What is the Buyers Journey? The 3 Stages Explained

If you’re like most people, it’s likely there was an event that occurred before it happened. On a deeper level, it’s to encourage engagement (e.g. increase opens, clicks, etc.), segment new visitors by interest (and where they are on their journey), and increase top-of-mind awareness (TOMA). It’s important to mention here how you communicate with your prospects will vary depending on which stage of the buyer’s journey they’re in. Based on the content he’s engaged with thus far, he’s been compiling a hot-list of vendors he believes will be the best fit, not only from a solution perspective, but also from a company culture perspective. On the other hand, can you actively seek out positive messages from key influencers and reward people for their brand loyalty? Making sure this is easily accessible post-purchase can pay dividends – that means you shouldn’t hide the company phone number on the website just because it’s more convenient for you.

There are many different types of advertising available to businesses, including pay-per-click (PPC), Google Ads, search engine marketing and social media marketing. For example, half of all online purchases in the US are now made on mobile devices, but 75% of in-store shoppers are using their mobile device while in-store. The best CRM software offers a variety of lead nurturing tools for this exact step. By using an existing CRM cycle, businesses can leverage data analysis and performance monitoring to measure the effectiveness of their journey mapping. They’re online looking at reviews, available pricing information, support packages, and more.

Fueled by the largest breadth of first- and third-party data fed by 2.3 billion online interactions a year, Cox Automotive tailors leading solutions for car shoppers, auto manufacturers, dealers, lenders and fleets. When asked about their preference, 63% said an omnichannel approach would be ideal, compared to 28% who want “all online.” As vehicle buying requires multiple steps, the ideal process appears to be an omnichannel approach – a connected experience that blends online convenience with in-store interaction. I was able to complete most of it online, including getting a quicker approval.” That includes tailoring trial environments to real-world use cases, providing guided onboarding, defining success metrics and maintaining strong follow-up engagement after the trial ends.

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For B2B organizations evaluating where to allocate spend, this signals that competitors are likely investing more, not less. Demonstrate business value through messaging that speaks directly to their needs, industry context, and the outcomes they hope to achieve. At B2B Summit North America, taking place in Phoenix from April 26–29, 2026, Forrester’s analysts will share how AI-driven buyer autonomy is collapsing traditional go-to-market models, what this inflection point means for businesses, and how to thrive in a world where buyers control the journey. Although large buying groups may seem challenging, 94% of buyers with groups of six or more report clear benefits, including broader perspectives, shared effort in validating solutions, better ability to secure budget, and greater likelihood of approval. The typical buying decision now includes 13 internal stakeholders and nine external influencers, with that number rising for more complex or strategic purchases. Touchpoints can be online, like viewing your product reviews, or offline, like visiting your store.

Improve the buyer’s journey with real data.

People sometimes fall into the trap of listing requirements at stages of the journey (like well-known brand and competitive pricing), as opposed to touchpoints that shape the journey. Next, identify all of the touchpoints available to the buyer under each step of the journey. For each step identified in the path to purchase, it is important to identify the goal for the brand. Buyer journey mapping or customer journey mapping provides a simple and effective process to “walk in the buyer’s shoes” throughout the whole path to purchase, and to identify which touchpoints and interactions are the most critical to success. For example, the buyer that will be using the product may want to understand how the product compares to competitor offerings and so they may speak to industry peers or read expert reviews. Usually numerous stakeholders are involved—the roles of whom vary widely by industry vertical and size of organization.

Some identify the buyer’s journey with five stages instead of the three mentioned above. This could include an in-depth guide or an incentive, like a discount or free consultation. This last stage must convince the buyer that your company is the best. Now, you need to provide an incentive for them to make the right choice—your company. This stage should highlight your solution, how it meets their needs, and why it’s better than your competition. You must create unique buyer’s journey content, tailored to each stage to guide a prospect from discovery to purchase.

• These phases might include basic research into other people’s experiences with this problem and potential solutions.
• For renewals and add-on purchases, increasing efficiency and productivity are stronger drivers than they are for first-time buys, according to the report.
• “We identify a specific problem and come up with a list of requirements.
• Do you want to find out what motivates customers to buy from your company — or identify areas of improvement to boost conversions?
• The buyer’s journey is a framework that represents the path a buyer takes in researching, understanding and naming their problem, and identifying the product that will provide their solution.

For the purposes of our story, Gary has identified that the reason he is consistently plagued with data errors is because he does not have any automation built into his data quality process. He’s anxious to find high-level, educational content that will help him to more clearly identify both his actual problem as well as some initial requirements to address it. Gary is aware of his data problem and heads right to Google looking for some resolution. He knows that there’s a better way and tomorrow he has set aside a few hours to begin his research for a new option.

Understanding and optimizing the ecommerce customer journey helps businesses enhance engagement and increase conversions. “The process starts with one of my team members coming across a new tool, testing it out themselves, and then telling me about it (assuming it’s a freemium model). Buyers are 2.3× more likely to feel confident in a purchase when they interact with a rep. A hybrid model—where reps support digital tools—cuts buyer regret by half. Today, AI tools can rapidly synthesize market information, providing high-level comparisons and insights in seconds. Some companies also consult industry analysts and reports from Gartner and Forrester to identify potential vendors and gain insights into market leaders and emerging players.