What is customer experience? How to win hearts and not just sales

When we think about Customer Experience (CX), it’s easy to confuse it with the customer journey or see it solely as a race to close a sale. But CX is so much more than a sprint to the finish line — it’s about creating meaningful interactions that last far beyond the purchase. 

Here’s how to rethink CX to drive stronger relationships, lasting loyalty, and real business results. 

What is Customer Experience (CX)? 

CX is the overall experience your customer has with your brand across every interaction — from the first touchpoint to far beyond the first sale. It’s not just about what happens in their journey but how they feel along the way. 

If the customer journey is the roadmap, CX is the quality of the ride. 

Every buyer journey has phases: 

• Consideration: Exploring potential options 

• Evaluation: Comparing choices 

• Purchase: The decision moment 

• Advocacy & Retention: The post-purchase connection 

To excel in CX, focus on improving not just these individual phases but how they connect, creating a smoother, more engaging path for customers. 

Build CX with the customer in mind. 

Seems obvious right? Here’s a truth: you might know your buyer journey inside out, but your customers don’t. Their experience might feel clunky or confusing if it’s not built with their perspective in mind. 

What can you do? Put yourself in your customer’s shoes. Take the journey as they would, identifying pain points and opportunities to help you create a seamless, enjoyable experience. 

How to build an effective Customer Experience (CX)  

A customer journey has different phases, where each requires different considerations to build an effective CX. It’s important to approach each touchpoint with the specific requirement your target customer will have at that phase in mind, this can differ depending on the industry or product you are promoting so before you start here, we always recommend you create customer personas.  

1. Consideration 

In this phase, customers are exploring their options and are seeking information to help make an informed decision. It’s important to stand out, which you can do in a few ways: 

• Be recognisable: Ensure your brand is clear, consistent, and instantly credible. 

• Tell a story: Use storytelling to communicate your values, so customers feel connected to your brand beyond just the product. 

• Be clear: Make sure your messaging is clear, provide pricing and product breakdowns, highlight any offers, and make it easy to find more information if needed.  

2. Evaluation 

Now, it’s all about comparison. In this phase customers are weighing your offering against others and it’s important to lower competitive risk. You can make this smooth by adopting the following: 

• Provide transparent, easy-to-digest information to help customers make confident decisions. 

• Highlight USP’s (Unique Selling Points) What makes your offering better than what else is on the market? 

• Keep your brand front and centre with clear, consistent messaging that reassures and builds trust. 

3. Purchase 

Here’s where many marketers focus their efforts, but don’t let the “buy” button distract you from what matters most: customer trust. Think beyond the sale and remember that a smooth purchase process builds the foundation for long-term loyalty. 

Make sure the purchasing process is easy, post-purchase emails are timely and don’t let the journey end here!

4. Advocacy & Retention 

The journey doesn’t end with the sale — it starts a new chapter. Loyal customers are your best advocates, and their repeat business is invaluable. Just because they have purchased from you once, what happens after it was keeps them coming back, which you can ensure by doing the following: 

• Keep customers engaged with personalised follow-ups, exclusive offers, and excellent post-sale support. 

• Happy customers who trust your brand are more likely to recommend you to others, ask for reviews or testimonials to add to your consideration phase. 

• Use AI tools to remember purchasing behaviours and preferences, making the next time they interact with you a more seamless experience, so they never have to ‘start over’.  

The Takeaway 

CX isn’t just about closing deals. It’s about creating meaningful connections at every stage of the journey — and keeping those connections alive. When you prioritise CX, you’re not just meeting expectations; you’re building trust, loyalty, and long-term value for your brand. 

Want to make your CX unforgettable? Start by looking at your journey through your customer’s eyes. From there, create experiences that don’t just work but wow.