Product Journey Map: Everything You Need To Know

A product journey map is a tool that allows you to visualize how your customers interact with your product or service. It can help you identify areas for improvement in the customer experience and understand what motivates customers to use your product.

What is a Product Journey Map?

A product journey map is a visual representation of a customer’s steps to achieve their goal when using a product. It helps product teams identify areas for improvement in the customer experience and can be used to inform marketing, sales, and support strategies.

The product mapping journey typically includes four key elements:

1. A timeline that shows the sequence of steps a customer takes
2. The emotions a customer feels at each stage
3. The customer’s goals at each stage
4. The channels or touchpoints the customer interacts with

Journey mapping is an essential tool for understanding how customers interact with your product and identifying opportunities to improve their experience. If you’re not already using journey maps, we recommend giving them a try!

4 Importance of Product Journey Map

A product journey map template is a process that helps businesses understand the steps their customers take to complete a task or accomplish a goal. By mapping out the customer journey, companies can identify areas where they can improve the customer experience and make it more efficient and streamlined.

There are several benefits of product journey mapping, which include:

1. Improved customer understanding
2. Increased customer engagement
3. Improved sales and marketing efforts
4. Improved Customer Retention

1 – Improved customer understanding

One of the main benefits of product journey mapping is that it provides businesses with a deep understanding of their customers. By mapping out the customer journey, companies can see what steps customers take to complete a task, what challenges they face, and what motivates them throughout the process. This information is invaluable for businesses as it allows them to tailor their products and services to meet the needs of their customers better.

2 – Increased customer engagement

Another benefit of product journey mapping is that it can help businesses increase customer engagement. By understanding the customer journey, companies can identify areas where they can improve the customer experience and make it more engaging. For example, if a business knows that customers are struggling to complete a task because of a confusing interface, they can take steps to redesign the interface to make it more user-friendly.

3 – Improved sales and marketing efforts

Product journey mapping can also help businesses improve their sales and marketing efforts. By understanding the customer journey, companies can identify areas where they can better target their marketing messages and promotions. Additionally, businesses can create more effective sales strategies by understanding what motivates customers throughout the purchase process.

4 – Improved Customer Retention

Finally, product journey mapping can also help businesses improve customer retention. By understanding the customer journey, companies can identify areas where they can make the customer experience more efficient and streamlined. Additionally, by understanding what motivates customers to stay with a product or service, businesses can take steps to improve customer loyalty.

Product journey mapping is a unique tool for businesses of all sizes. Companies can improve their products and services, increase customer engagement, and improve sales and marketing efforts by understanding the customer journey.

Additionally, product journey mapping can help businesses improve customer retention and loyalty. If you’re not already using product journey mapping in your business, now is the time to start.

Product Journey Map Vs. Customer Journey Map

A product journey map is a visual representation of a customer’s steps to achieve a goal with your product. It typically includes the customer’s emotions and thoughts at each stage.

A customer journey map for new products visualizes the steps a customer takes to achieve a goal, including their interactions with your company. It typically includes the customer’s emotions and thoughts at each stage.

Product managers most commonly use product journey maps to understand how customers interact with their products. Marketing and sales teams most widely use customer journey maps to understand how customers interact with their companies.

Product journey maps can be helpful for understanding where there are friction points in the customer experience and finding opportunities to improve the product. Customer journey maps can be helpful in understanding where there are friction points in the customer experience and finding opportunities to improve the customer experience.

Both product journey maps and customer journey maps are valuable tools for understanding the customer experience. However, they each have different strengths and weaknesses. Product journey maps are better for understanding the product itself, while customer journey maps are better for understanding the company’s interactions with the customer.

5 Tips to Create a Product Journey Map

Creating a compelling product journey map requires careful planning and execution. Here are some tips on how to get started:

1. Define your goals
2. Identify your audience
3. Gather data
4. Create the map
5. Share the map

1 – Define your goals

Before you begin creating your product journey map, it’s essential to understand what you hope to achieve with it. Do you want to improve the customer experience? Increase sales? Identify areas for improvement in your product? Once you know your goals, you can tailor the map to meet those objectives.

Your goals should be specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART). That means they should be clear and concise, with a defined deadline. For example, a goal might be “increase sales by 20% in the next quarter.“

Once you’ve defined your goals, you can create your product journey map. Begin by mapping out the different stages of your customer’s journey, from awareness all the way through to purchase and beyond.

2 – Identify your audience

You need to take a few things into account when creating your product journey map. First, you need to think about who your audience is. What are their needs and wants? What are their pain points? Once you understand your audience well, you can start mapping out their journey with your product.

Think about the different stages your audience will go through when using your product. What are their goals at each stage? How can your product help them achieve those goals? Keep in mind that people’s needs and wants can change over time, so regularly update your journey map.

Your product journey map should be tailored to your target audience. Think about who you are trying to reach with your product or service and their needs and wants. This will help you determine what information to include on the map.

3 – Gather data

Once you know your target audience, you can begin collecting data about their interactions with your product or service. This can come from various sources, such as customer surveys, interviews, focus groups, and analytics data.

There are a few different ways to gather data to create your Product journey map. You can use surveys, interviews, focus groups, or even compile existing customer data. No matter which method(s) you choose, there are a few key things to keep in mind:

• Make sure your questions are clear and concise
• Ask open-ended questions whenever possible
• Be flexible – the data you gather may surprise you!

Now let’s take a closer look at each of these methods for gathering data.

