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<\/a><\/p>\nIn this guide, I\u2019ll show you how to improve and map your ecommerce company\u2019s customer journey.<\/p>\n
Table of Contents<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/a> <\/p>\n In the awareness<\/strong> stage, potential customers find your brand or product through ads, search results, or word-of-mouth recommendations.<\/p>\n During consideration<\/strong>, they compare options, read reviews, and assess how your product fits their needs.<\/p>\n The decision stage<\/strong> is where they commit to a purchase, influenced by trust factors like product benefits, pricing, and social proof.<\/p>\n After buying, the retention stage<\/strong> kicks in \u2014 where product quality, onboarding, customer service, and follow-up communication determine whether they\u2019ll return. If their experience is exceptional, they may progress to advocacy<\/strong>, recommending your brand to their friends and colleagues. I\u2019m sure it\u2019s not surprising that this directly correlates with your bottom line \u2014 81% of consumers<\/a> trust personal recommendations.<\/p>\n Pro tip: <\/strong>Don\u2019t neglect new customer onboarding<\/a>. Even in ecommerce, teaching them to use your product means they fall in love with it and are likely to continue to buy from you.<\/p>\n Focusing only on awareness, consideration, or decision at the expense of post-purchase experiences is a mistake. While you need a continual flow of new customers, new customer acquisition costs 5x more than customer retention, and a 5% retention increase correlates with a 25% increase in profitability<\/a>.<\/p>\n <\/a> <\/p>\n If you only have a single takeaway about the ecommerce customer journey, it should be that tracking clicks is only the start. Instead, I want you to think of it as your key to decoding why<\/em> customers are buying.<\/p>\n Even after years in marketing, mapping customer journeys remains my go-to process for uncovering invaluable insights into behavior, preferences, and points of friction.<\/p>\n Every touch point is an opportunity to improve the customer experience (CX) or fine-tune what you communicate. Why? From the moment they land at an online store to the final checkout process, every interaction shapes their perception, influences their likelihood of return, and cultivates brand loyalty.<\/p>\n To get started, I want you to use your customer data \u2014 quantitative and qualitative \u2014 to answer three questions:<\/p>\n By answering these questions, you can find ways to improve the user experience, increase conversions, and more effectively market your products.<\/p>\n So what\u2019s the takeaway here? An accurate map of your ecommerce customer journey<\/a> leads to improved conversions, retention, and brand advocacy.<\/p>\n <\/a> <\/p>\n Prospects become aware of their problem(s) and start researching potential solutions.<\/p>\n For example, if you sell productivity tools, someone struggling with time management might look for ways to stay organized. They might find you by:<\/p>\n At this stage, buyers actively evaluate different solutions, reading product descriptions, watching reviews, and comparing features. You can win them over with:<\/p>\n Using the same example, they might search for the best productivity planners, read customer reviews, and explore your product\u2019s unique benefits. They might also search ecommerce platforms like Amazon or even Google for available morning routine journals and evaluate reviews.<\/p>\n Here, customers narrow down their options and decide whether to buy. Factors that influence their choice include:<\/p>\n Ultimately, shoppers will buy your product if it satisfies their needs or desires. For instance, perhaps your journal includes tips to help them establish their new routine or fun stickers to make using it fun.<\/p>\n A great purchase experience isn\u2019t enough \u2014 product quality and customer service are important for the customer retention stage. HubSpot\u2019s 2024 Consumer Trends Report<\/a> found the top purchasing factors for consumers include product quality (51%) and past experiences with a product or brand (25%)<\/strong>.<\/p>\n If your morning routine journal arrives late or poor packaging has led to ripped pages, your customer might not check out your other products.<\/p>\n But it\u2019s not enough to just deliver the bare minimum. The study suggests that a focus on quality can be a competitive advantage \u2014 while over 80% of shoppers were satisfied with a recent social purchase, only about 30% felt that what they bought was \u201chigh quality.\u201d<\/p>\n If you delight your customers, you still want to stay top of mind by exposing them to products through strategic marketing like retargeting ads and social media posts. This means they\u2019ll think of you first when it\u2019s time to buy again.<\/p>\n You can boost retention with:<\/p>\n Satisfied customers naturally become brand advocates \u2014 or, as I call them, superfans. They share their experiences through reviews, word-of-mouth referrals, and social media mentions.