{"id":14098,"date":"2019-11-01T11:06:25","date_gmt":"2019-11-01T15:06:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.gravityforms.com\/?p=14098"},"modified":"2020-03-31T12:11:52","modified_gmt":"2020-03-31T16:11:52","slug":"understanding-the-customer-journey-map","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.gravityforms.com\/understanding-the-customer-journey-map\/","title":{"rendered":"Understanding the Customer Journey Map"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Capturing leads is the holy grail of digital marketing. Businesses of all sizes hope that their website converts visitors\u2014in other words, that prospects browsing a website will fill out a form, continue to evaluate information from the company, and eventually become a paying customer. However, this is easier said than done.<\/p>\n

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Prospects browsing the web have an almost infinite selection of material to answer their questions or meet their needs. Furthermore, as people increasingly access content online to evaluate products or services\u2014whether for personal or business needs\u2014they are inclined to do their homework before making purchases. More than 70 percent of B2B buyers fully define their needs before engaging with a salesperson, and almost half identify specific solutions before reaching out to a salesperson, according to research conducted by sales training company Miller Heiman.<\/p>\n

This might seem like a challenge for any business. However, it creates an opportunity for a business to develop truly compelling content that educates and motivates a prospect to become a lead and, ultimately, a customer.<\/p>\n

The Funnel and the 3 Stages of Buying\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n

The buyer\u2019s journey is often referred to as a funnel. At the top of the funnel is the broadest pool of prospects, many of whom are just beginning the process of trying to solve their problem. They are unaware of the costs involved or who the vendors are. Indeed, they are far from actually buying a product or service.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

At the bottom of the funnel are prospects or leads who have decided that one particular company provides the perfect product or solution they seek. They are taking the final steps before deciding to make a purchase.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

As outlined in the sections that follow, there are generally three different stages of the customer journey that map to the funnel:<\/span><\/p>\n