What is a Journey Map and Why is it Important?
Journey Maps are narrative stories of your users that allow you to see how a customer may have a need for your product, how they would come across your product, and how your product can benefit them. Creating these maps lets us see where we may have flaws or gaps in our marketing strategy or use-case scenarios. Having a real and relatable customer story allows us to come up with the most logical solutions for our problems.
Most journey maps follow a pretty similar pattern, but there are key differences when creating journey maps for a B2B (business to business) product vs. a B2C (business to consumer) product.
B2B Products
These are products that are designed to be purchased by businesses or specifically for professional purposes. Examples of these are payment processing software, CRMs, office equipment, or even product development storyboarding programs *wink* *wink*.
B2C Products
These are products that are designed to be purchased by consumers for their own personal (explicitly not professional) benefit. Some examples of B2C products are movie/TV streaming services, restaurants, or clothing.
B2B Journey Mapping
When creating a journey map for a B2B product, it's very important to recognize that your users and your buyers may not necessarily be the same people and because of that, they may have very different motivations. When dealing with a business, note the different key players in the B2B journey map. Generally, a manager or someone with purchasing power will be looking for ways to improve the performance of their team. The manager will research products that will help team performance and productivity and will then purchase whichever product appears best. The product is then passed along to an implementer. If it's software, this is generally IT, if it's hardware or something else, the implementer can vary. Lastly, the product is presented to the end users and efficiency or productivity is monitored for improvements.
In the example above, HR Hailey's motivation is to increase employee moral, so she researches and finds a product. She then passes that product along to IT Ivan, who serves as the implementer, making sure the program is installed across company devices. Lastly, the end users engage with the product and company moral is increased. By noting every key player and their motivations in the B2B journey map, businesses are able to cater their marketing efforts and streamline user experience to maximize their conversion rate
B2C Journey Mapping
When creating a journey map for a B2C product the customer's journey has to be centered around one key problem that they are experiencing, their journey for how they aim to alleviate that problem, and the benefit they receive from the problem being alleviated. Unlike in B2B journey maps, your target audience, buyer, implementer, and end user are usually all the same person. Because of this, the product should have one simple and logical flow to guide users through introduction to engagement to purchase.
A B2C journey map that only needs to involve one key player can follow this general flow (as shown in the example above):
- Problem experienced
- Solution search
- Product discovery
- Product experienced
- Problem alleviated
- Beneficial outcome
When creating a B2C journey map, remember the same single user who walk through each of these steps and they must complete each one before moving to the next. By having a difficult to navigate UI or a confusing UX, you will lose a certain percentage of your users at each step during the journey. Make sure to maximize your conversion rate by carefully working through each of the six steps shown above and creating journey maps for every possible choice the user can make.
3 Key Differences Between B2B and B2C Journey Maps
1
B2B journey maps have multiple key characters. B2C journey maps only have one.
2
B2B journey maps have multiple problems within one key problem your product needs to solve for. B2C only focuses on one main problem.
3
B2B journey maps have multiple user flows and each flow can be catered towards each character. B2C maps need to have one streamlined flow for a single user.
Templates
How Tos about B2B vs. B2C Customer Journey Mapping
How can I help students create their own journey maps in class?
Introduce the concept by sharing real-world examples and explaining the purpose.
Students learn best when they can relate new ideas to their own experiences.
Guide students to choose a scenario meaningful to them.
Encourage students to pick a school-related challenge or decision.
Personal relevance boosts engagement and deeper understanding.
Break down the journey into clear, step-by-step stages.
Model how to list each step from problem to solution.
Visualizing the process helps students see connections and patterns.
Use graphic organizers for visual mapping.
Provide templates or blank charts for students to fill in.
Visual aids make abstract concepts concrete and accessible.
Facilitate sharing and reflection on completed maps.
Invite students to present their maps and discuss insights.
Reflection encourages critical thinking and collaborative learning.
Frequently Asked Questions about B2B vs. B2C Customer Journey Mapping
What is a journey map in business, and why is it important?
A journey map is a narrative tool that visualizes the steps a user takes when interacting with a product or service. It helps businesses identify gaps, improve marketing strategies, and create solutions by understanding customer needs and experiences.
How do B2B and B2C journey maps differ?
B2B journey maps involve multiple key players and complex flows, while B2C journey maps focus on one user and a streamlined process. B2B maps address several problems, whereas B2C maps solve a single main issue.
What are the key steps in creating a B2C journey map?
The essential steps in a B2C journey map include identifying the problem, searching for solutions, discovering the product, experiencing the product, alleviating the problem, and achieving a beneficial outcome.
Why is it important to identify key players in a B2B journey map?
Recognizing key players in a B2B journey map ensures that marketing efforts and user experience are tailored for each role, maximizing conversion rates and solving distinct business needs effectively.
What common mistakes should be avoided when designing journey maps?
Avoid creating confusing user flows, neglecting different motivations, and overlooking steps in the journey. Ensure each stage is logical and addresses user pain points to prevent losing users and maximize conversion rates.
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