Follow the map: How customer journey mapping can transform your CX

The customer comes first. The customer is always right. 

We’ve all heard the age-old sayings – so we know the customer is the cornerstone of every marketing strategy. Yet, surprisingly few marketing teams invest adequate time in customer journey mapping. 

And that’s a missed opportunity. 

When you take the time to map out your customer’s experience – from first impression to long-term loyalty – you gain powerful insights into what they really want, where they’re getting stuck and how you can better serve them. 

In this article, we explore customer journey mapping: why it matters and how to get it right – one touchpoint at a time. 

What is a customer journey map?

A customer journey map is a breakdown of your customer’s experience with your brand. 
It helps you visualise their journey from start to finish so you can understand how they’re thinking and behaving at every step – and plan your marketing accordingly.

Let’s say you run a sportswear company and your customer is looking for a new pair of runners online. 

To start with, they might read reviews of different brands, visit a few websites and compare prices. After deciding on your brand, they add a pair to their cart, get distracted, abandon the purchase… then come back days later to buy after receiving a reminder email. 

That’s a journey. And mapping it helps marketers understand where people drop off – and what might bring them back.

Your standard customer journey map will usually include:

• Stages (e.g. awareness, consideration, purchase, loyalty) 

• Touchpoints (e.g. website, email, social media, in-store visit)

• Emotions (e.g. excited, confused, frustrated)

• Pain points and opportunities (what’s working, what’s not)

It’s all about walking in the shoes of your customer, identifying friction points and turning insights into action. 

Why does it matter? 

Customer journey mapping isn’t just good practice – it’s smart business. 

Research shows brands that invest in journey mapping see a 54% greater return on marketing investments and a 10–20% increase in customer satisfaction. 

And it’s easy to see why. Journey mapping gives you an accurate picture of every interaction – from the moment someone discovers your brand to the point they become a loyal advocate. This means: 

• Smarter decisions: Journey mapping replaces guesswork with real insights, helping you refine processes like onboarding and checkout with confidence.

• More aligned teams: A journey map becomes a single source of truth, keeping marketing, sales and service teams on the same page and working toward shared goals.

• Better customer experiences: Mapping the journey helps you quickly spot and fix pain points – creating smoother, more intuitive experiences that keep customers coming back.

• Stronger engagement: Knowing what customers need at each stage lets you deliver timely, relevant and personal messages – on the right platform, at the right moment.

• Revenue growth: Journey mapping helps you focus on what matters most, boosting the customer experience where it counts and driving real results for your bottom line.

• In short, journey mapping done well provides insight, alignment and impact all in one.

Laying the foundation for better customer journeys 

Now you know the impact of a journey map, it’s time to roll up your sleeves and create one.
You don’t need expensive tools to get going – a whiteboard and a stack of sticky notes work just fine. But if you prefer to go digital, platforms like Miro, Lucidchart or Figma are great for collaborative mapping. 

To build a journey map that delivers, you’ll need a few key ingredients:

• Customer personas: Start by focusing on one type of customer and map their specific journey. 

• Clear stages: Think of the journey in broad phases: pre-purchase, purchase and post-purchase.

• Emotional insight: Capture how customers feel at each stage, not just what they do.

• Pain points: Where (and why) is your customer hesitating, stuck or frustrated?

• Moments of truth: Critical points where the experience either wins them over or loses them.

Creating a journey map that actually works

Once you’ve got these elements in place, it’s simply a case of pulling them together into a clear, compelling map. One that helps your team see the journey through your customer’s eyes – and take action where it counts.

Here’s how to get it done:

1. Set your goal

Start with a clear objective. Are you trying to improve onboarding? Reduce cart abandonment? Identify what you’re trying to solve before you start mapping.

2. Choose your customer persona

Focus on a specific customer segment. Avoid trying to map everyone’s journey at once – that’s how things get messy.

3. Do your research 

Tap into sources like customer surveys, live chat transcripts, support tickets, product reviews and behavioural analytics. These help you gather insights on customer behaviour, spot patterns and uncover pain points. 

This research will form the foundation of your map – and ensure it reflects real experiences, not internal assumptions.

4. Map the stages and touchpoints

Plot out how your customer moves through their journey – from awareness to advocacy. Include every channel and interaction, online and offline.

5. Add emotion, goals and pain points

What’s your customer thinking, feeling and trying to achieve at each stage? Where do they feel stuck or unsupported?

6. Spot the gaps and opportunities

Now look at the map with a critical eye. Where are the friction points? Where can you do better? Where might a little effort create a big impact?

7. Collaborate across teams

Bring in people from sales, CX and product development. Everyone sees the journey slightly differently – and those diverse viewpoints are exactly what you need to get a holistic (and accurate) picture of your customer experience. 

8. Put it to work!

Once you’ve completed your map, you’ll have a powerful tool to drive meaningful change for your customers. Don’t let it gather digital dust! 

Use your journey map to inform:

• Content, campaigns and messaging (What do people need to hear at each stage?)

• Website design and UX (Is the path to conversion clear?)

• Automation flows (Can you follow up with helpful nudges?)

• Customer service training (Do support teams understand key pain points?)

Assign owners to each opportunity to keep the momentum going and incorporate key actions into employee KPIs. This will ensure your efforts translate into real impact.

Finally, remember to revisit and refine your map regularly as your business (and your customers) evolve.

Great customer journeys don’t just happen – they’re mapped, measured and made. Take the first step towards better CX with ADMA’s Customer Journey Mapping course.