Where are you losing customers?
A customer journey map shows every step someone takes from first hearing about you to buying again. Once you can see it on one page, you can spot exactly where people drop out, and fix it.
Henny Maltby25 years in marketing · Growth Hub Premier Partner
!Sound familiar? People visit, people ask, but not enough of them buy.
A customer journey map is a simple picture of how people find you, decide to buy from you and come back again, seen through their eyes rather than yours.
Most business owners know their own process inside out. What they can’t see is what it feels like from the other side: the search that doesn’t find them, the website that doesn’t answer the question, the quote that sits in an inbox for three days.
Mapping the journey puts all of that on one page. It shows you which steps are working, which ones are leaking customers, and where a small fix will bring in the most extra work.
You can’t fix a step you can’t see. A journey map shows you every one.
Free AI prompt
This prompt turns ChatGPT or Claude into a sharp eyed marketing consultant who walks your customer journey for you. You’ll find out where people are giving up on you, and the one fix that will win you the most extra work this month.
Pop your name and email in to get the full prompt, then copy it in and fill in the gaps about your business. It takes a few minutes and saves you weeks of guessing what to change.
Act as an experienced marketing consultant for small UK businesses.
My business: [what you do and where]
My ideal customer: [who they are and what they need]
Map the journey this customer takes from first hearing about a business like mine to buying again, using these steps: know exactly who you want, create something they actually want, set up your foundations, give people a reason to notice you, get the right people coming to you, turn interest into paying customers, keep customers coming back.
Here is how it works in my business today: [how people find you, what they see on your website, how you reply to enquiries, how you follow up, what happens after they buy]
For each step:
1. Describe what my customer is doing, thinking and worried about.
2. Tell me what they need from me at that point.
3. Point out where they are most likely to drop out, based on what I have told you.
4. Suggest one practical fix I can make this month.
Then tell me which single step to fix first to win more work, and why. Use plain English and ask me questions if anything is unclear.
Why bother
It’s one of the most useful hours you’ll spend on your marketing, because it stops you guessing.
Google, AI search, word of mouth, LinkedIn, a networking group. You’ll see which places bring in the right people and which ones you’re wasting time on.
What you get: a clear list of where to spend your time
A website that doesn’t say what you do, no prices or next step, a slow reply. The map shows you the gaps that cost you sales.
What you get: the fixes that bring in the most extra work
Every customer has worries before they buy. When you know what they are, you can answer them on your website before they even ask.
What you get: words that turn visitors into enquiries
The journey I teach
This is the journey my AI Marketing Academy is built around. Map your business against each step and you’ll quickly see which one needs your attention first.
Most businesses I work with are strong at two or three of these and have a gap somewhere else. The gap is usually where the work is being lost.
Get started
Start with one type of customer, the one you most want more of. Then follow them through each step of the journey above and write down what they do, what they’re thinking and what they need from you at that point.
For each step, ask yourself: where do they go, does what they find answer their question, have I shown them proof that I can solve their problem, and is the next step obvious? Anywhere the answer is no, you’ve found a leak. If you want to understand what’s going on in your customer’s head at each of those moments, my Why People Buy, and Why They Don’t course explains it.
Remember people don’t all start at the beginning. Some will be recommended to you and land straight on your website, ready to buy. Others will follow you on LinkedIn for a year first. Your map needs to work for both. If you use Google Analytics, its path exploration report shows you the pages people visit in order, and where they leave.
To make it easy, I’ve made a free customer journey map template you can download and fill in on screen.
Know why people say yes, and why they walk away?
Understand what goes on in your customer’s head at every step, so you can give them a reason to say yes instead of drifting off to someone else. The AI Marketing Academy opens on 14 November.
Your first afternoon
You don’t need software or a workshop. A cup of tea, the template and an honest look at your business will do it.
The AI Marketing Academy
Build an AI marketing team that works for your business. You teach it, your agents do the work, and you stay in control.
A journey map shows you where people drop out. Knowing why people buy shows you how to keep them. The course that covers it is Why People Buy, and Why They Don’t.
It’s real marketing, powered by AI, and it opens on 14 November.
Your questions answered
The questions I’m asked most about mapping the customer journey.
It is a simple picture of every step a customer takes with your business, from first hearing about you to buying and coming back again. It is drawn from their point of view so you can see where they get stuck.
I teach a 7 step journey: know exactly who you want, create something they actually want, set up your foundations, give people a reason to notice you, get the right people coming to you, turn interest into paying customers, and keep customers coming back. Each step needs its own bit of marketing.
Pick one type of customer, follow them through each step, write down what they do and need, and mark the places they drop out. A free template and a couple of hours is all you need to start.
Look at it every three to six months, and whenever you launch a new service or change your website. Customers change how they find and choose businesses, especially now so many use AI search.
Want to talk it through first?
My private 1:1 marketing sessions are worth £150 an hour, and your first hour is free. We’ll map how your customers find you and where you’re losing them.
Pink Elephant AI Marketing Academy
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