An interactive map is an ideal tool to visualize all the contact points or touchpoints between your clients and the organization, through which it offers a clear understanding of the way and the moments in which the experience of your clients develops.

In this article we will introduce you to what it is and how you can do yours effectively.

More about interactive map

An interactive map is a diagram that allows you to visualize how a customer interacts with a company by plotting the actions it takes to achieve a certain objective.

The map describes the key events, customer motivations, and areas of friction within their experience. This information is then combined into a complete picture that describes a prototypical customer experience with the company.

An engagement map visualizes the current process of customers, from the first point of contact to the last, to see if they are currently reaching their goals and, if not, how they can do it.

Therefore, it is very useful to document the customer experience from your point of view. By understanding it, you can structure your customer touchpoints to create the most effective and efficient process possible.

To create effective visual maps that reflect the customer journey through these channels, interactive maps must be made from data-driven research and must visually represent the different phases that customers experience based on a number of dimensions, like the customer‘s feelings, their goals, and their points of contact.

It is critical that they are based on customer research , otherwise they run the risk of becoming internally driven process flows only.

Components of an interactive map

An interactive map is made up of several components, among which the following stand out:

Customer stages

One of the first steps in creating a map is to identify the stages of the customer journey . Generally, the following stages are recognized in the customer journey :

• Consultation or knowledge
• Comparison
• Purchase
• Installation or after-sales service
• Loyalty

Buyer person

A buyer persona consists of the creation of a fictitious client, with all the demographic and psychographic data that a market segment represents.

Therefore, it represents an important tool for creating a customer journey map because it helps CX teams to more accurately predict customer behaviors and feelings using their archetypal customer as a reference.

Customer contact points

A map to view interactions should always include the touch points that a customer can use at each stage of the journey. For example, during the installation or after-sales service stage, a customer may use emails or online chat to communicate with a brand.

Pain points or barriers

One of the most important aspects to include in the interactive map are the areas in which the customer has difficulties or problems with the product or service, since pain points are where more attention must be paid to guarantee a satisfactory experience. .

Positive experiences

Let’s not forget that what is being done well needs to be highlighted on the map, so that stakeholders understand that these activities are creating a positive customer experience and adding value.

Client objectives

It is important to document the customer‘s objectives on the interactive map and also the point where the objectives change throughout the process.

Customer objectives do not always remain constant and this should be identified on the map, as changing objectives offer opportunities to identify improvements in customer service .

Combination of other customer data

The customer experience map can be improved by incorporating customer data from other areas of the company, for example the Net Promoter Score that has been being tracked.

Customer feedback from research is also a good source for creating the map, as well as calls and feedback from interviews.

Benefits of making an interactive map

An interactive map offers a holistic vision in a practical way, generally in a single page graph in which the entire customer experience is represented through multiple channels and, above all, opportunities are also identified on how to improve the customer experience. customer .

The maps show the pain points and difficulties that clients are having, as well as the things that are currently being done well and that should continue to be done.

Usually, the stakeholders of a company are concerned with a specific area or product and are not always aware of how other areas of the company work or interact to combine into a comprehensive experience, for example, the website, the mobile app of the company, the CRM and the Call Center.

Therefore, the fact that interested parties discuss and review this visual tool can be useful to stimulate conversations around customer improvement, as well as highlight gaps and identify gaps in the Customer Experience , for example:

• Gaps between devices, when a user switches from one device to another.
• Gaps between departments, in which the user can feel frustrated.
• Gaps between channels, where the experience of going from social networks to the website could be better.

Another advantage of an engagement map is that it provides clear information on how customers move through the sales funnel, so maximizing the efficiency of that path can mean more sales in less time.

In addition, understanding the customer experience is vital for sales and marketing to develop effective strategies.

How to make an interactive map?

Here are the 5 most important steps to make an interactive map:

1. Set clear goals

Before you jump into creating your map, you need to ask yourself why you are making one in the first place. Towards what goals are you directing this map? Who is it specifically about? What experience is it based on?

2. Collect information

The next step is to identify why your customers want to interact with your organization through a data collection process that helps you know what your customers need, how they interact with your company, when they do it and for how long, among others. factors.

Surveys are some ways to get valuable customer feedback , but you can also include more detailed research through market research , focus groups , and data analysis , usability testing, or even ethnographic studies .

The important thing is to target only real or potential customers, since what you are looking for is the opinion of people who are really interested in buying your products and services and who have interacted with your company before or plan to do so.

3. Profile your buyer person and define their objectives

From this point, it is time to create a buyer persona, which will be useful to remind you to whom you should direct each aspect of your interactive map.

Use the collected data to develop buyer personas that help you understand exactly what your customers want, how you can effectively meet their needs, and how to empathize with them.

4. Identify the contact points of your customers

Customers interact with your organization using a variety of “touch points.” These can include store visits, internet searches, blogs, online chat, webinars, product demos or sales calls.

Once you’ve identified your organization’s touch points, think about how each one affects your customers. Who do you contact if there is a problem? Where can you find delivery information? Is it easy for you to get your contact details?

You may have a brilliant customer service team eager to answer questions, but if your website or its sales team provides misleading or contradictory information, the customer experience will be confusing and unsatisfactory.

5. Determine the resources available and those you will need

Your map will address practically all areas of the organization and it will reveal all the resources that go into creating the customer experience.

Therefore, it is important to take an inventory of the resources that you have at your fingertips and those that you will need to improve your customer journey. By including these new tools on your map, you can accurately predict the impact they will have on your business and generate superior value.

This makes it much easier to convince stakeholders and decision makers to invest in your CX proposals.

6. Implement the necessary changes

The data analysis should give you an idea of ​​the ideal customer experience, so you can make the necessary changes to carry it out and ensure that you have everything you need in the right process flow.