Surveys

• Make sure your questions are clear and concise
• Avoid leading questions
• Keep your survey short

Interviews

• Choose your questions carefully
• Avoid yes/no questions
• Be flexible

Focus Groups

• Choose a moderator carefully
• Set ground rules
• Be prepared to take notes

Compiling Existing Customer Data

• Look for patterns. When you’re reviewing customer data, look for patterns and trends. This will help you to identify areas that need improvement.
• Be cautious of outliers. Outliers are data points that don’t fit the rest of the data, which can skew your results. Try to identify and remove any outliers from your data set before you begin analysis.
• Identify gaps. Once you’ve identified patterns and trends, take a closer look at any gaps in the data. These gaps can indicate problems or areas for improvement.

4 – Create the map

There are several different ways to create a product journey map. You can use online tools like Miro or Google Drawings or create a physical map with post-it notes and markers. The important thing is to include all the relevant information you gathered in step 3.

Once you have your map-making tool open and ready, you’ll need to decide what format your map will take. The most common designs are linear (aka “customer journey maps”) and nonlinear (also known as “sales process maps” or “marketing funnels”).

Once you’ve decided on the format of your map, it’s time to start adding content. The first step is to identify your customer’s goal – what are they trying to accomplish? This will be the starting point of your map. You’ll need to add each step that your customer takes to reach their goal. These steps can be divided into three categories: pre-purchase, purchase, and post-purchase.

Once you have all of the steps mapped out, you’ll need to add additional details, such as the customer’s emotions at each stage, any pain points they experience, and what actions they take. Finally, you’ll want to add a few notes about anything else that’s important to include, such as who your customer is interacting with (e.g., Customer Service, Sales, etc.) and what channels they’re using (e.g., website, phone, in-person, etc.).

5 – Share the map

Once you’ve created your product journey map, it’s time to share it with others. This can help get feedback and input from other team members and help spread awareness of the map’s existence. You can share the map electronically or physically, depending on what will work best for your team.

Product development journey maps are a valuable tool for any product development or design team. By following these tips, you can create a practical map to help you achieve your objectives.

There are a few things you’ll need before you get started:

1. Your product or service
2. A list of all the steps involved in using your product or service
3. A way to share your map with others (we’ll get to that later)

Now let’s get started!

1. First, you’ll need to create a list of all the steps involved in using your product or service. This will be the foundation for your map, so take your time and be as detailed as possible.

2. Next, you’ll want to start sketching out your map. You can do this digitally or on paper – whatever works best. Just make sure each step from your list is represented and that you’re happy with the overall layout.

3. Once your map is complete, it’s time to share it with others! There are a few ways you can do this:

• Upload it to a shared drive or document repository (like Google Drive or Dropbox)
• Export it as a PDF and email it to colleagues or customers
• Please print it out and post it on a bulletin board or office wall

Whatever method you choose, make sure everyone who needs to see your map has access to it. And that’s it – you’ve successfully created a product journey map!

5 Tips for using your Product Journey Map effectively

Here are the best tips for effectively using product journey maps:

1. Keep it customer-centric
2. Make it visual
3. Use it as a starting point
4. Share it with others
5. Iterate and improve

1 – Keep it customer-centric

Your product journey map should always be focused on the customer. What are their needs, and how can your product help them? When creating your map, think about the customer first and foremost.

2 – Make it visual

A journey map is a great way to visualize the customer experience. Use colors, icons, and other visuals to help illustrate the different steps in the process.

3 – Use it as a starting point

A product journey map is meant to be a starting point for further discussion and analysis. It’s not meant to be a final document; instead, it should be used as a tool to help you better understand your customers and their needs.

4 – Share it with others

Once you’ve created your map, could you share it with others on your team? Get their feedback and input on how to improve the customer experience.

5 – Iterate and improve

The beauty of a product journey map is that it’s constantly evolving. As you learn more about your customers, you can update your map accordingly. Use it as a living document that you can continuously update and improve.

5 Examples of successful Product Journey Maps

Here are some famous examples of product journey maps you should know:

1. Google Search: People use Google Search to find information online. The user journey begins when someone types a query into the search bar. After hitting enter, the user is shown a list of results that match their query. The user then clicks on one of the results and is taken to the corresponding website.

2. Amazon Prime: People use Amazon Prime to buy products online. The user journey begins when someone goes to Amazon’s website and searches for a product they want to buy. After finding the product, the user adds it to their shopping cart and checkout. Once the purchase is complete, the product is shipped to the customer’s address.

3. Uber: People use Uber to get transportation from one place to another. The user journey begins when someone opens the Uber app and requests a ride. After entering their destination, the user is matched with a driver who will take them to their destination. Once the ride is over, the user pays for the passage through the app.

4. Airbnb: People use Airbnb to find places to stay when they travel. The user journey begins when someone goes to Airbnb’s website and searches for a place to stay. After finding a home that meets their needs, the user books it and pays for it through the site. Once the booking is confirmed, the user receives information on how to contact their host and access their rental.

5. Spotify: People use Spotify to listen to music online. The user journey begins when someone goes to Spotify’s website and creates an account. After creating an account, the user can browse through Spotify’s music library and create playlists. The user can then listen to their music either through the website or by downloading the Spotify app.

Conclusion

Creating a product journey map can help you close the gap and understand what’s happening between your customer’s thoughts and actions. It can also help guide your team in creating a better user experience for customers who are thinking about buying from you.

By understanding where users get stuck, you can focus on removing those obstacles and helping them smoothly progress through the buyer’s journey. Have you created a product journey map? If not, what’s stopping you?

NEWSLETTER SIGNUP