Customer path

Definition and neighbouring terms

The customer path describes the sequence of stages the customer goes through, measured by loss at each transition. Its defining feature is measurement. A sequence drawn without transition figures does not provide the evidence needed to choose where to act.

Customer profile and context of use answer different questions. A customer profile describes a group by observed behaviour for decision-making. Context of use describes the physical and temporal conditions in which the task happens. The customer path instead shows progression through stages and the losses between them.

Where it matters in practice

Use a loss funnel to compare stages. Record entering, leaving, proportion lost and estimated cost of fixing. Read losses in both absolute figures and proportions. Priority comes from combining loss with the cost of fixing, not from a stage’s position in the sequence.

An early loss does not automatically make the first transition the priority. A later transition may lose more customers in both number and proportion. The intervention may also concern a page or proposal rather than the product itself.

Maintain a path loss map and update it every period. This makes it possible to check whether the previous intervention had an effect.

What to retain for CPM-E preparation

For your CPM-E certification preparation, retain the distinction between mapping and deciding. An attractive path without measured loss is an antipattern: any stage can be defended as the priority.

When reviewing a case, ask which transitions have measured losses, how those losses compare, and what each fix would cost. Do not select a stage solely because it appears first.