It’s tempting to think of the customer journey as a sort of luxury cruise, where a brand leads people on an unforgettable trip to a destination where they get exactly what they want. In most cases, though, the customer journey is more like riding a bus.
Instead of one, linear path, customers may hop aboard a bus at many different points. Their interests and inclinations may also lead them to hop off before the trip ends where a brand might expect. This may sound less glamorous than a cruise, but a good bus line is consistent, efficient and gets people where they need to go.
Now think about how passengers typically request to get off at the next stop: by pressing a button or pulling a cord that tells the driver what to do.
The chime or bell you hear at this point is a good example of zero-party data. The bus driver isn’t using first-party data they have collected (such as a passenger’s previous trips) and making an inference. The bus driver isn’t buying data from a second party, or relying on third-party data that aggregates typical passenger requests.
Instead, the passenger is voluntarily and intentionally offering information to the driver, which makes what’s being communicated easy to understand and act upon.
Brands can gather this kind of zero-party data through a variety of mechanisms, from customer focus groups and web-site pop-ups to contests and surveys. Once you have a critical mass of zero-party data, you can use a customer data platform (CDP) to analyze it and begin to develop a big picture about how best to enhance or improve the customer experience you’re delivering.
The tactical part of that exercise is looking at the customer journey – recognizing connected customers are co-leading it with you – and looking for specific areas where you can make it a little smoother. Below we dive into four stages of the customer journey and how you can optimize them.
Awareness
Customers can’t purchase your products and services if they’ve never heard of your brand. It can take time to not only raise awareness but develop some affinity with what your company offers and its core values.
When people come to your site, for instance, think about going beyond a generic “How can we help you?” greeting. Ask about what brought them there.
When you’re marketing through channels like social media, try to get at their interests and aspirations rather than hitting them with a hard sell right away. A contest entry form should capture the typical problems they face as well as their contact data.
This phase of the customer journey should be treated like the beginning of a conversation. The customer’s side of that conversation can then become invaluable zero-party data.
Consideration
Most brands are stuck studying shopping cart abandonment once it’s already too late. It can be difficult to know why someone decided not to go through with an e-commerce purchase. If only they had checked in at this critical stage of the customer journey.
There is actually ample opportunity to gather zero-party data about what makes up a customer’s mind.
Use a survey that asks whether they prioritize price, availability, shipping costs, assortment or some other factor. Convene a focus group where customers can share candid feedback about your competitors and how your brand compares with them.
Whatever mechanism you use, make it clear this is about serving them better, not finding some kind of short-cut that gets them to click “buy.”
Purchase
It’s wonderful when customers decide to invest in your products and services, but don’t mistake this as a point in the journey where brands should sit back on their laurels.
Collect zero-party data that ensures the process of buying is free of any friction that complicates matters or slows customers down. This could lead to changes in your e-commerce pages or mobile apps that will please other customers with similar points of view.
Also look for opportunities at this point in the journey to personalize the experience. Would customers appreciate options to buy online and pick-up in store? Would contactless payment and delivery make them more likely to buy again? What kind of product and service recommendations would be most helpful depending on the categories where they typically spend?
Customers may not always have ready answers to all of these questions, but just asking them can help in building greater trust with your brand.
Post Purchase
It’s hard to imagine many businesses consulted customers when they first set up contact centres to provide service and support. Customers would likely have told them they don’t like being put on hold, or having to repeat the same information over and over again.
This is not an area to assume anything. Ask customers about the ideal communications channel to connect with them when they need help. Give them some options around the support content they find most useful, such as knowledge centre articles or how-to videos.
You should also look for zero-party data to inform anything you offer in terms of self-service. Doing so will mean you’ll get more uptake on these tools and boost metrics such as customer satisfaction (CSAT).
It’s not always seen as a separate part of the customer journey, but zero-party data can also support efforts to improve retention. If you’ve been running a loyalty program for a period of time, get direct input from customers about how well it is providing the value they expect. Are the rewards relevant? Is it easy to redeem them? Are there other ways the brand could recognize them for repeat purchases?
Conclusion: Winning with zero-party data and CDPs
Zero-party data might also be called “golden data,” in that it represents premium quality information that can be used in a CDP.
With zero-party data, brands can use CDPs to develop better strategies to drive engagement, reduce churn or accomplish a number of other brand objectives. It makes such tools even more powerful because you know you’re taking action based explicitly on what customers have told you. You’re also showing customers you’ve been truly listening – which will make the rest of the journey one they’ll be glad they took.
