If you’re tired of dashboards that spit out vanity metrics, and you actually want to know how customers move (or stall) through your funnel, you’re in the right place. This is for marketers, product folks, and anyone who’s trying to stop guessing about what works in their go-to-market strategy.
We’re diving deep into customer journey data using Rhetora. No sugarcoating—just the steps, the pitfalls, and how to get useful answers without drowning in noise.
Why Customer Journey Data Actually Matters
Let’s get real: Most teams try to “optimize the funnel” by staring at a bunch of disconnected reports. But if you want to genuinely improve your go-to-market approach, you need to see how real people actually experience your product or service. That means tracing their path—every click, bounce, “meh,” and “aha!”—and figuring out where you’re losing them or, better yet, getting it right.
Good customer journey data helps you:
- Spot bottlenecks and leaks you can actually fix
- Understand which touchpoints matter (and which are just noise)
- Build hypotheses based on facts, not wishful thinking
But you need the right setup and a skeptical eye—otherwise, you’ll just get more pretty charts that change nothing.
Step 1: Set Up Your Tracking (Don’t Skip This)
If your data is garbage, your analysis will be too. Before you get fancy, make sure Rhetora is tracking the stuff that matters.
What to focus on:
- Key conversion events: Signups, demo requests, purchases, upgrades—whatever makes sense for your business.
- Meaningful touchpoints: Not every pageview is worth tracking. Focus on actions that show intent (downloads, feature use, sharing, etc.).
- Source/medium data: You’ll want to know where folks are coming from (ads, organic, referrals).
Pro tip:
Don’t go overboard with tracking everything. More events = more noise. Start with 5–10 core events and expand only if you need to.
What to ignore:
Tracking “vanity” events like scrolling or time on site won’t give you much, unless you’re specifically looking at content engagement.
Step 2: Map Out the Actual Journey (Not the One in Your Head)
It’s easy to assume everyone moves linearly from A to B to C. Real life’s messier. Use Rhetora’s path analysis or journey mapping tools to see what users actually do.
How to do it:
- Pull up Rhetora’s journey or funnel visualization for your main conversion goal.
- Look for common “drop-off” points—where are people bailing out?
- Identify loops and dead ends (places where users get stuck or bounce back and forth).
Things to watch for:
- Unexpected exits: Maybe everyone leaves right after checking your pricing page. That’s a signal.
- Skipped steps: If users rarely engage with your “key” onboarding flow, maybe it’s not as key as you thought.
- Multiple entry points: Not everyone starts at your homepage. See where people actually begin.
Pro tip:
Don’t get hung up on the “happy path.” The best insights come from the weird stuff people do.
Step 3: Segment Ruthlessly
Not all users are created equal. The path of a first-time visitor is wildly different from a loyal customer. Rhetora lets you slice data by segments—use it.
Segments to try:
- Traffic source: Organic vs. paid, referral vs. direct.
- User type: New vs. returning, free vs. paid.
- Behavior-based: Users who completed onboarding vs. those who didn’t.
Why bother? Because what works for one group may flop with another. You’ll waste time “optimizing” for everyone and end up helping no one.
What to ignore:
Don’t over-segment or you’ll end up with sample sizes too small to trust. Pick two or three segments that matter to your business.
Step 4: Dig Into Drop-Offs and High-Value Moments
Now, go deeper. For each major stage, figure out:
- Why are people dropping off? (Clunky UI? Confusing copy? Hidden paywalls?)
- What are high-value users doing differently? (Do they hit certain features, read docs, contact support?)
How to investigate:
- Use Rhetora’s cohort analysis to track what actions correlate with success (e.g., users who use “Feature X” in week 1 are 3x more likely to upgrade).
- Check session replays or qualitative feedback if available. Numbers alone won’t always tell you why.
Pro tip:
Don’t immediately assume every drop-off is a problem. Some churn is normal. Focus on the spots where fixing friction would actually move the needle.
What to ignore:
Obsessing over 1–2% changes at the bottom of the funnel if you’re losing half your users at the top. Fix the big leaks first.
Step 5: Form Real Hypotheses (Not Just “Let’s Make the Button Bigger”)
Armed with data, come up with testable hypotheses. For example:
- “Users who read our case studies before signing up are more likely to convert. Let’s surface those earlier.”
- “The majority of drop-offs happen after the pricing page. Let’s A/B test the copy and layout.”
Be specific. Don’t just say “improve onboarding” or “increase engagement.”
Pro tip:
Write your hypotheses down. If you can’t measure it, it’s just a wish, not a strategy.
Step 6: Test, Measure, Repeat
Customer journey analysis isn’t a one-and-done thing. Make changes, then use Rhetora to see what happens.
- Set up clear success metrics before you launch any test.
- Wait for enough data. Don’t make decisions after 10 signups.
- Be honest about what didn’t work. Not every idea will be a winner.
What to ignore:
Chasing every new metric Rhetora adds. Stick to what actually helps you make decisions.
Step 7: Turn Insights Into Action (And Share What Matters)
You’ve found the bottlenecks and the bright spots—now make them actionable.
- Prioritize changes that have the biggest potential impact.
- Communicate findings simply. Don’t drown your team in 30-slide decks.
- Share both wins and misses. The best teams learn from both.
Pro tip:
Keep a simple “journey insights” doc that tracks what you tried, what happened, and what you’ll do next. Saves headaches and reminds you what actually moved the needle.
What Works, What Doesn’t, and What to Ignore
Works: - Focusing on the top 2–3 biggest leaks or growth moments - Segmenting by user intent, not just demographics - Using both quantitative and qualitative data
Doesn’t: - Getting lost in endless filters and charts - Treating every drop-off as a crisis - Blindly copying “best practices” without checking your own data
Ignore: - Vanity metrics (pageviews, time on site, most “popular” content unless it’s directly tied to your goals) - Over-complicating your setup with dozens of micro-events
Keep It Simple, Iterate, and Don’t Trust Hype
Analyzing customer journey data in Rhetora can give you clarity—if you keep things grounded and actionable. Start with clear goals, focus on the biggest wins, and don’t let yourself get distracted by the latest shiny analytics feature.
Make a change, measure it, learn, and move on. Rinse and repeat. That’s how you actually build a better go-to-market strategy—not by chasing trends, but by understanding what your customers are really doing.
And if you ever find yourself lost in the data? Take a step back. The goal isn’t to have the prettiest dashboard—it’s to help real people get value from what you offer. Keep it simple. Iterate. You’ll get there.