In this example, we’re looking at our Sam Carter persona who is in the market for some new athletic shoes.
The consideration period for this product is a little longer than our previous examples, because there’s no time constraints on when he needs to buy. However, his budget does provide some challenges.
The lens through which we’re viewing this journey is Sam, a man who is looking for something fashionable but also cares about his environmental impact.
The journey is detailed on the next page, but as always is also available at CXThatSings.com/Resources.
Athletic Footwear Customer Journey Map Text
For those who may have an issue reading the Customer Journey image on the next few pages, I’ve included the raw text below:
Persona: Sam Carter
Persona Goals:
- Sam is a product of the YouTube generation. He skipped formal secondary education in favor of a backpacking trip to Australia and Asia, and there he started vlogging his experiences. Not content in a 9-5 job, he sees himself as blazing a different path by following his passion.
- He loves Gary Vaynerchuck's motivational videos, thrives on quality local coffee, recently started lifting in the gym, and spends his free time trying to increase his subscriber count by streaming PubG on Twitch and YouTube. He's still struggling to find his creative voice but isn't short of a work ethic. Sam's vlog is starting to pick up speed, and he's been reducing the amount of time he's been spending driving for Uber.
- Favorite brands include Allbirds shoes, Harry's Razors, Levis, Beyond Meat, and Nike. Although Sam genuinely cares about buying Earth-friendly products that are driven by a cause, the number in his bank account is a stark reality he can't escape. To reduce his impact, he recycles, tries to understand where his food, clothing, and electronics come from and considers himself an eco-minimalist.
Phase: Discover
Verbatim (Think):
- I'm looking for a black leather trainer that works with my style but that's still pretty comfortable. I'm looking for something classic but modern, so I can get a lot of use out of it.
Customer Actions (Do):
- Browse social media for "classic black men's tennis shoes"
- Visit competitor websites like Nike, Adidas, and Superga to see the latest styles and options
- Visit fashion blogs to get a read on what's fashionable but durable, and will last a few years
Pain Points (Stop):
- I have a ton of options when it comes to where to get my shoes, but price matters.
- I'm also looking for a brand that's sustainable (though I don't mind animal products, I just want to make sure the company is transparent about who makes the shoes and what they make them out of.
Goals:
- Find out what's fashionable and functional - get a read on what their peers value so they can buy something that fits in, but still looks nice."
Touchpoints:
- Youtube
- Friends
Emotional Journey:
- Curious, and trying to figure out what information to trust
Ideas / Opportunities:
- A greater paid presence on Instagram (influencers and ads) to make sure customers see social proof that our product is fashionable yet classic.
Phase: Consider
Verbatim (Think):
- Are there any sales happening? I've pinned a few options but I'm looking to spend <$100. There's a few close to my price range but I'm hoping to snag a deal.
Customer Actions (Do):
- Pins options to their Pinterest board
- Searches Google Shopping
- Put a few options in their cart and uses CamelCamelCamel to see if they're getting a deal
- Visits Poshmark to see if they can find a used pair for a reasonable price
- Joins mailing lists on local sites to get the latest sale deals
- Uses Google to search for a promo code
Pain Points (Stop):
- There are so many options for shoes and so many places I could find them - it's overwhelming looking for the best price. How do I know I'm actually getting a deal?
Goals:
- Find their preferred brand at 20% or more off
- Find their second most preferred brand 30% off or more
- Find a dupe or acceptable substitute for 50% - 60% less than their price range
Touchpoints:
- Google “brand x promo codes”
- Email/CRM lists
- Nike.com
- Amazon website
Emotional Journey:
- Falling in love with the possibilities, but keeping a budget in mind
Ideas / Opportunities:
- Remarketing campaigns on relevant channels that attract customers that haven't committed to buying with us (promos, awareness)
Phase: Purchase
Verbatim (Think):
- How long does this process take? Can I use any autofill information to get this done faster? Why do I have to create an account?
Customer Actions (Do):
- The customer gets an email with a promo code from one of the vendors they liked, and on an impulse travels to the site and purchases the shoes.
- They complete the order process, using autofill on their phone to make the process go faster
- They choose not to create an account because they don't normally buy shoes from our brand.
- Because they're value-driven they don't mind waiting a few extra days to get their shoes if they get shipping for free. Therefore, they choose the standard shipping option.
Pain Points (Stop):
- Customers are forced to create an account and can't check out as a guest - this is good for our brand data but not good for customers who aren't invested enough to start an account.
- The shopping basket doesn't retain their products for more than 20 minutes, that means if they want to browse and add something else, they might lose the product they came to the site to buy.
- The current CRM promo code display doesn't allow customers to copy/paste codes from a mobile browser
Goals:
- Quickly and easily complete their purchase with a promo code
- Get fast free or low-cost shipping
- Add a complementary product
- Understand sizing so that we can reduce return
Touchpoints:
- Mobile
- Checkout Process
Emotional Journey:
- Feeling that this was frustrating and time-consuming purchase experience
Ideas / Opportunities:
- Sizing app that uses AR to make sure you always get the right shoe
Phase: Wait for Delivery
Verbatim (Think):
- I really hope they get here sooner than that [free shipping estimate]. The faster they get here the faster I'll get to enjoy them.
Customer Actions (Do):
- They're worried that their product is taking a long time, so they make sure to check their emails for shipping updates once or twice a day.
Pain Points (Stop):
- They don't check their personal email often - they'd rather get text or Whatsapp updates because login into email is a pain
- This wait is taking longer than I thought, I'm anxious.
- There aren't as many updates as they thought
- They're worried the shoes are taking too long and might've gotten lost in the mail.
Goals:
- Understand exactly where the product is, and when it will be delivered
- Get accurate and fast updates
- Get the product in good shape with no damage
Touchpoints:
Emotional Journey:
- Feeling stressed and worried that the purchase won’t work out.
Ideas / Opportunities:
- More transparent relationship with shipping partners
- White-labeled shipping service that helps keep everything under one unified brand
Phase: Receive and Wear Shoes
Verbatim (Think):
- That was pretty easy, but I wish it had been faster. I might order from them again if the process was a little easier, or if they were a little friendlier. I'm not sure I'd consider them if they hadn't had the exact shoe I was looking for at a lower price.
Customer Actions (Do):
- Receive and unwrap the product (packaging experience)
- Try on the shoe, break it in
- Depending on how attractive or exclusive the purchase is, they might take a picture to share on Instagram or other social channels.
- Consider how easy or hard the experience was for next time - this will affect repurchase.
- A customer may also find they ordered the wrong size and need to return the shoe - therefore they'll go through the returns journey (not included here).
Pain Points (Stop):
- The shoe may arrive later than they thought
- The brand didn't communicate with me enough, so I wasn't sure when my shoe was delivered
- They sent me an email but I don't really use email - is there a way for me to get a text message or WhatsApp message instead?
Goals:
- Understand exactly when the product is delivered, in the channel that's most relevant for them.
- Get a perfect shoe - one that they'll be happy to talk up to their friends
Touchpoints:
- Brand/Returns Packaging
- Shoebox and packaging
- Internal POP
Emotional Journey:
- Very happy with the product, feeling good about the purchase
Ideas / Opportunities:
- Smoother returns process - no questions asked
- Packaging that doubles as returns packaging, including SAS sticker