<\/p>\n The best way to keep the love flowing is by continually delivering excellent experiences and rewarding them through loyalty programs and referral incentives. Most are happy to share or review a product they love, but they\u2019ll keep doing it if there\u2019s something in it for them.<\/p>\n With that in mind, your best advocacy strategies are:<\/p>\n You can deepen your understanding of the ecommerce customer journey with HubSpot Academy\u2019s free Ecommerce Marketing Course<\/a>.<\/p>\n <\/a> <\/p>\n Understanding the customer journey is only the first step \u2014 optimizing it is what drives business growth. In this section, I\u2019ll show you how to use proven engagement principles to convert more customers.<\/p>\n Customers who enjoy interacting with you are more likely to journey with your brand. The more you delight customers, the higher your campaigns\u2019 conversion rates and the deeper customers engage with your brand.<\/p>\n Here\u2019s how to get a sea of happy customers:<\/p>\n Last year, I got this birthday email from Target Circle offering me 5% extra savings if I chose to spend money with them in the next 30 days. While not technically ecommerce, you can see how this plays out.<\/p>\n Pro tip:<\/strong> What delights my customers may not delight yours, so be creative and keep exploring ways to build lasting connections.<\/p>\n The fear of missing out (FOMO)<\/a> is the anxiety of feeling left out from enjoyable experiences others are having. Renowned business psychologist and author Robert Cialdini popularized the idea in his book Influence<\/em><\/a>.<\/p>\n FOMO is one of the most potent marketing tools I use across all customer journey stages.<\/p>\n SaaS ecommerce platform AppSumo<\/a> does this particularly well with bold colors and big countdown timers that identify how much time is left on a particular deal.<\/p>\n You can rouse this feeling in any of these ways:<\/p>\n At first, using FOMO may feel uncomfortable because you don\u2019t want to come off as manipulative to buyers.<\/p>\n But FOMO is only a tool. It\u2019s how you use it that makes it good or bad.<\/p>\n Pro tip: <\/strong>Consider using FOMO as a reminder to order while there\u2019s a deal.<\/p>\n Customers have thanked me for notifying them that a product is on sale or an item they\u2019re interested in will be out of stock soon.<\/p>\n Search and market data give me a bird\u2019s-eye view of patterns in customer behavior and demographic metrics, but surveys help me get personal with them. Talking to customers online or in person helps unearth insights other data collection methods might miss.<\/p>\n I like to use both real-time survey methods<\/a> \u2014 like video or phone calls and in-person or online chats \u2014 as well as prerecorded options, such as forms, videos, SMS, website pop-ups, and emails.<\/p>\n Looking for a form option? I am partial to Typeform<\/a> and VideoAsk<\/a> (which is powered by Typeform) because of their UX.<\/p>\n When I create surveys, I aim to gather information that expounds on what I learned from my initial audience research. I typically ask my customers questions related to why they act or feel a certain way.<\/p>\n For example, I may ask:<\/p>\n Pro tip: <\/strong>Use these insights to improve your product and update your product suite.<\/p>\n For instance, if Millennials are willing to spend $500 and Boomers $1,500 on my product, I might adjust my offerings and messaging to attract Boomers more.<\/p>\n Customers have an easier time acting on recommendations and feeling confident when they see they\u2019re not alone.<\/p>\n So, I engage the power of social proof.<\/p>\n Social proof is where people look to others\u2019 actions or opinions to guide their behavior. And it works. Over 20% of consumers<\/a> (and 36% of Millennials) have purchased a product in the last three months based on an influencer\u2019s recommendation.<\/p>\n Here\u2019s how I use it:<\/p>\n If I can ensure shoppers see that others like my products, it boosts their likelihood of buying from my brand.<\/p>\n Pro tip: <\/strong>People like what other people like, so get creative with how you amplify people sharing the love.<\/p>\n Nowadays, buyers expect you to call them by name. I go beyond this and create personalized journeys that meet customer needs and expectations using customer data<\/a> from every touch point.<\/p>\n Here\u2019s how I offer personalized experiences:<\/p>\n Need a visual? This customer journey map from Canva identifies some of those touch points and opportunities. From there, you can easily adapt it to individual touch points.<\/p>\n Thanks to HubSpot\u2019s marketing automation software<\/a> and my customer data, I can deliver unique experiences at scale. (As a HubSpot employee, I may be biased, but I\u2019ve found that this tool is easy to use and can automate virtually any marketing task.)<\/p>\n Pro tip: <\/strong>Use social listening to pay attention to what your customers are saying and use it as a guide to future improvements.