Pick a specific customer persona, and understand their goals and motivations that bring them to your product or service. Imagine the pain points and requirements that have brought them to you.

Your customer journey map will be composed of the following sections:
1. Stage. As defined by you, the point in time that your customer is experiencing. Examples include: landing on a webpage, signing up for your product or service, contacting customer support. The touchpoints are endless!
2. User Action. The specific action that your user takes at each stage. Be as specific as possible.
3. Pain points and questions. Document the questions that may arise for your user upon a certain action. Note any needs that they may have at this stage, either expressed or not expressed. Note down certain “ouch” moments your customer may experience (like long wait times or lack of clear information).
4. Emotions. When your customer experiences a pain point or has a question, what emotion does that produce in them? On the flip side, if your customer is elated or inspired by your service, document that as well. Seeing the emotional journey as your customer processes through the stages you define will give you a clear picture of where their head is at.

Now that you can clearly see what your customer is experiencing: the good and the bad, you can identify areas you want to improve. Whether it is simplifying the user experience, cutting out an unnecessary step, or offering greater support, you’re sure to find many ways you can make things even better for your customer. Your good work won’t go unnoticed!