User journey mapping - The art of mapping the user journey

User journey mapping, or user journey mapping, is a method within UX design and product development for visualizing users' interactions with a service over time and its various touchpoints.

The user journey includes "touchpoints", or touch points as they are called in Swedish, from the user's first discovery to their subsequent behavior and, in the best case, conversion. By mapping the user journey we gain a better understanding of the user's needs, goals, feelings and behaviors as well as the crucial points along the way.

Imagine you are planning a car trip. You need to map out a route, anticipate potential obstacles and make sure the journey is smooth and enjoyable for all passengers. In the digital world, "User journey mapping" is a roadmap to success

Why is a user journey mapping needed?

1. Understanding the user

When mapping the user journey, you need to put yourself in the users' perspective. By understanding their motivations, barriers and goals you can better tailor the digital experience to meet their needs.

It's a good reminder to use our empathy and see things from the user's point of view. It simply provides a better understanding of your target audiences, and the better you understand them, the easier it becomes to meet their needs. This, in turn, can lead to building customer loyalty.

2. Visualization facilitates understanding

A visual mapping of the user journey enables anyone to immediately understand how a user interacts. It helps the team identify bottlenecks, dead ends or opportunities for improvement.

Another important aspect is that it creates a shared perspective and common understanding. By visualizing and mapping you get a solid basis for comparing the experience customers want with the one they actually get when interacting with the service.

3. Collaboration within the team

Creating the mapping is a joint effort. It brings together different stakeholders in the project, from designers and developers to marketers and customer support.

4. Problem identification

Finding out users' frustrations and challenges is the first step to solving them. The mapping highlights the areas that need improvement and thus becomes a valuable troubleshooting tool and a starting point for generating ideas.

It can serve as a basis for adapting your communication and marketing, for developing new functionality or entirely new services and products, or for improving internal communication, development or training, to name a few.

How to do user journey mapping

When it's time to carry out a mapping you can choose how detailed it should be and how high an ambition level you want. It's important that the mapping doesn't become a desk product but truly becomes a practical tool for the work going forward. It's also good to understand which phases are relevant for the specific product or service you want to map out and that some user journeys can be more complex than others.

Here's how you can proceed:

1. Define the users and scenarios

Start by gathering insights about the target group. Conduct surveys, interviews and analyses to understand their needs and behavior.

2. Identify phases

Map out and describe the different steps or phases in the user experience, from first contact to the goal being achieved. Here you can base it on phases in a flow, e.g. create account, onboarding, first interaction, etc., or phases in a customer journey such as discover, explore, compare, make a decision, etc. 

3. Map the touchpoints

When working with user journeys people often talk about "touchpoints", and these are the different points of contact where the user interacts with the service. Identify each interaction point, from the initial visit to the website to after a purchase/conversion has been completed. It's good to include relevant touchpoints outside the service itself, such as apps, customer support, social media or other channels.

4. Document feelings and experiences

Look at the user's feelings, reactions and experiences at each touchpoint and phase of the journey. Are they excited, frustrated or delighted? Understanding their motivations and emotions is key to creating a memorable journey. It's also valuable to find out what they think and, ultimately, what they actually do.

5. Identify obstacles and opportunities

Find places where users encounter potential obstacles, challenges or pain points. These are areas where there are opportunities for improvements and innovation. It's helpful to try to solve the problem here, and it often inspires new ideas and possibilities.

6. Set goals

Define what you want users to achieve at each step of their journey. Whether it's signing up for a newsletter, making a purchase or sharing content, the goal should be clear and preferably measurable.

7. Iterate and improve

User journey mapping becomes even more successful if you don't just see it as a one-off effort. Make sure to create action plans and prioritize projects and resources based on your insights. Continue to analyze and adjust the mapping as user behavior evolves and new touchpoints emerge.

Tip - Use digital tools and digital experts

Mapping different target groups' customer journeys can be time-consuming. Here it can be helpful to use a digital tool and a digital expert who knows how to best optimize the work. Once you have mapped your customer journeys you can, for example, automate your marketing activities using your Customer Journey Map as a starting point.

How to use a user journey map

Once you have a clear picture of how the user behaves you want to use the insights in the best possible way. It's a good idea to prioritize which improvements will have the greatest effect and are realistic to implement.

This can involve:

• Adjusting and improving calls to action
• Creating guiding content at each touchpoint where users encounter obstacles
• Optimizing performance if images or content load slowly
• Improving navigation, which can mean clearer menu structures, search functions and navigation buttons to guide users to their goal
• Personalized content based on the user's previous behavior and interactions

Summary

In summary, user journey mapping is a very effective method and foundation for improving the user experience, increasing customer satisfaction and achieving business goals. It gives you the tools and insights you need to create a user-centered strategy and design.

At Limetta we often work on mapping users' needs and motivations to develop a truly great user experience. What we've discovered is that there's strength in documenting the customer journey as an illustrated map. It becomes easier for all team members to understand the reasons behind a designed flow and the business opportunities that exist at each stage.

Would you like help mapping the user journey? We'd be happy to assist!

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