5 Best Tools that Help with Customer Journey Mapping

As a business owner, you know that Customer Experience is crucial for success. But how do you know what they're thinking and feeling throughout their journey as a customer? This is where Customer Journey Mapping comes in.

Table of Contents

1. What is Customer Journey Mapping?

2. Top Customer Journey Mapping Tools

• Zonka Feedback
• Smaply
• UXPressia
• Canva
• CXDeployer

3. How to Choose the Right Customer Journey Mapping Tool

4. How to Get Started with Customer Journey Mapping

5. How to Leverage Customer Journey Mapping Insights

6. Boost Your Customer Journey Mapping with These Powerful Tools

What is Customer Journey Mapping?

Customer Journey Mapping is a process that involves the use of a powerful tool that helps you visualize your customers' experience and identify areas for improvement. However, customer journey mapping can be overwhelming, especially if you don't have the right tools. That's why we're here to help. This article will explore some of the best tools to make customer journey mapping a breeze.

Top Customer Journey Mapping Tools

1. Zonka Feedback

Zonka Feedback is a cloud-based feedback management platform that allows businesses to collect and analyze customer feedback across multiple channels. With Zonka Feedback, you can create customized surveys, feedback forms, and polls, and collect responses via email, SMS, QR codes, and more. 

Its major features include:

• Real-time analytics and reporting
• Sentiment analysis
• Customizable dashboards for tracking customer feedback
• Flexibility and versatility to be used by businesses of all sizes and industries
• Integrates with popular tools such as Salesforce, Zapier, and Slack for easy incorporation into existing workflows

Zonka Feedback's pricing starts at $49 per month for up to 5,000 responses, with additional pricing tiers available for larger organizations. If you're looking for a powerful feedback management platform with a wide range of features and integrations, Zonka Feedback should be among your top choices.

2. Smaply

Smaply is a comprehensive customer journey mapping tool that enables businesses to create, visualize, and share customer journey maps. With Smaply, you can create user personas, define touchpoints, and analyze the customer experience across different stages. Some of the key features of Smaply are the following:

• Intuitive drag-and-drop interface
• Customer journey analytics
• Collaboration and sharing capabilities
• Integration with other tools such as Zapier, Google Sheets, and Slack

However, Smaply can be pricey, with monthly plans starting at $69. Nonetheless, if you're looking for a robust customer journey mapping tool with advanced analytics, Smaply is an excellent option.

3. UXPressia

UXPressia is a user-friendly customer journey mapping tool perfect for businesses of all sizes. With UXPressia, you can create customer personas, map out touchpoints, and analyze customer feedback. It has several key features, such as:

• Pre-built templates for customer journey mapping, personas, and empathy maps
• Collaboration and sharing capabilities
• Integration with other tools such as Trello, Slack, and Google Drive
• Interactive journey maps that can be exported as PDF or PNG files

One of the best things about UXPressia is that it offers a free plan with limited features, making it an ideal tool for small businesses on a tight budget. Paid plans start at $19 monthly, making UXPressia an affordable option for companies looking to enhance their customer journey mapping.

4. Canva

While Canva isn't specifically designed for customer journey mapping, it's a versatile design tool that you can use for various purposes, including customer journey mapping. With Canva, you can create visually stunning journey maps that capture the customer's digital experience. Some of the key features of Canva include:

• A vast library of templates, images, and design elements
• Easy-to-use drag-and-drop interface
• Collaboration and sharing capabilities
• Integration with other tools such as Dropbox, Google Drive, and Trello

Canva offers a free plan with limited features and paid plans starting at $9.95 monthly. If you're looking for a cost-effective option that doesn't sacrifice design quality, Canva is an excellent choice.

5. CXDeployer

CXDeployer is a cloud-based customer journey mapping tool that allows businesses to create, manage, and share customer journey maps. With CXDeployer, you can track customer interactions and analyze the effectiveness of your outbound as well as inbound marketing campaigns. CXDeployer's major features include the following:

• Customizable templates for customer journey mapping and persona creation
• Integration with other tools, such as Salesforce and Zendesk
• Collaboration and sharing capabilities
• Real-time analytics for measuring customer engagement

CXDeployer offers a free trial, after which monthly pricing plans start at $99. While CXDeployer may be expensive for some businesses, it's a powerful tool that can help you understand your customers better and optimize their experience.

How to Choose the Right Customer Journey Mapping Tool

Choosing the right customer journey mapping tool can be daunting, but fear not! We've got you covered with some tips to make the process a breeze. Here are some factors to consider:

Business needs

First and foremost, it's crucial to assess your business needs before diving in. Ask yourself what you hope to achieve with customer journey mapping and which features are essential to your business. Are you looking to enhance customer experience or improve customer retention? Do you need advanced analytics or collaboration capabilities? Answering these questions will help you determine what tool is the best fit for your business.

