Customer Journey Mapping: Find and Fix Leaks in Your Funnel

If your funnel feels leaky—lots of visits, few consults—journey mapping shows you where attention and trust die. Done right, it’s fast and concrete: you map each step from discovery to purchase, look for friction, then ship fixes that raise conversions without a redesign. This article gives you a practical journey mapping session you can run in two hours and repeat quarterly.

We’ll walk through: scope → stages → signals → friction → fixes → ownership → measurement. We’ll pattern‑match to your website (homepage, services, pricing, contact), and we’ll link to deep dives where helpful—like Homepage Above the Fold, Website Audit Checklist, Pricing Strategy 101, and Analytics Essentials. When you want help prioritizing and shipping changes fast, see our Services or grab a free consult on Contact. Learn about our philosophy on the About page.

1) Define scope and the “one outcome” (10 minutes)

Journey mapping is easiest when it has a narrow goal. Choose one outcome to optimize this quarter. For most small businesses, it’s consult bookings or qualified contact requests. State it explicitly and write it at the top of your board: “Outcome: more qualified consults.” Now list the touchpoints that lead to that outcome (ads/search → homepage → services → contact form → confirmation).

Tip: If your offer is new, skim Launching a New Offer first and link your journey to that page.

2) Name the stages (5 minutes)

Use a simple four‑stage model. Don’t overcomplicate this.

• Discover (arrive via search, social, referral).
• Evaluate (browse homepage/services, read a post).
• Decide (review pricing, proof, FAQs, and CTAs).
• Onboard (submit form, book time, receive confirmation).

Under each stage, we’ll add the pages, questions, and signals that matter.

3) List the pages + questions visitors have (15 minutes)

Open your site and write the actual questions buyers think at each stage. Real words beat guesses.

Discover

• “Is this for me?” (headline clarity on the homepage)
• “What do they do exactly?” (services overview)

Evaluate

• “What will I get?” (benefits and outcomes)
• “How does it work?” (three‑step process)

Decide

• “Can I trust them?” (proof and results)
• “How much and what’s included?” (pricing/tiers + FAQ)

Onboard

• “What happens next?” (form clarity + confirmation)

Tie these to pages: /, /services, /blog/*, /contact, pricing on /services.

4) Collect signals (20 minutes) — analytics + qualitative

Good journey maps mix numbers and notes. Pull these signals before your working session:

• Traffic quality: top entry pages, branded vs. non‑branded search (see Analytics Essentials).
• Engagement: scroll depth and time on key pages; exit pages.
• Outcomes: CTA clicks, form starts and submits, bookings by source.
• Qualitative: 5 call transcripts or emails with buyer objections/questions.

Paste a few screenshots or export a one‑page summary so you’re not toggling between tabs all meeting.

5) Map friction (20 minutes) — where attention or trust dies

Stand in front of the board (or open a shared doc) and, for each stage and page, ask: “What might make someone hesitate or leave?” Write concrete issues, not vague feelings.

Examples of friction

• Homepage headline says “solutions” instead of outcomes; too generic.
• Services page buries the process; no “how it works” for certainty.
• Pricing tiers are named Bronze/Silver/Gold; benefits unclear; no FAQ.
• Contact page has a long form; no reassurance; no clear next step.

As you note friction, add an owner and a difficulty estimate (S/M/L). This forces prioritization later.

6) Turn friction into fixes (30 minutes) — highest leverage first

A fix is a small change you can ship in under a day. Tie each friction point to one fix. Use patterns from our other posts so you’re not inventing from scratch:

• Homepage: rewrite H1 to “who + outcome,” add a reassurance line, and keep one CTA (see Homepage Above the Fold).
• Services: add a three‑step “How it works” block; rename tiers to outcomes; add a 5‑question FAQ (see Pricing Strategy 101).
• Proof: replace generic praise with mini‑cases (outcome + context + quote).
• Contact: shorten form, repeat the CTA, say what happens next, and ensure the same label site‑wide (see Contact).

Order fixes by leverage: visibility × impact × ease. Ship the ones everyone sees first (homepage hero), then pricing clarity, then form friction.

7) Assign owners and deadlines (5 minutes)

Write one name next to each fix. If it’s “everyone,” it’s no one. Add a realistic date next to each, then push the top three into your project tool before the session ends.

8) Script the journey on the page (20 minutes)

Use your map to align copy and layout. A simple script for your homepage:

1. Headline: outcome + audience.
2. Subhead: how + reassurance.
3. CTA: same label across site (“Book Your Free 30‑Minute Consultation”).
4. Benefits: three cards that match your positioning (see Brand Positioning).
5. How it works: Discover → Plan → Execute.
6. Proof: believable metrics or quotes.
7. Closing CTA: same label, proximity to footer.

This order mirrors the buyer’s mental steps—so you answer questions in the right sequence.

9) Measure lifts weekly (10 minutes)

Every Friday, review three things: 1) traffic quality; 2) engagement on priority pages; 3) outcomes. Choose one change and ship it. Record your “what we saw / what we changed / what we’ll watch” so learning compounds. For a minimal plan, borrow the Friday loop from Analytics Essentials.

10) Add (or remove) content to support the journey

If many visitors bounce on Benefits, you may need a supporting article (e.g., value proposition or website audit). If many bounce on pricing, you need a clearer FAQ. Plan content in a 90‑minute session using our Content Strategy guide—and always link posts back to Services and Contact.

11) Common journey mistakes (and quick fixes)

• Too many CTAs: keep one primary label everywhere; demote others.
• Generic proof: add one specific outcome near the boldest claim on the page.
• Dead ends: ensure every section has a logical next step; never leave readers wondering.
• Overlong forms: keep required fields to a minimum; state what happens next; repeat the value.

12) Your next two weeks

Week 1: Run the mapping session, pick one outcome, name friction on the top three pages, and ship two fixes.
Week 2: Measure lifts, ship two more fixes, and plan a new supporting post if needed.

If you want a partner to move faster, explore our Services for journey mapping, website optimization, and pricing strategy. Read About for how we work, and book a free consult at Contact. Journey mapping feels like work the first time; after that, it’s a rhythm you’ll rely on.