From Discovery To Delivery: How customer experience builds (or breaks) your brand

When most people think of marketing, they imagine colourful social media posts, sleek advertising campaigns, or perfectly designed brochures. Too often, businesses reduce marketing to the team that makes things look nice or runs a few ads.

Why the customer journey matters more than you think

In reality, the real role of marketing is far bigger than that. Marketing should champion the customer journey – the complete experience a customer has when interacting with your business, from the very first moment of awareness to long after the purchase is made. Every single step matters.

What is the customer journey?

The customer journey is the path a customer takes from discovering your business, through researching and buying, to becoming a repeat buyer or advocate. It’s not just the product or service itself – it’s every touchpoint along the way;

• The discovery of your product or service

• The ease of navigating your website

• The clarity of your order or enquiry process

• The tone of your emails

• The delivery experience

• The aftercare and follow-up

Done well, these moments build trust, loyalty, and advocacy. Done badly, they erode confidence and can turn a potential brand champion into someone who actively warns others away.

A real-life example when it all went wrong

This summer, while on holiday in the Isles of Scilly, I wanted to buy a handmade gift from a local artisan. The piece I loved was too large to bring home (if you’ve ever been, you’ll know hauling luggage by boat is no small task for a family of five!), so after checking their website and seeing I could order it online, I chose to do that instead.

At first, everything looked promising. The website was beautiful, well-branded, full of personality, with a lovely story about her craft. The shopping experience itself was smooth and easy. As a first touchpoint, it ticked every box so I was excited to buy.

That’s when things went downhill.

• Poor communication: After placing my order, I received only a generic email and a link to track it through the “Shop” app. Weeks passed with no updates.

• Broken promises: When I finally chased, I was told the website shop “was meant to be closed” and the product had already been sold.

• Disengaged response: Alternatives were sent without context or enthusiasm, just a single photo, no words.

• Lack of care: When the item eventually arrived, it came in a soggy cardboard box with no protective packaging, no thank-you note, no branding, and no story.

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Every touchpoint after the initial website visit was a missed opportunity to delight me as a customer. Instead of telling friends about a wonderful discovery, I now share a warning – avoid.

That’s the power, and the danger, of the customer journey.

Why this matters for your business

The lesson here is simple; the customer journey isn’t a nice-to-have, it’s business-critical. Customers don’t separate “marketing” from “operations” or “customer service”, to them it’s all part of one experience.

A smooth, thoughtful journey builds brand love and loyalty. A broken one doesn’t just lose a single sale, it damages your reputation and can have far-reaching consequences. In today’s connected world, word-of-mouth – be it positive or negative – travels fast.

How I can help

Getting the customer journey right means making sure it works seamlessly every time. That’s where I come in.

Through a customer journey audit, I can help you and your marketing team to;

• See your business from your customer’s perspective

• Identify gaps and friction points that hurt your reputation

• Create opportunities to surprise, delight, and build loyalty

• Ensure your marketing efforts don’t just look good, but actually deliver results

  
  

Because marketing isn’t just about making things look pretty! It’s about shaping experiences that make customers fall in love with your business. And when it comes to customer journeys, you don’t always get a second chance.