To put it simply, a user journey in UX design is the analysis of the stages of the user journey that makes it possible to determine the user's journey and the actions he will take for a purchase or use of a product. Indeed, this synthesis is carried out by taking into account the different points of contact that the customer may have during his interaction with the latter, for example a website or an application.
To materialize it, it is recommended to create a mapping or tree structure of the user journey in order to develop a much clearer vision of the issues of design and organization, the planned costs, the needs of the user and the relevant solutions to be put in place to improve the user experience.
UX course: what is its impact on the business?
The optimization of the customer journey has a direct impact on business indicators and therefore the marketing strategy as well. Here are the direct impacts of the analysis and optimization of the user experience on the business: Conversion rate: A smooth journey reduces abandonments and increases sales or lead generation.
Bounce rate: A better understanding of expectations and points of friction reduces the number of users leaving the site prematurely and improves their response.
Loyalty: A frictionless journey improves customer and Internet user satisfaction and retention.
ROI of UX actions: By measuring the before/after (A/B testing, cohorts), it is possible to demonstrate the profitability and usefulness of UX investments.
Steps of the UX course tested in real conditions
The validation of the user journey is based on tests in real conditions. Here are the key steps: User tests: Direct observation of a series of people from the target, performing tasks on the product/service. Recommended tools: Maze, Hotjar, UserTesting.
Quantitative analysis: Measurement of click rates, bounce rate, time spent on each step via Google Analytics or Matomo.
Feedback collection: Post-test questionnaires, in-app surveys or qualitative interviews to understand unexpressed emotions and expectations.
Iteration: The lessons learned from the tests make it possible to prioritize improvements and measure their impact on the conversion rate or user satisfaction.
Why test in real conditions ?
It is imperative to test each stage of the course in conditions close to reality, because this allows you to: Detect 90% of ergonomic problems before putting into production.
Understand the motivations, frustrations and real expectations of users. Prioritize actions with a high impact on both conversion and satisfaction.
Concrete examples of user journeys
In order to demonstrate the impact that the user journey can have and why you should look at it, here are three concrete model cases from various sectors: E-commerce: A ready-to-wear e-commerce website has seen a considerable decrease in its mobile conversion rate. It was the analysis of the customer journey that revealed friction when selecting sizes. Indeed, the not very visible drop-down menu generated a certain frustration. Thus, after a co-creation workshop and user tests, the menu was replaced by clear and accessible buttons. Result: +18% of conversions on mobile after 1 month.
Insurance: A digital security insurer wanted to improve its online subscription rate, via its website. During the customer journey, it was a massive abandonment that could be noted when requesting supporting documents. By simply simplifying the tunnel (direct upload from mobile, removing redundant steps), the completion rate has increased from 62% to 81%, while reducing support calls.
SaaS B2B: An HR management platform has mapped the journey of its users during onboarding on its site. After analysis, the tests showed that new customers were lost in the face of the large number of features present on the website. Thus, thanks to the addition of an interactive onboarding to facilitate the use of the platform and a downloadable checklist, an increase of 72% to 86% in 30-day retention could be observed. These examples demonstrate the importance of mapping the user journey in order to identify points of friction, test concrete solutions and measure business impact.
How to successfully create an optimal user journey ?
Define the scope of the project
Before focusing on the development of the customer journey, it is necessary to define the contours of the project. This phase brings together several points, namely:
The definition of the project's objective and the reason why the company will produce this product.
The identification of the target and the personas, through interviews, observations or surveys. As a reminder, a persona is created based on the information collected by the company on its current or potential customers.
The highlighting of user expectations. The definition of the context of use. The mobilization of the necessary skills. The definition of the vision to be adopted in the design of the product. Identification of risk areas.
This information actually makes it possible to anticipate risks, but also to avoid the possibility of making false assumptions, which could lead to bad decisions, and therefore budget losses.
Analyze the user's emotions
It is a matter of defining the motivation that encourages the user to be interested and interact with your product or service. And this, in addition to the channels he may have used and the actions he has taken during his navigation. In addition, it is also necessary to highlight the user's frustrations (or "bread points"), in order to have an overview of the user journey.
Create a list of touchpoints
The point of contact is the means of interaction between the company and the user, such as: mobile, tablet, television, shop, word of mouth, email, etc.
