Why Most Customer Journeys Are Designed Backward—And How to Fix It

Most businesses approach the customer journey like assembling IKEA furniture without the manual. They start with what they want the customer to do (buy something) and then work backward, layering on steps they think will lead to that outcome. The problem? That’s not how customers actually move through decisions. If your website, marketing funnel, or […]

Most businesses approach the customer journey like assembling IKEA furniture without the manual. They start with what they want the customer to do (buy something) and then work backward, layering on steps they think will lead to that outcome. The problem? That’s not how customers actually move through decisions.

If your website, marketing funnel, or user experience feels clunky, confusing, or underwhelming, chances are you’ve designed it backward. Instead of seeing the process from the customer’s perspective, you’ve made it about what your business wants. Let’s break down how to fix that.

The Problem: Designing for You, Not for Them

Businesses often fall into the trap of designing customer journeys with internal goals as the priority. Common mistakes include:

• Assuming customers think linearly. People don’t move neatly from awareness to purchase. They loop, hesitate, compare, and second-guess. A rigid funnel ignores this reality.
  
• Forgetting context. A B2B buyer isn’t scrolling LinkedIn at 11 p.m. the same way an online shopper might browse Instagram. Different users need different entry points.
  
• Overcomplicating the process. Too many steps, unnecessary fields, and confusing UX create friction that kills conversions.
  

How to Fix It: Reverse Engineering the Experience

Instead of guessing how customers should move through your sales or marketing funnel, use research-backed approaches to map the journey correctly.

1. Map the Actual Journey, Not the Ideal One

Most businesses create an idealized version of how customers move through their funnel—but reality rarely matches theory. The fix? Gather real data.

• Use heatmaps and session recordings (via Hotjar, Crazy Egg, etc.) to see how people interact with your site.
  
• Conduct customer interviews and analyze chat logs for friction points.
  
• Track multi-touch attribution to see what paths real customers take before converting.
  

Example: Airbnb initially thought users wanted to book immediately. Turns out, they wanted to browse extensively first. By adding a wishlist feature, Airbnb aligned with actual behavior instead of forcing an unnatural path.

2. Remove Friction, Add Momentum

Friction points create unnecessary roadblocks. Ask yourself: What is preventing the customer from moving forward?

• Simplify checkout and sign-up flows. (Shorter forms = higher conversions.)
  
• Use progress indicators to reduce drop-off rates.
  
• Offer “micro-commitments” (e.g., free trials, interactive tools) to move hesitant users forward.
  

A/B test everything. Even something as small as changing a CTA from “Sign Up” to “Get Started” can impact conversions. Slack famously removed a mandatory sign-up form and instead let users try the product first, leading to explosive growth.

3. Optimize for How People Make Decisions

People don’t make logical, perfectly informed decisions—they make emotional ones backed by just enough logic to feel confident. Your design should support this process.

• Use social proof (testimonials, case studies, user reviews) at key decision points.
  
• Highlight loss aversion (e.g., “Limited spots available” or “Prices go up soon”).
  
• Reduce cognitive load by giving fewer choices upfront. (Too many options = decision paralysis.)
  
• Make room for education & user learning- sometimes their focus is researching their options before decision making.
  

4. Create Multiple Entry Points

Not all customers enter the journey at the same place. Some are problem-aware, others aren’t even looking. Your content and UX should accommodate different starting points:

• Blog posts and SEO for those in research mode.
  
• Product demos and free trials for those closer to a decision.
  
• Retargeting ads and email sequences for those who bounced but showed interest.
  

Example: HubSpot realized not all visitors were ready to buy. By offering multiple free tools (like a website grader and CRM), they captured leads at different stages and nurtured them over time.

5. Test, Iterate, and Adapt

Your customer journey isn’t static. If you’re not constantly testing and optimizing, you’re falling behind.

• Run user testing sessions quarterly.
  
• Continuously A/B test headlines, buttons, and layouts.
  
• Keep an eye on behavioral analytics to catch new friction points.
  

Design for the Customer, Not the Funnel

 If your conversions are low or your user experience feels off, you may have built the journey backward. Flip the script: Start with real user behavior, design for natural decision-making, and remove unnecessary barriers. The best customer journeys feel intuitive because they mirror how people actually think and act—not how you wish they did.