For many years, the term "customer journey” has been used to refer to the path or interactions a consumer has with your brand, product, and/or services. The consumer could be a referral, a current customer or member, someone potentially looking at your services, or even the internal staff that manage your business.
The journey itself encompasses all touchpoints—both online and offline—between a consumer and a brand, product, or service. It includes not only the direct points of interaction between customers and companies—ads, commercials, websites, etc.—but also the indirect contact points where the opinion of third parties about a brand, product, or service is obtained—review portals, user forum, blog, etc.
Typically, the customer journey model includes stages like awareness or discovery, when someone discovers your products or services, and conversion, where potential customers have turned into actual customers, having purchased your products or services.
A Different Kind of Journey
In the health club industry, the customer journey is specific to its own, unique audience, hence the term “member journey.” While some of the terminology and steps in the journey are similar, the logistics and pathways differ when creating an overall experience.
Nick Thornton, vice president of sales at Club Automation, outlines the member journey through what he calls “The Experience.”
It goes as follows:
Engage Prospects
Increase Conversions
Activate Members
Customize Experiences
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