Customer Journey

See how your customers really shop โ€“ and what influences their choices.

The customer journey is not a straight line, but a dynamic network of interactions. A Customer Journey study using an online forum helps you understand which touchpoints strengthen the brand and which lead to customer churn, enabling you to make more informed business decisions.

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We conducted that many thousands of quantitative interviews in 2024

Simple sales funnels are a thing of the past

We map your customersโ€™ actual shopping journeys

Todayโ€™s consumer is online 24/7, browsing offers on their smartphone, comparing prices in a high street shop, adding items to their online basket, but buying in-store โ€“ and sometimes the other way round. Traditional research methods such as focus groups fail to capture this complexity, because they ask โ€˜what would you doโ€™ rather than observing โ€˜what you doโ€™.

That is why, for years, we have been using an online forum where we accompany customers for a few days or weeks, tracking their day-to-day decisions: from the initial inspiration through to the purchase and evaluation of their experience. We collect photos, screenshots, comments and reactions in real time.

The result is a comprehensive map of touchpoints showing where the brand is succeeding and where it is falling short โ€“ complete with clear recommendations that shorten the path from โ€˜I wantโ€™ to โ€˜Iโ€™m buyingโ€™.

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The problems that Customer Journey solves

When is the customer journey the best approach?

โ€œI donโ€™t know at which stage Iโ€™m losing customersโ€

The Customer Journey identifies the points at which users abandon their purchase. It also highlights the specific factors that prevent them from progressing to the next stage.

“My marketing efforts aren’t translating into customer decisions”

CJ reveals which touchpoints actually influence brand choice. This makes it easier to invest in channels that deliver tangible results.

โ€œCustomers say one thing but do anotherโ€

Traditional surveys often fail to reflect actual behaviour. The Customer Journey is based on observing real-world actions, which provides a reliable picture of the purchasing process.

โ€œI donโ€™t know what customers feel and think when theyโ€™re making a decisionโ€

Decisions are largely emotional. CJ helps to identify the concerns, needs and motivations that drive those choices.

โ€œMy offer or communication is unclear to customersโ€

Information that is too complex makes it difficult to make a decision. The Customer Journey highlights which elements of the offering and communication need to be simplified or strengthened.

โ€œDifferent customers shop in completely different ways, and I donโ€™t know how to reconcile thatโ€

Different customer segments have different journeys and needs. CJ enables you to map these and design experiences tailored to each group.

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The Customer Journey provides insights that cannot be gained by any other means: it reveals customersโ€™ actual behaviour, rather than what they say they do. Brands that invest in understanding this journey are quicker to remove barriers and grow faster.

“If you want to see what your customers’ decision-making process really looks like, let’s talk about the customer journey for your brand.”

Agnieszka Gรณrnicka, Managing Director of Inquiry Ltd.

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ABOUT US

Who are we?

Inquiry is a full-service research agency operating in Poland and on international markets. For over 20 years, we have been helping brands make the right decisions by providing reliable insights from quantitative and qualitative research. We specialise in consumer analysis, purchase journeys and research for the retail sector. We believe that it is not data that shapes the future, but understanding it.

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WHAT MAKES INQUIRy STAND OUT

What is it like to work with us?

understanding

Decisions over reports

Data is only useful if it leads to action. Thatโ€™s why, instead of endless spreadsheets, you get the answers youโ€™re looking for.

cooperation

A team that thinks alongside you

From our very first meeting, we focus on the decision you intend to make. We select methods and questions designed to guide you, step by step, towards achieving your goals.

comprehensive

Local insight, a broad perspective

We are a member of the international Ebeltof Group, which gives us access to the latest insights into global trends, which we then put to use for our clients.

How can we help you?

Quantitative and qualitative research

Research conducted abroad

Who is it for?

Creating innovation

Innovation Groups

Who is it for?

Omnibus Tracking

TrackLiteTM

Who is it for?

Price Perception Survey

PriceVisionTM

Who is it for?
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Discover our projects

See all case studies

SHOP

Our reports

Visit the shop
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FAQ

Answers to frequently asked questions

What market research does Inquiry offer, and which of these methods work best for optimising the customer journey?

Inquiry offers a full range of research services: qualitative, quantitative, tracking, pricing, as well as exploratory and go-to-market research.
When it comes to optimising the customer journey, the most effective methods are Customer Journey, online forums, shopping diaries, and TrackLITEยฎ, which allows you to monitor the effects of changes over time. These methods complement one another, providing a comprehensive picture of behaviour, emotions and the effects of communication in real-world conditions.

What is the Customer Journey, and how does Inquiry apply this approach in consumer research?

The Customer Journey is an analysis of actual customer behaviour: all the steps, touchpoints, comparisons, decisions and barriers that lead (or do not lead) to a purchase.
At Inquiry, we carry out this process mainly through an online forum and ethnographic diaries, in which we accompany consumers in their natural activities for several days or weeks. Participants document their choices with photos, screenshots and comments, and the research team analyses the entire journey, creating a map of touchpoints and recommendations for improvement.

What benefits does Inquiryโ€™s customer journey analysis offer businesses?

A Customer Journey analysis helps you understand where the brand is actually losing customers, and which elements of the journey work in its favour. It reveals motivations, barriers and emotions that are invisible in traditional research, and highlights areas that are worth simplifying, improving or strengthening.
The result is a concrete action plan that increases conversion, improves the customer experience and allows for smarter investment in communication and sales channels.

Which research methods are most effective for analysing consumer behaviour that combines online and offline activities?

When analysing customer journeys that blend online and offline experiences, the most effective methods are those that allow behaviour to be observed in a natural context. The most effective combination is:
โ€ข Customer Journey โ€“ maps the entire process across channels,
โ€ข online forums / digital ethnography โ€“ showing real behaviour step by step,
โ€ข shopping diaries โ€“ capturing micro-decisions and touchpoints that customers do not recall in interviews,
โ€ข TrackLITEยฎ โ€“ monitors changes following the implementation of new measures,
โ€ข UX/conversion research โ€“ complements the picture by showing what happens on the website or in the app.

Together, they provide a complete perspective on how customers actually buy, rather than how they claim to buy.