While an experience map sounds familiar to a customer journey map, they have slightly different applications. Both can be used effectively by teams, but in specific scenarios, one may become more useful than another. In this article, we will analyze and compare the two mapping templates. We will decode the differences and similarities and the purposes behind these two maps. Before we begin our analysis, we need to understand how to define an experience map vs. customer journey map.
What is An Experience Map?
An experience map involves the entire journey of consumers related to a specific brand or company, evolving their interactions with that specified brand. Experience mapping is used to analyze interaction timeline, loopholes, and market repute starting from the beginning of interaction till the end until purchasing the product.
Experience Map Goals
An experience map assists its users to see the broader image behind the user’s emotional state and make rational decisions without neglecting possible opportunities. It is purely based on research and helps the organization focus on what matters to them as a brand.
When organizations can see potential opportunities focusing on customer satisfaction, brand loyalty, and innovative approaches, they are much more likely to see success and customer interaction. Apart from this experience maps are used to identify possible mediums by which consumers can interact with the company.
Other Objectives Include,
- Identifying possible opportunities for a more futuristic approach.
- Analyzing the interactions between customer and brand and where it can be improved.
- Comparison of multiple customer paths.
- Guiding all the members to seek a united approach towards customers’ needs.
What Is a Customer Journey Map?
A customer journey map, aka CJM, is a similar tool to an experience map that helps in visualizing and analyzing specific user paths and consumer interactions between customers and companies. This tool focuses on the thoughts, emotions, goals, and motives of various consumers. The map is usually designed from the perspective of the consumer and not from the perspective of the company.
Customer Journey Map Goals
As mentioned earlier, it helps visualize the entire user path, and with that, you can easily locate loopholes and mistakes in the user experience. In this type of tool, The focus is less on the user’s emotional state as they progress through their experience and more on the goals and phases they progress through. Instead of targeting improvements through emotional changes, it focuses on the most efficient way to achieve the user’s goals.
Experience Map vs. Customer Journey Map Similarities
These two templates have many similarities, especially when it comes to depicting the user’s path from the moment they discover a brand until purchase. That’s why these two maps are popular among the corporate sector due to the accuracy and targeted opportunities they provide.
However, later on, these two wholly diverge from one another and focus on analyzing completely different layers of the customer journey.
Experience Map vs. Customer Journey Map Differences
Many people confuse experience mapping with customer journey mapping without understanding their purposes in companies. There are some significant differences in both of the map types. To make it more straightforward, we will mention some large differences below.
Multi-channel Feature vs. Single Channel Feature
The task of the experience map is to depict the complete picture for its users. This picture revolves around consumer experience with a particular brand at multiple mediums of interaction. In this way, experience maps can incorporate multiple different channels into a certain template to gain a complete understanding of what builds a certain reaction with the user.
On the other hand, a CJM revolves around the experience any consumer or client gets while interacting with a specific product or brand. This interaction is a single layer and doesn’t consider other layers. By doing so, customer journey maps isolate user experience in a single flow.
Specific Customer Experience vs. Overall Customer Experience
Experience map depicts the experience of all consumers while interacting with a product or brand. On the other hand, a customer journey map is centered towards the experience of a certain buyer persona. This gives them different dimensions in the perspective of consumer-related approaches.
Details vs. Broad Picture
Customer journey maps target specified problems, and they are suitable for those who know where they lack and what they need to improve. Experience maps are often much broader when it comes to locating problems and finding solutions. People often don’t know where the problem lies when they are using an experience map as a tool.
Conclusion
Using an experience map vs. customer journey map takes careful consideration, so before implementing them, it’s important to understand the key similarities, differences, and advantages. If you liked this article, make sure you look into the applications of an experience map and how to build one manually.
