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6 customer journey mapping mistakes to avoid

List of six customer journey mapping mistakes, including building from assumptions, following the org chart and never updating the map.
The most common one is the fifth: publish once and walk away.
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Six mistakes that make customer journey maps less useful, with a line on each. They range from building the map on assumptions and naming stages after departments to leaving out emotions, blending personas, never updating the map and mixing up stages with touchpoints. Check a draft map against the list before you share it.

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What's in this guide

  1. Building from assumptions: Assumptions about the customer experience are often wrong. Base the map on real research.
  2. Following the org chart: Stages named after your departments document your silos, not the customer's experience.
  3. Leaving out emotions: Without the emotional arc, a journey map is just a flowchart.
  4. Mapping too many personas: Map one persona at a time. A blended journey describes nobody.
  5. Never updating the map: Publishing once and walking away is the most common failure.
  6. Mixing up touchpoints and stages: Stages are goal-based phases. Touchpoints are single interactions inside them.

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