A standard business these days will have:

• a website
• at least one physical store
• at least one customer support representative
• accounts on most social media networks
• newsletters
• etc.

The number of touchpoints a customer has with the business is increasingly higher. And I'm only referring here to the ones the business has complete control over them!

Think of many other aspects where there's little the business can do about: The neighbors of my physical store might not care so much about cleaning. The streets might be filthy. Or outsources services such as delivery where the delivery guy throws your package and grunts because… reasons.

The customer journey is never a straight line

To add fuel to this fire, the customer journey is never a straight line. Think about it. If you were to map things out right now, will you make some circles for each touchpoint and a straight line from left to right from circle 1 to circle 2 until the final circle is ticked (as in the customer made a purchase?)

Can't imagine it will be: user performs a Google search → lands on product page → buys product. Nope.

But wait! Who said that the customer journey ends with the purchase? Oh no, other mistake. Remember I mentioned the delivery guy? That's part of the journey as well. Opening up the package as well. And then any sort of issues and questions, good or bad experience is, still, part of the same journey.

The actual pre-purchase customer journey is an entangled mess

So here's how the pre-purchase journey could look like:

• The customer might search for a solution
• maybe find your product somehow
• then he will search for your particular product
• then the customer will check out your socials,
• then maybe visit your store,
• then back to your site with another device,
• then contact you for questions, check reviews in 3rd party areas,
• maybe get a newsletter from you
• and finally when the decision is made... Who knows?
• possibly go straight in store and buy it.
• Or order it online.

Doesn't really matter at this point.

Considering there are so many variables, I am actually confused as to what can a business do.

Because while you do have control over what content you post on your social media accounts, on your website, in your newsletters, in your ads etc., you have little control over how and when that content is consumed.

I remember the debate from years ago regarding Google Analytics and the decision to choose between a first-click or last-click attribution. In this sea of possible points of contacts, I find the debate pointless.

So my question is… when everything is so fuzzy, does it even make sense to try to track everything and connects the dots? Knowing that you can't actually rely on that data?

Wouldn't it be better to just map your entire customer journey's possible interaction points and make sure that each one is in tip-top-shape? It will vary what this means for each point in particular.

And then, of course, listen to your customer and ask for feedback. I think that's the best that you can do now.