<\/p>\n For more tips, I recommend you read this article on customer journey thinking<\/a> and watch the video below.<\/p>\n Mobile is the future of ecommerce \u2014 it\u2019s ranked #1 over all other devices<\/a> for online shopping. So the last thing you want is a sluggish site, one that only works well on desktop, or pop-ups that derail the user experience.<\/p>\n If they have to change gears \u2014 or devices \u2014 to buy from a computer, they won\u2019t do it unless they are highly motivated to buy from you. You can deliver a seamless mobile experience by:<\/p>\n Pro tip:<\/strong> Consider focusing on your social media shopping game as well as your mobile checkout.<\/p>\n Did you know that 47% of consumers<\/a> are comfortable with buying directly from social media apps? In fact, the ecommerce app market is expected to grow 10% year-over-year<\/a>.<\/p>\n The more hoops your customers have to jump through, the more likely they are to abandon ship. And, it\u2019s an uphill battle as it is. Less than one-third of all checkout visits result in a sale. According to YourCX, that number is even lower on mobile.<\/p>\n Source<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n Anecdotally, I definitely see this \u2014 I can\u2019t tell you how many tabs I have open with carts on different sites as I comparison-shop on my phone.<\/p>\n So how can you improve this? While you can\u2019t control for external distractions like kids, dogs, or people not having their credit card handy, there are definitely a few options to simplify your checkout experience:<\/p>\n Pro tip: <\/strong>Consider pre-filling the promo code with the current best deal if your software allows it.<\/p>\n More than once, I\u2019ve gone back to the site to look for a promo code and gotten distracted before abandoning the cart.<\/p>\n The customer journey doesn\u2019t end at checkout<\/strong>. As I mentioned above, it\u2019s only the beginning. How you interact with buyers after their first purchase determines whether they return or forget about your brand.<\/p>\n Whether you\u2019re selling noodles like Momofuku<\/a>, dog toys like BarkBox<\/a>, or Nut Butters like American Dream<\/a>, you have an opportunity to create a ton of goodwill right away. (I\u2019m currently staring at boxes from all three brands, so that\u2019s why they\u2019re top of mind.)<\/p>\n Your new customer experience could include:<\/p>\n Pro tip: <\/strong>Consider providing instructions (and a reward) for recording an unboxing video.<\/p>\n This video provides a helpful overview:<\/p>\n Additionally, you can send notes to your customers following up on the sample or products, asking for a review, and offering them an incentive to reorder \u2014 perhaps a free gift with purchase or in exchange for user-generated content<\/a>.<\/p>\n Want to learn how to get and use user-generated content? Grab our guide here<\/a>.<\/p>\n Now that we understand how the ecommerce customer journey works and ways to make it better, let\u2019s bring it to life with a map.<\/p>\n <\/a> <\/p>\n An ecommerce customer journey map<\/a> shows the different steps your customer goes through and helps you plan how to improve each customer touch point. It highlights where they are in the buying process, their goals, and how they interact with your ecommerce store at various stages.<\/p>\n Doing your journey map the right way means answering questions like:<\/p>\n HubSpot\u2019s free customer journey map template<\/a> offers the perfect starting point.<\/p>\n Let me walk you through how to use it to map your ecommerce customer journey.<\/p>\n Weigh your ideal customer\u2019s thoughts and motivations across the awareness, consideration, and decision stages. Empathizing with, understanding, and addressing buyers\u2019 expectations and worries helps guide them smoothly throughout the buying process.<\/p>\n Let\u2019s assume a prospect is looking to go camping in the winter and exploring my outdoor gear web store for answers:<\/p>\n Pro tip:<\/strong> Remember that loyalty isn\u2019t automatic.<\/p>\n Encouraging repeat purchases means strategically re-engaging past buyers. Consider post-purchase email sequences, surprise incentives for second purchases, or VIP loyalty perks that make them feel valued.<\/p>\n For instance, if someone buys hiking boots from your store, an automated follow-up email could offer them a discount on hiking socks or a waterproofing spray \u2014 items that naturally complement their first purchase.<\/p>\n Then again, you don\u2019t have to do it via email. By including a post-purchase pop-up, you can upsell them and help them solve a problem before it starts. Something like this could work: \u201cWant to protect your purchase? Add waterproofing spray to your order for just $9.99.\u201d<\/p>\n In my experience, customers can move forward from, return to, or repeat a previous stage or drop off the flywheel<\/a> at any point in their journey.<\/p>\n Here\u2019s how it could play out using that prospective customer from the winter gear example:<\/p>\n Buyers forage for information from disparate sources before reaching a decision.