A great strategy to increase sales is to ‘map your customer’s journey’; This exercise is even more relevant as Parramatta’s Light Rail project reaches key milestones.
Hospitality and retail businesses can benefit from detailing the journey of a typical client or shopper. Their experience can inform improvements to remove obstacles and encourage happy customers who spend generously and often.
Customer journeys may be physical, online or a combination of both. With the Parramatta Light Rail development in mind, try mapping the physical route of some typical Parramatta customers.
Map the purchase
‘Customer journey mapping’ charts a customer’s path when buying a product or service from your business. It monitors wherever you interact, like touchpoints. Touchpoints might include where the customer first hears about the business, how they browse your offerings and how they make their purchase.
To be effective, your mapping should cover a range of four or more ‘ideal customer’ types – your typical good customer. The sales data you collect could help formulate the types. For example, a café business might rely on the time-poor businessperson, the sociable uni student, the committed parent, or the relaxed retiree. Each consumer type has something to offer. Each could be attracted by a particular feature – for example, great food, daily specials, handy take-away or your convenient location. Explore the points where customers interact with your business. What do you offer your ideal customers, and what do they like or dislike about your business? What will you improve?
Remember that you should revisit your mapping to monitor changing circumstances even after you have made service improvements. Respond to the major changes reshaping the needs and wants of your customers. For example, during the Covid-19 lockdowns and restrictions, there were massive, unprecedented disruptions to physical customer journeys.
When new pathways and transportation methods transform local consumer routines, as is happening now in Parramatta, it’s a great time to revisit how customers will engage with your business.
The journey of the customer in Parramatta’s CBD
Imagine the physical journey of a customer visiting a shop, eatery or hospitality establishment in Parramatta. With the CBD’s increasing pedestrianisation, customer journeys have changed. Is your business ready? Consider how your Parramatta business might interact with these customer profile examples:
Customer type 1 – Work commuter travelling on the Parramatta Light Rail
Commuters will soon be using Parramatta’s Light Rail service between Westmead and Carlingford, which stops in Parramatta’s CBD.
Your business interactions with the customer could involve:
- Advertising visible from the light rail line and platforms promoting your business
- Special lunch offers aimed at regular weekday light rail commuters
- Extra staffing to ensure prompt lunchtime service delivery for office workers
- Hosting special events giving loyal customers a memorable experience rather than just a transaction
- Flyers to office workers with weekday specials.
Customer type 2 – Bike path student cyclist
Parramatta’s new Active Transport Link will connect pedestrians and cyclists to Parramatta, Western Sydney University at Rydalmere, Westmead, Carlingford and other town centres.
Your business interactions with the customer could involve:
- Street signage visible from the bike path or junction promoting your business
- Special meal deals aimed at uni students and leisure cyclists using the bike path
- Advertising that you are a ‘bike friendly’ establishment
- Seating in your store or venue to encourage cyclists to stay longer.
Customer type 3 – Driver with a young family
The newly pedestrianised Church Street Dining Precinct is connected by Parramatta Light Rail.
Your business interactions with the customer could involve:
- Signage visible at car parks and from light rail stops promoting your business
- Special family deals to encourage the purchase of meals
- Quick and easy in-store payment options for busy parents
- Early meal sittings and festive lighting for young families to enjoy an early evening in the CBD.
Customer type 4 – Public transport senior tourist
Parramatta’s new active transport link allows tourists using the RiverCat, including seniors, to walk to historic and scenic points around Parramatta.
Your business interactions with the customer could involve:
- Leaflets and signage near Ferry Wharf, tourist centre or pathway promoting your business
- Special ‘seniors’ offers encouraging retiree tourists
- In-store seating to support seniors who are pedestrians
- Al fresco dining options in your venue to attract seniors and tourists.
There will be many other opportunities to engage with Game Day footy fans, weekday construction workers, or Saturday morning shoppers. Realise Business Advisors can help you to determine your ideal customer and what steps you can take to attract them to your hospitality or retail business.
Supplement physical interactions with great online engagement
Supplementing the physical strategy with online customer interactions will boost your business. Ensure that your messaging is consistent, whether your customer is searching for your website, booking online, reviewing images and specials on social media, looking for opening and closing hours or contacting your business.
With the right attention, enhancing your customer’s journey in Parramatta has every chance of success.
Book your free advisory session and map your customer journey with a Realise Business Advisor today.
