A lifecycle is a good way to look at the way your business attracts and keeps customers.
Start with working out what your ideal customer looks like.
You probably have a good idea. Check that by looking at your accounts to see what sort of people pay you most / pay on time / stick around for longest.
Then work to define the absolute best possible customer (a customer persona). Is your ideal client a person or a company? An established firm or a start-up? A school-leaver, or someone nearing retirement?
Go into as much detail as you can, even if it feels a little silly.
- Where are they based?
- Where does their money come from – who are their clients / what is their job?
- What social media do they like to use?
- How do they like to get in touch to do business – phone / email / webform / messaging?
- What language appeals to them – formal or informal?
- What worries them – what is the problem your business can solve?
These start to indicate how best you can help them see that you have a solution that meets their needs.
Here’s a recent customer lifecycle example I created for an accountancy firm which specialises in musicians.
I suggested that they consider a young guitarist called Sam who has just left college and got their first contract playing jazz on Friday nights at their local pub. Sam uses Facebook to keep in touch with family, and Instagram and TikTok to promote themself.
The stages of Sam’s customer journey might look like this:
- Sam doesn’t know they need an accountant.
- Sam has realised they need an accountant, but doesn’t know where to look and is a bit nervous about the idea.
- Sam finds Company A and starts to think about questions.
- Sam decides Company A is the answer.
- Sam loves what A did for them, and tells all their friends.
For each of these stages, we should work out what to tell Sam, and where’s the best place to reach them.
For example:
- Doesn’t know: an article in a music college student magazine giving free advice on managing your money when you get your first gigs
- Doesn’t know where to look: a Facebook advert with testimonial from another guitarist
- Finds A and has questions: a helpful website, which Sam can find easily on Google, and a reassuring digital presence
- Decides Company A is the answer: A is easy for Sam to get in touch with and has a good onboarding process.
- Tells their friends: Company A suggests ways Sam can leave a review / share helpful advice with their friends.
I gave Company A advice on making their website easier to find, and make their digital presence more reassuring to new clients like Sam.