Budget

Another vital factor to consider is your budget. Customer journey mapping tools can range from free to quite expensive, so it's essential to determine how much you're willing to invest in a tool. But don't worry, many cost-effective options won't break the bank. For those new to marketing spend management, resources like budgeting for beginners can provide additional insights into strategic financial planning.

User-friendliness

Choosing a tool with an intuitive interface is always wise when it comes to user-friendliness. This is especially true if you are to become more experienced with customer journey mapping. You want a tool that's easy to use and won't require extensive training to get started.

Integration with other tools

Integration with other tools is also something to keep in mind. Consider the tools you already use in your business and ensure that your selected tool can integrate with them. This will streamline your workflow and make sharing data between different apps easier.

Customer support

Finally, consider the customer journey mapping tool’s customer support level. Look for one that provides comprehensive documentation, responsive customer support, and a vibrant community of users. These resources can be incredibly valuable when navigating the customer journey mapping process.

How to Get Started with Customer Journey Mapping

According to a 2022 Redpoint Global survey, 74% of consumers believe brand loyalty is more about feeling understood and appreciated than being offered discounts and loyalty incentives. So are you ready to take your customer experience to the next level? Let's get started with customer journey mapping! Here's a step-by-step guide on how to get started:

1. Know your customers inside and out

The first step in customer journey mapping is to define your customer personas. Who are your customers, and what are their goals and pain points? By developing customer personas, you can create a map that accurately represents your target audience's journey.

2. Identify the stages of your customer's journey

Once you've created your customer personas, it's time to identify the different stages of their journey. This may include awareness, consideration, purchase, and post-purchase. Knowing the various stages of your customer's journey will help you map their touchpoints and pain points more accurately.

3. Map out the touchpoints and pain points

Now that you've identified the stages of your customer's journey, it's time to map out the touchpoints and pain points they experience during each step. This could include interactions with your website, social media channels, customer service team, etc. By mapping out these touchpoints, you can identify pain points and areas for improvement.

4. Use a customer journey mapping tool

Consider using a customer journey mapping tool to simplify the customer journey mapping process. With a tool like Smaply, UXPressia, or Canva, you can easily create, visualize, and share customer journey maps. These tools offer a range of features, such as intuitive interfaces, analytics, collaboration capabilities, and integration with other tools.

How to Leverage Customer Journey Mapping Insights

Customer journey mapping provides invaluable insights into your customer's experiences with your brand, but the real value lies in how you use these insights to improve their experience. Here are some practical ways to leverage customer journey mapping insights:

Identify Opportunities for Improvement

One of the most significant benefits of customer journey mapping is identifying areas for improvement. Use the insights gained from your mapping exercise to identify pain points in your customer's journey and work to address them. 

For example, suppose customers frequently abandon their carts during the checkout process. In this case, you should streamline your checkout process or optimize your website's navigation to make it easier for them to find what they need.

Personalize the Customer Experience

Personalization is critical to providing an exceptional customer experience. By leveraging customer journey mapping insights, you can personalize the experience for each customer based on his or her unique journey. For example, you can use insights about their preferences, interests, and pain points to offer personalized recommendations or customized experiences that resonate with them.

Increase Customer Retention

Happy customers are more likely to become repeat customers, so improving customer retention is a critical objective for many businesses. You can improve customer retention rates by identifying pain points in your customers' journey and addressing them.

On top of your mapping tool, using the best Customer Support Software can help you provide excellent customer support, leading to increased satisfaction and loyalty. A satisfied customer is more likely to return and recommend your business to others.

Boost Customer Satisfaction

Ultimately, customer journey mapping is about improving customer satisfaction with your brand. By addressing pain points and improving the overall customer experience, you can increase satisfaction rates and build a loyal customer base. Use the insights gained from your customer journey mapping and other tools like live chat solutions to make data-driven decisions and improve your customer's experience at every touch point. 

If you're looking for alternatives to Intercom or other live chat tools you use, consider those that offer seamless integration with your customer journey mapping tools. Together, these platforms provide robust customer support features and can help you enhance your customers' experience.

Boost Your Customer Journey Mapping with These Powerful Tools

And that's a wrap! We've covered a lot of ground regarding customer journey mapping. And now you're armed with some of the best tools for customer journey mapping and tips to take your customer experience to the next level. Remember, customer journey mapping is an ongoing process that requires continuous improvement and refinement. By staying attuned to your customers' needs and preferences, you can ensure that your business consistently delivers the best experience possible.

So, what are you waiting for? Start mapping your customer journey today and take your business to the next level!