Identify the different stakeholders of the project
The user journey is a user-centered technique that can be used on a digital journey, but also on a global journey, i.e. all "physical" and digital interactions. However, this does not exclude other stakeholders in the project, such as suppliers, partners, prescribers, etc.
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10 key steps to create a frictionless UX journey
1. Define the business and user objective
Here, align the KPIs (conversion rate, CA) with the user needs identified through interviews and surveys.
2. Make a mapping of the existing course
Use customer journey maps to visualize each interaction, from acquisition to loyalty.
3. Identify key people
Create 2-3 realistic personas integrating motivations, behaviors and frustrations from qualitative/quantitative data.
4. Analyze emotions via empathy mapping
Schematize what users say, think, do and feel at each step.
5. Detect critical friction points
Cross analytics (rebound rate, loading time) and user feedback to prioritize actions.
Organize user sessions with UX tools like Maze or Hotjar, and measure the impact on key indicators.
8. Involve stakeholders
Facilitate co-creation workshops with the marketing, IT and support sector to validate the scenarios.
9. Prioritize quick wins
Use an effort impact matrix to first launch high ROI modifications (e.g. form simplification).
10. Iterate and measure continuously
Implement A/B tests and cohort monitoring to optimize the long-term journey.
The tools used to create a successful UX user journey
Use cases
The use cases list, in an exhaustive way, the different contexts of use of the product or service. In order to identify the inherent difficulties, it is interesting to specify:
The place of use.
The user's intentions: for what purpose he wants to use it.
External factors that can influence its use.
The personas who will experience the user journey.
Usage scenarios
A use scenario, also called a story board, is a developed version of a use case. It is about creating a story that involves a persona and the product in question. The story then illustrates the experience lived by this user during the use of the product, before describing his behavior when he interacts with, in a given situation.
The usage scenario incorporates images and clear and easily understandable texts to describe the characteristics of the service offered by the company and analyze the different reactions of the user.
It makes it possible to address other dimensions of the user journey, such as the psychological and sociological aspect in addition to the extent of the innovation of the solutions to be provided to improve the user experience.
The projection of a scenario on a complex use case makes it possible to analyze the different functions of the product or service in question and optimize them in order to idealize the user experience and meet challenges.
How to create a usage scenario ?
UX mapping methods
To map the customer or user journey, UX mapping methods are useful for schematizing the different interactions between the user and the physical points (a store, a website, etc.). Each interaction can be positive or negative. All these interactions constitute a story that will be modeled in order to:
Identify blocking points in the user journey and correct them.
Identify frictions and improve them.
Offer a pleasant user experience.
Empathy Map
The empathy map is a collaborative tool to understand the user's state of mind (which can be a persona, a client or a segment of customers) and schematize it, which: Says about the product. Think of the product at the time of its UX journey. Fact, for example, recommend the product to a friend, compare it to a competitor, etc. Feels, in particular, concern, satisfaction, etc. This UX card allows the sharing of positive and negative elements of the user experience between all the actors of the project, with concrete and factual elements. As a result, they will all have the same vision of the needs to be met and each will be able to provide elements according to their area of expertise. The empathy card helps the company to:
Understand in depth the expectations of its customers,
Optimize the breaking points in the user journey,
Federate its teams around a common innovation goal,
Deduce the actions to be taken as a priority to meet the expected needs.
Empathy Map
Deduce the actions to be taken as a priority to meet the expected needs.
Customer Journey Map
The Customer Journey Map represents a mapping of the Buyer Journey of a given product or service. This process includes the various actions that the user takes before proceeding to the act of purchase: finding out about the product, consulting reviews, comparing prices, etc. The Customer Journey Map allows the company to strengthen its relationships with customers, to discern their pain and to implement the appropriate solutions to optimize their experience.
Experience Map
The Experience Map is another method for mapping the UX journey. It is often confused with "Customer Journey Map", but in reality, it results from it. Indeed, this UX map is a detailed mapping of the overall user journey, but it does not concern a specific product or service (as in the case of the Customer Journey Map). This experience card is developed in an iterativel manner and is based on real data related to the time of use, the place of use and the context of use. Thus, it represents a visual synthesis of the different stages of the user experience, organized in a chronological order, with information on: the duration of each step (or its timeline). The motivations, emotions and actions of the user. The Experience Map represents a strategic collaborative tool for the company, because it stimulates collective intelligence by involving all the teams working on the project, in order to optimize the innovation of the product or service. Note that this mapping is not fixed and may evolve during the progress of the UX project.
