If you’ve ever tried to map your customer journey and thought, “Why does this look like a treasure map drawn by a toddler?” Congratulations, you’re normal.

Most businesses believe their customer journey is a clean, straight line:

See ad → Click → Buy → Fall in love → Become loyal forever.

In reality?

See ad → Get distracted → Forget ad → See competitor → Come back → Stalk website → Abandon cart → Come back again → Buy → Never hear from the brand again.

Chaotic. Messy. Very human. Most businesses don’t have a sales problem. They have a customer journey problem.

And the good news? You can identify where your business is leaking thousands of dollars in just 10 minutes.

No consultants. No spreadsheets. No overthinking.

Let’s do it.

Why a 10‑Minute Customer Journey Audit Matters

Think of your customer journey like a garden hose. You can crank the tap (ads, promotions, discounts) as hard as you like but if the hose is cracked, money sprays everywhere except where you want it.

That’s what’s happening in most businesses.

They spend more on marketing, hire more staff, push more sales… while the leaks stay exactly where they are. A customer journey audit fixes the relationship and not just the revenue.

And yes, I’m about to compare this to dating.

If someone ghosts you after the first date, the problem wasn’t the restaurant. It was the experience. Customers behave exactly the same way.

Set Your Timer: The 10 Minute Audit Framework

This audit works because it’s quick, brutally honest, and slightly uncomfortable like those makeover shows where someone’s entire wardrobe gets judged in under 30 seconds.

Five stages. Two minutes each.

1. Awareness – Do People Even Know You Exist?

If someone Googles what you sell, do you actually show up? And when they land on your website, does it instantly say:

Who you help

What you do

Why you’re different

Or does it say… a whole lot of nothing?

Most businesses treat awareness like a party where they stand in the corner whispering, “Hope someone notices me.” No. Get the metaphorical glitter jacket on and get on the dance floor.

If your homepage messaging isn’t crystal clear in five seconds, your marketing budget is being emotionally wasted.

2. Consideration – Why Should They Choose You?

This is where customers compare you to everyone else.

And if your answer to “Why us?” is vague, generic or hidden three clicks deep, you lose.

Consideration is the “read the reviews before booking the hotel” stage. No one chooses the hotel described as “fine, I guess.”

Ask yourself:

• Is our point of difference obvious?

• Do we use reviews, testimonials, and social proof properly?

• Is pricing clear or mysteriously hidden like a secret menu?

The business that explains things best usually wins — not the one that’s actually better.

3. Purchase – How Easy Is It to Give You Money?

This is where many businesses accidentally sabotage themselves. Too many clicks. Too many forms. Too many questions. If buying from you feels like proposing marriage but first solving a Rubik’s Cube, customers will walk.

Check:

• Your checkout or booking flow

• Mobile experience (yes, actually test it)

• Abandoned carts or incomplete enquiries
  

If customers are abandoning at this stage, it’s not them, it’s you.

4. Experience – Does Reality Match the Promise?

This is the most forgotten stage in marketing. If your marketing says premium, but the experience feels like a garage sale, customers feel cheated.

And cheated customers don’t come back.

This is especially critical for:

• Franchises

• Multi‑location businesses

• Corporate brands with multiple teams
  

One inconsistent experience can undo millions in brand equity. Mystery shop your own business. Train your teams. Standardise what “good” actually looks like.

Consistency isn’t boring, it’s profitable.

5. Retention – The Goldmine Most Businesses Ignore

Here’s where the real money lives. Most businesses chase new customers like it’s a sprint — while retention is the marathon that quietly pays the bills.

Ask yourself:

• Do we communicate after purchase?

• Do customers feel remembered or forgotten?

• Are we providing value, not just promotions?
  

Ghosting customers after they buy is the business equivalent of a bad Tinder date.

Set up email or SMS automations. Create loyalty programs. Run “We Miss You” campaigns.

Retention isn’t glamorous but it’s powerful.

The Patterns I See Every Time

After auditing hundreds of brands, the same issues show up again and again:

• Unclear messaging

• Confusing websites

• Inconsistent customer experience

• No follow up

• Zero retention strategy

• Locations doing their own thing like rebellious teenagers
  

Fix these, and revenue jumps fast.

Final Thought for CEOs, Franchisors & Corporate Leaders

A customer journey audit doesn’t need weeks of meetings.

It takes 10 minutes, honesty, and the courage to admit what’s not working.

Once you see the gaps, fixing them becomes the fastest way to:

• Increase revenue

• Improve customer loyalty

• Get better reviews

• Stop bleeding money silently
  

Because marketing isn’t about shouting louder. It’s about making the journey smoother.

And if you want help auditing your customer journey, our team at The Marketing Factory can do it with you or for you. Just don’t ignore the cracks in the hose and wonder why the garden won’t grow.

Loved this 10-minute audit sneak peek? Watch the full episode on YouTube and get all the insights, tips, and step-by-step strategies to stop your business losing thousands.