‘Brands are struggling to join up multichannel customer journeys’

With a growing number of touchpoints across the digital and physical space, marketers are struggling to gain a clear understanding of customer journeys, according to a new report.

A report launched by Econsultancy and ResponseTap today (14 April) highlights that 35% of marketers see multiple touchpoints as a top barrier to understanding customer journeys.

The survey of 2,000 marketers and ecommerce professionals found that only 12% of companies rated themselves as ‘advanced’ at understanding the customer journey, compared to 51% who said they were ‘intermediate’ and 32% who classed themselves as a ‘beginner’.

Linus Gregoriadis, research director at Econsultancy, says: “The huge response we had to this research highlights what an important topic this for businesses who are struggling to come to terms with the complexity of customer interactions.

“This is increasingly essential in a multichannel age but many organisations are failing to take a joined-up approach which can help them bridge what is all too often a digital and offline chasm,” he adds.

With 86% of the surveyed group stating that profitability and increased revenue were a ‘major benefit’ of understanding the customer journey, marketers need to work towards integrating online and offline strategies, according to the report.

The research found that call centres are the most frequently cited offline channel, with 66% of respondents stating its use. However, only 28% of these companies are also using call tracking to map website visitors and customers who are engaging both online and offline.

Only nine per cent of UK companies, meanwhile, see themselves as ‘advanced’ when it comes to understanding the customer journey, compared to 23% of US companies and 10% in Asia.

 

Recommended