What does "customer journey" mean?

The term "customer journey" refers to the comprehensive experience that a customer has with a brand, which encompasses all the stages from initial awareness through to purchase and even beyond that, into post-purchase experiences. This journey includes various touchpoints where the customer interacts with the brand, such as advertisements, social media, customer service, and the actual buying process. Understanding the customer journey is crucial for businesses because it allows them to identify how customers perceive their brand at every stage, leading to improved marketing strategies and enhanced customer satisfaction.

While the sales process, product development timeline, and methods for targeting customers are important aspects of marketing and business strategy, they do not encompass the holistic view of the customer’s experiences as they interact with a brand over time, which is what the concept of the customer journey captures.