A Master in the Making

A customer journey map is a visual representation of the steps a user takes when interacting with a product or service. It captures actions, thoughts, emotions, and touch points across different phases of the experience, helping businesses identify pain points and opportunities for improvement. They also provide a holistic view of the customer’s perspective, making it easier to design solutions that meet real needs.

For this blog, I have chosen to focus on the perfume buying journey. Perfume shopping is an incredibly personal process that often becomes complex because of the overwhelming number of options, varying price points, and the challenge of finding a scent that feels authentic.

By mapping this customer journey, I am able to have a stronger understanding of how each stage, from initial consideration to post-purchase reflection, can help brands create a more ideal and enjoyable experience for customers.

Persona and Scenario

The persona I developed for this journey is Ava Thompson, a 25-year-old marketing coordinator living in an urban city. Ava is stylish, social, and active on Instagram and TikTok, where she follows beauty influencers and lifestyle trends. Her goal is to find a signature scent that reflects her personality and makes a lasting impression in both professional and social settings.

However, Ava faces several challenges: she feels overwhelmed by the sheer number of fragrance options, worries about balancing quality with affordability, and hesitates to buy online without sampling first. These behaviors and pain points make her an ideal candidate for mapping the perfume-buying journey.

Stage 1: Consideration

The consideration stage is the starting point of Ava’s perfume-buying journey. At this point, she feels the least informed about fragrances and is unsure where to begin. Ava is motivated by her desire to find a signature scent that reflects her personality while staying mindful of her budget. She wants something that feels personal and high-quality without overspending.

However, she quickly becomes overwhelmed by the sheer number of options available. Her thoughts include “I want to find my signature scent” and “There are so many options, it’s overwhelming.”

During this phase, Ava begins gathering information and looking for inspiration. She talks with friends and family about their fragrance preferences and spends time watching YouTube and TikTok videos on trending perfumes.

Social media plays a significant role for Ava as she seeks recommendations from influencers and peers to help her narrow her choices. This stage is highly emotional. She feels curious and excited, but also confused and slightly stressed by the large number of options.

Ava’s main pain points at this stage include decision fatigue caused by too many choices and anxiety about balancing quality with affordability.

I have identified some opportunities to simplify this process, including:

Curated sample kits

Virtual consultations

Offering personalized fragrance quizzes

These are just some of the solutions I came up with to help guide customers toward options that fit their style and budget, reducing stress and building confidence early in the journey.

This leads into the second stage of the journey, where Ava begins to explore even further the different options available.

Stage 2: Exploring Options

In the exploration stage, Ava moves from curiosity to active browsing. She visits stores like Sephora and Ulta to smell samples and compare options. While she enjoys the experience, the sheer number of scents quickly becomes exhausting.

Her thoughts include “There are way too many scents, I’m not going to be able to test them all,” and “Why are these all so expensive?” After sampling multiple perfumes, Ava even experiences sensory fatigue, noting that “everything smells gross” after too many tests.

While sensory fatigue is another pain point in the perfume-buying process, it is an issue many retailers have already addressed. For example, Ulta stores often provide small coffee bean jars near their fragrance displays to help customers refresh their senses between testing different perfumes.

Small touches like the Ulta example I just mentioned help improve the in-store experience, but many customers still find the process overwhelming and time-consuming. Even with tools to reduce sensory fatigue, shoppers often struggle to stay focused and confident in their choices while navigating so many options.

Despite these challenges, Ava and many other similar customers seek a scent that feels personal and worth the investment, which keeps them motivated to continue exploring.

Stage 3: Trial and error

1. Why are students submitting late? → Because they miss the deadlines.
2. Why do they miss the deadlines? → Because they are confused about when assignments are due.
3. Why are they confused about the due dates? → Because the platform does not send clear reminders.
4. Why does the platform fail to send reminders? → Because the notification system is not set up for each course properly.
5. Why is the system not set up correctly? → Because instructors are not trained on how to manage notifications.
6. Recognizing these similarities was a key insight. It showed me that while each persona highlights unique goals, they also reveal shared needs that can guide design decisions. Understanding these patterns makes it easier to create solutions that serve multiple users at once instead of designing for one specific type of user.

At this stage, Ava begins testing perfumes more intentionally. She uses free samples and wears them for a few days to see how they interact with her skin and lifestyle. Her thoughts include “I don’t want to fully commit to one perfume until I wear it a few times” and “I know which scents I like, but I’m still not sure which one to buy.”

If you’ve ever been a fan of beauty or cosmetic products, you’ve likely received a free sample at some point. In the perfume industry, sampling plays a significant role. Whether it’s a scented magazine insert or a tiny tester tucked into a shopping bag, perfume brands rely on these introductions to give customers a first impression of the scent and spark interest in a potential purchase. This creates a valuable opportunity for brands to connect with customers like Ava, who may be discovering their products for the first time.

The pain points here include uncertainty about long-term satisfaction and fear of making the wrong purchase. Brands can improve this stage by offering trial-size bottles, subscription sample boxes, and virtual scent-matching tools. These are some solutions that would allow customers to test perfumes in real-life settings and feel more confident before committing to a full-size purchase.

Stage 4: Selection and Purchase

After testing and researching, Ava finally decides on a perfume that feels right for her. She purchases online for convenience since she has already sampled the perfumes in person, and watches unboxing videos to confirm her choice.

While this stage often comes with uncertainty around the decision, price, and value, these are the main pain points for customers.

Retailers can and have addressed these challenges by offering flexible return policies, loyalty rewards, and personalized recommendations for complementary products. These strategies help build confidence and reduce the likelihood of buyer’s remorse.

Stage 5: Product use & Selection

This is the stage where Ava begins using the product and reflecting on her final decision. As she starts wearing the perfume, her attention shifts to how it fits into her daily routine and how others respond to it. She hopes it smells just as good on her skin as it did in the store and that people notice it without it being too strong.

Some challenges at this stage include not knowing how long the scent will last and a need for reassurance through compliments. Brands can connect with customers after purchase by sending follow-up emails, sharing tips for layering scents, and offering loyalty programs that encourage repeat purchases or the exploration of new fragrances. These efforts help keep customers happy and build brand loyalty, which is so important in a market where customers can easily switch fragrances.

Conclusion:

Journey mapping Ava’s perfume-buying experience highlights how complex and emotional this process can be. By identifying pain points and opportunities at each stage, brands can create solutions that simplify decisions, reduce stress, and enhance customer satisfaction. As Paul Boag explains in his article “All You Need To Know About Customer Journey Mapping,” journey maps are not just diagrams; they are tools for empathy and better design. They help companies see the experience through the customer’s eyes, which is essential for creating meaningful improvements.

Below is the customer journey map for Ava, showing each stage of the process along with her actions, thoughts, and emotions at every step. Take a closer look to see how understanding her experience can inspire better design and customer engagement.