A ‘conversion path’ is a term used in marketing to describe the chain of events which lead a potential customer from discovering a service or product to completing a desired action. It is a necessary part of understanding how successful a marketing campaign might be and is key to monitoring customer behaviour. Put simply, it tracks customer behaviour and determines the effectiveness of a marketing campaign.
The ‘conversion path’ is comprised of steps, or touchpoints, which a customer takes on their journey towards conversion. These touchpoints along the customer’s journey may include all the different channels, platforms and media, both online and offline, where a potential customer interacts with the marketing campaign. From creating a digital advertisement, to organising a postal campaign, tracking the order in which a customer has been exposed to messaging, and monitoring how they interacted with each touchpoint is essential to understanding the strength of the conversion path.
Creating a good conversion path involves understanding all elements of the customer journey. To do this, it’s important to have an in-depth knowledge of customer behaviour and preferences, including their motivations and needs. This information can then be fed into the structure of the conversion path, to ensure the user has the right journey and the right messaging at the right moment.
When creating a conversion path, it’s important to be aware of some essential factors, or best practices, in order to improve customer experience and provide the best results:
1. Have a goal: The conversion path should be tailored to the campaign’s goal and purpose, whether it’s to increase sales, enhance brand awareness, or even generate leads. All elements must work together to reach that goal.
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2. Develop the customer journey and map out the touchpoints: All steps in the customer journey should be planned and measured so that any element that requires attention can be identified and improved.
3. Make the customer journey seamless: All elements of the customer journey should be coordinated to ensure that the customer journey is as easy and seamless for customers as possible. It’s important to ensure that the customer is never frustrated or confused – no matter which channel they use.
4. Measure and optimise performance: After the initial creation of the customer journey, it’s important to track and assess all activities as they progress, to ensure that target goals are met. At each point, it’s important to measure metrics such as engagement, reaction, and click-through-rate. Any dips in performance can be then addressed and optimised.
It's clear to see why the conversion path is an essential element in the success of any marketing campaign. It is an important tool for understanding customer behaviour and preferences, and ensures that users are given a smooth and fluid experience. Understanding these best practices and developing an effective conversion path can help any business to be better equipped to reach desired goals and increase customer satisfaction.