Stage 1 - Awareness
This is how your prospect first finds out about you. For example, do they see a post on Facebook or Instagram. Maybe your business comes up in a Google search. It could even be word of mouth.
Blog Layout
The Customer Value Journey: What Is It & Why Your Business Needs One
Amy Peltonen • Jan 24, 2022
The CVJ is the basis of all marketing strategies.
When I say the Customer Value Journey is the basis of everything we do… I mean it’s the basis of EVERYTHING! In fact, one of the first things we’ll do with a new marketing or coaching client is sit down with them and map out the CVJ.
Marketing has changed significantly over the past several decades. Gone are the days when marketing was simply putting out a radio ad, TV commercial, or print ad in the newspaper. Not only is marketing much more of a two-way communication with potential customers, modern marketers are now involved in every stage of the customer journey.
Your marketing team must now work with new and traditional methods of promoting your brand and attracting new customers. Marketers are involved with finding qualified leads for the sales team. They’re involved with getting new customers excited about your brand so they’ll come back again. Marketers are even involved with customer service through reputation management and review solicitation.
It may sound complex or overwhelming, but when you break it down into steps, everything really just clicks.
Here’s a breakdown of exactly what the 8-Stage Customer Value Journey is that we (almost religiously) follow and why it’s so important that your business have one.
The CVJ: Your Company’s Guide to Dating
We are a certified DigitalMarketer partner, and within DigitalMarketer there’s a sort of running joke that marketing is a lot like dating. Imagine you’re on your first date. If you propose marriage right up front, you’re going to set off all sorts of red flags and likely face rejection.
Marketing is similar. No matter how great a product or service you have, if you jump at prospects trying to offer them something they’re not ready for, you’re going to be rejected.
Here’s where the 8-Stage CVJ comes into play.
Think back to that first date again. How did you meet? A friend referral? Online? After the first date maybe you were lucky enough to get a second date, then a third. Before you know it you’re moving in together, maybe engaged, then family… then you watch the process happen to your own kids. It’s a cycle.
The CVJ is similar. The prospect first needs to become aware you even exist… perhaps a referral from a friend who purchased from you or maybe they see a social post. They’re curious so maybe they’ll check out your website to learn a bit more. Maybe they’ll give you a bit of their time by talking to you or even attending a free event. Before you know it, they’re signing up for your service or buying your products then raving to their friends how amazing you are!
Here’s how it works…
Stage 2 - Engage
Next, the prospect engages with your brand. Perhaps they react to (“like”) your social post, read a blog on your website, read your Google reviews, or even click on an ad that leads to your landing page.
Stage 3 - Subscribe
Next, the prospect likes what they see and is willing to offer up something small (time or money) to opt-in to learn more. Perhaps they sign up to attend a free webinar, to subscribe to your newsletter, or even participate in a contest.
The key here is that this is your opportunity to collect the information needed (eg., email address) to connect with them again.
Stage 4 - Convert
The Convert stage is where your prospect becomes a customer (high five!). They like what you’re offering and have made their first purchase… but their journey doesn’t end here!
Stage 5 - Excite
What can you do to capture their excitement over how happy they are with your product or service? It can be something as simple as a thank you email, shipping the product in quality packaging (... Think about how excited you are to open a new iPhone box? Yeah… that’s the feeling we’re going for.), or even sharing extra tips and advice so they get the most out of your amazing product.
Stage 6 - Ascend
Now that they’re good and excited about your brand, they’re more likely to come back and buy again. The Ascend stage is where you offer upsells, crossells, etc. The goal is to lead them up the ladder to your flagship product or service.
Stage 7 - Advocate
The penultimate stage is to ask for a review or testimonial. Typically if a customer is happy with your product or service, they’ll be happy to provide a Google review or Facebook recommendation at minimum. Testimonials are a great way to add validity to your website.
Stage 8 - Promote
Finally, the Promote stage. If you can get customers to rave about your brand without your even asking, then you know you’re on the right track. Here’s where you might set up a loyalty or referral program.
It seems simple enough, but too often we see businesses that are great at 1 or 2 stages of the customer journey, but really lacking in others. In order for the whole process to be efficient, you really need to focus on each stage.
Start with mapping out your CVJ for your most popular product or service. Once you have these stages set up and running smoothly, go back and do the same for your 2nd most popular product/service, and so on.
This isn’t a set it and forget it type of thing either. Eventually you want to get to the point where you are looking at the metrics for each stage (I mean, without the numbers to support it, how are you going to know if it’s really helping you reach your goals) and revise or optimize your CVJ accordingly.
Ready to get started? Download your free Customer Value Journey worksheet on the Resources page of our website.
One of the most effective ways to manage all the tasks it takes to complete a project, including who needs to do what and by when, is by using a project management software. It is honestly worth the time and investment now to make task and project management easier going forward.
Here’s (almost) everything you need to know to get started choosing the right project management software for your team.
The six-stage flywheel process that I use with all of my consulting clients and in the DigitalMarketer ELITE Coaching Program. After mapping your Customer Value Journey (CVJ) then you can accelerate growth by implementing the Six-Stage Flywheel.
Growing a business is even harder. Figuring out how to achieve growth is perhaps the biggest challenge your business will face, and it can make or break your business. But it's not time to panic because it is totally doable.
