated partway through. To do this, you\u2019ll want to:<\/p>\n
- \n
- Provide a clear and prominent Call To Action (CTA)<\/a>.<\/strong> These are buttons or forms that indicate (very obviously) how to initiate a purchase, so there\u2019s no confusion.<\/li>\n
- Use an e-commerce plugin like WooCommerce to set up a quick and easy checkout system<\/a>.<\/strong> You want the payment process to be fast and intuitive, and to not send people away from your website.<\/li>\n
- Offer multiple payment options.<\/strong> It\u2019s very possible to lose people because they aren’t able to pay using a method they prefer. Therefore, it\u2019s best to offer a number of options<\/a>, which you can do with nearly any e-commerce plugin.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
It\u2019s worth noting that this stage doesn\u2019t have to involve a literal purchase. If your goal is to encourage form submissions or sign-ups, for example, the same advice applies. What\u2019s most important is to be very clear about the action you want people to take, and to make doing so easy.<\/p>\n
Stage 4: Retention<\/h3>\n
The online customer journey isn\u2019t just about getting people to make a single purchase. Ideally, you want to cultivate a dedicated base of customers who return time and time again. This means after someone buys one of your products or services, you\u2019ll want to immediately turn your efforts towards retaining their interest.<\/p>\n
![\"A](\"https:\/\/mllj2j8xvfl0.i.optimole.com\/cb:c5QE.37290\/w:auto\/h:auto\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/themeisle.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/purchase-thank-you.png\")
<\/p>\nWhen it comes to retaining customers via your website, two of the best strategies include:<\/p>\n
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- Making use of email to stay in touch.<\/strong> This includes sending a follow-up email immediately after the purchase, to give thanks. In addition, you can collect customer email addresses during the purchase process, and use targeted email marketing campaigns<\/a> to keep their attention over time.<\/li>\n
- Provide quality support.<\/strong> Answering customers\u2019 questions and helping them with any problems that arise is a great way to retain their business. There are plenty of WordPress plugins to help with this, such as WP Live Chat Support<\/a> and bbPress<\/a>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
The importance of retention will depend on your business and what you\u2019re offering. However, it\u2019s almost always more cost-effective to keep existing customers \u2018hooked\u2019 than to solely focus on bringing in new leads.<\/p>\n
Stage 5: Advocacy<\/h3>\n
Finally, your existing customers can do more than bring in consistent revenue. They can also become \u2018advocates\u2019 for your business, helping to bring in brand-new leads (and hence start the online customer journey all over again).<\/p>\n
![\"Social](\"https:\/\/mllj2j8xvfl0.i.optimole.com\/cb:c5QE.37290\/w:auto\/h:auto\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/themeisle.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/social-media-sharing-buttons.png\")
<\/p>\nThe most effective strategy for turning customers into advocates is to keep them happy. This means providing quality products or services, offering top-notch support, and so on. However, you also need to make it easy for them to spread the word about your business, such as by:<\/p>\n
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- Letting them rate and review products on your site.<\/strong> This lets them share their (hopefully) positive experiences with those in the first two stages of the online customer journey. What\u2019s more, it\u2019s a feature you can easily add using our own WP Product Review<\/a> plugin.<\/li>\n
- Placing social media sharing opportunities on your site.<\/strong> This enables your customer base to help you improve awareness. You can use plugins such as Social Media Share Buttons<\/a> and Social Sharing Icons<\/a> to make it easy for them to spread the word.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
If you can manage to convert even a few satisfied buyers into advocates for your business, you\u2019ll know you have a highly-successful online customer journey in place.<\/p>\n
Conclusion<\/h2>\n
\nYour WordPress website is the best tool you have for attracting new leads and turning them into happy customers. Walking them through each step on the journey is vital, or you may just lose them along the way.<\/div><\/div>\n\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t - Placing social media sharing opportunities on your site.<\/strong> This enables your customer base to help you improve awareness. You can use plugins such as Social Media Share Buttons<\/a> and Social Sharing Icons<\/a> to make it easy for them to spread the word.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
- Provide quality support.<\/strong> Answering customers\u2019 questions and helping them with any problems that arise is a great way to retain their business. There are plenty of WordPress plugins to help with this, such as WP Live Chat Support<\/a> and bbPress<\/a>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
- Use an e-commerce plugin like WooCommerce to set up a quick and easy checkout system<\/a>.<\/strong> You want the payment process to be fast and intuitive, and to not send people away from your website.<\/li>\n
- If you sell digital or physical products, you\u2019ll want to set up an individual page for each item.<\/strong> Include plenty of descriptions and images \u2013 everything a potential customer will need<\/a> to make a decision. Plugins such as WooCommerce<\/a> and Easy Digital Downloads<\/a> can help you accomplish this.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
- Social media marketing.<\/strong> Setting up social media profiles and cultivating an online following<\/a> can do wonders for awareness of your business. Just make sure your profiles and posts direct people back towards your site<\/a>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
- Consideration:<\/strong> Then, they\u2019ll learn about your product or service, and consider whether to buy it.<\/li>\n