# How to Create Journey Maps for Different Customer Personas
In the competitive Australian marketplace, understanding exactly how a customer finds and chooses your business is the difference between a high-converting marketing strategy and wasted ad spend. Customer journey mapping allows you to visualise the entire experience a person has with your brand, helping you identify friction points and opportunities to delight them at every touchpoint.
By the end of this guide, you will have a clear framework for documenting the path different customers take, allowing you to optimise your marketing for better ROI.
Prerequisites: What You’ll Need
Before you dive into mapping, ensure you have the following ready:- Existing Customer Personas: A clear profile of who you are targeting (e.g., "First-time Home Buyer Fiona" or "Tradie Tom").
- Access to Data: Google Analytics 4 (GA4) data, customer feedback, or sales logs.
- Mapping Tools: This can be as simple as a large whiteboard and Post-it notes, or digital tools like Miro, Lucidchart, or even a structured Excel sheet.
- A Collaborative Mindset: Ideally, involve your sales or front-of-house staff who interact with customers daily.
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Step 1: Define Your Objective for the Map
Before drawing lines, ask yourself what you want to achieve. Are you trying to reduce the time it takes for a lead to book a consultation? Or are you trying to understand why people drop off after seeing your Google Business Profile? Pick one specific goal for this mapping session to keep it focused.Step 2: Select a Specific Persona
Do not try to map "everyone" at once. A small business owner in Brisbane looking for B2B accounting services has a vastly different journey than a local resident looking for an emergency plumber. Choose one primary persona to start with. Screenshot Description: If using a tool like Miro, you should see a canvas where you place your Persona profile (photo, name, goals, and pain points) on the far left-hand side as a constant reference.Step 3: Define the Journey Stages
Most Australian small business journeys follow a standard flow, but you should customise these to fit your industry. A typical framework includes:- Awareness: The moment they realise they have a problem (e.g., a leaking tap).
- Consideration: Researching solutions and comparing local providers.
- Conversion/Purchase: The act of booking, buying, or visiting your shop.
- Retention/Loyalty: Following up, reviews, and repeat business.
Step 4: Identify Customer Touchpoints
List every place your persona interacts with your brand. For a Brisbane local business, this usually includes:- Google Search (Local Pack/Maps)
- Facebook or Instagram ads
- Word-of-mouth recommendations
- Your website’s landing pages
- Direct phone calls or emails
- Physical signage outside your office or shop
Step 5: Map Out Actions and Behaviours
Under each stage, write down exactly what the customer is doing. Awareness:* They might be typing "best coffee near me" into Google Maps. Consideration:* They are reading your recent Google Reviews and checking your Instagram for photos of your work. Conversion:* They are clicking the "Book Now" button on your website.Step 6: Identify Emotional States and Pain Points
This is the most critical step. For each stage, note how the customer is feeling. Are they stressed? Excited? Confused? Example: In the 'Consideration' stage, a customer might feel overwhelmed by too many choices. If your website is slow to load on a mobile device (common on 4G/5G in regional areas), that is a major pain point that leads to abandonment.Step 7: Layer in Your Analytics Data
Open your GA4 account and look at the "Path exploration" report. Does the data back up your map? If your map says customers go from your blog to your contact page, but the data shows they go from the blog to the homepage and then leave, you've identified a gap in your user experience. Screenshot Description: In Google Analytics 4, navigate to 'Explore' > 'Path exploration'. You will see a flow chart showing the starting page and the subsequent steps users actually took on your site.Step 8: Identify Opportunities for Improvement
Now, look at where the friction is. If customers are dropping off at the 'Conversion' stage, perhaps your contact form is too long or you don't list your ABN and physical address (which builds trust for Aussie consumers). Write down 3-5 actionable changes you can make immediately.Step 9: Visualise the "Future State"
Create a second version of the map showing how the journey should look once you've fixed the issues. This helps your team understand the goal of your marketing updates.Step 10: Review and Update Regularly
Customer behaviour changes. A journey map created before the rise of TikTok or the shift in local SEO trends will eventually become outdated. Review your maps every six months to ensure they still reflect reality.---
Pro Tips for Success
- Think Mobile First: Most local searches in Australia happen on mobile while people are on the go. Ensure your journey map accounts for the mobile experience.
- Include the "Offline" Gap: Don't forget what happens when they hang up the phone or walk out of your store. The journey doesn't end at the cash register.
- Use Real Quotes: If you have recorded customer feedback or reviews, use those exact words in your map to represent the customer's voice.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Making it too complex: You don't need a 50-page document. A single, clear visual is much more effective.
- Ignoring the "Post-Purchase" phase: It is five times cheaper to keep an existing customer than to find a new one. Ensure your map includes follow-up emails or loyalty offers.
Troubleshooting Common Issues
"I don't have enough data to know what they are doing." If you're a new business, look at your competitors. Do a "mystery shop" on a competitor in a different city (e.g., if you're in Brisbane, look at a similar business in Perth). Note their touchpoints and friction points to build your initial map. "My persona's journey is different every time." While every individual is unique, patterns will emerge. Focus on the '80/20 rule'—map the path that 80% of that specific persona takes. "The map is finished, but nothing is changing." Mapping is just the diagnostic tool. The real work starts when you assign tasks based on the 'Opportunities' identified in Step 8. Ensure someone is responsible for implementing the changes.Next Steps
Now that you have mapped your customer's journey, it’s time to optimise your digital presence to meet them where they are.- Audit your website based on the pain points identified.
- Update your Google Business Profile to improve the 'Awareness' stage.
- Refine your ad copy to match the emotional state of your persona.
Need help identifying your customer personas or setting up the tracking to see where they are going? Our team at Local Marketing Group can help you turn these insights into a high-performing strategy. Contact us today to discuss your local marketing needs.