<\/p>\n So, here\u2019s how their research journey will go:<\/p>\n Using incentives in your calls-to-action (CTAs) can drive a faster response, and subtle messaging can guide buyers along their path.<\/p>\n Going back to the winter camping gear example, here\u2019s what that could look like:<\/p>\n Here\u2019s what my map for the winter camping gear example would look like:<\/p>\n <\/a> <\/p>\n Ready to build your own map? Here are the steps I recommend, along with a few pro tips to help you get started.<\/p>\n Clarify your goals before mapping out the journey. Are you looking to understand customer pain points, enhance the user experience, or optimize conversion rates? Setting a clear objective will help guide the mapping process.<\/p>\n Pro tip: <\/strong>I recommend going narrow to start. It\u2019s tough to do it all at once, so choosing a specific goal and optimizing on that first makes it easier to get quick wins.<\/p>\n Need some ideas? Consider making sure your email automations are consistent or reducing cart abandonment.<\/p>\n Create a detailed customer persona based on real data, including demographics, behaviors, pain points, and purchasing motivations. A well-defined persona helps you visualize the ideal customer experience and tailor your journey map accordingly.<\/p>\n This is my favorite part, but I know some people find it overwhelming, so lean into available tools<\/a> to find a starting point.<\/p>\n Pro tip: <\/strong>Use HubSpot\u2019s free Buyer Persona Generator<\/a> to streamline your process.<\/p>\n Identify all the ways customers interact with your brand \u2014 from initial awareness to post-purchase engagement. This includes website visits, email communications, social media interactions, product reviews, and customer support experiences.<\/p>\n\n
Why is the ecommerce customer journey important?<\/h2>\n
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Stages of the Ecommerce Customer Journey<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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<\/p>\n1. Awareness<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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2. Consideration<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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3. Decision<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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4. Retention<\/strong><\/a><\/h3>\n
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5. Advocacy<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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How to Improve Your Ecommerce Customer Journey<\/strong><\/h2>\n
1. Improve customer delight.<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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<\/p>\n2. Create FOMO.<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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3. Conduct surveys.<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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4. Raise your social proof.<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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5. Personalize every touch point.<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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<\/p>\n6. Optimize for mobile experiences.<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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7. Keep your checkout friction-free.<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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8. Focus on the new customer experience.<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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<\/a><\/p>\nEcommerce Customer Journey Map<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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<\/a><\/p>\nWhat is the customer thinking or feeling?<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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What is the customer\u2019s action?<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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What or where is the buyer researching?<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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How will we move the buyer along their journey with us in mind?<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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<\/p>\nHow to Build an Ecommerce Customer Journey Map<\/h2>\n
![\"Steps](\"https:\/\/web-stil.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/ecommerce-customer-journey-12-20250410-6998889.webp\" "\\"\\"")
<\/p>\nStep 1: Define your objectives.<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Step 2: Identify your buyer personas.<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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<\/a><\/p>\nStep 3: List every customer touchpoint.<\/strong><\/h3>\n