The Customer Journey: Lifecycle Stages Explained & Using HubSpot CRM (9 Min) [Video]

Understanding your customer lifecycle is key. This guide will walk you through setting up lifecycle stages, a crucial tool for understanding and nurturing your leads. We’ll also show you how to implement these stages using HubSpot’s FREE CRM to nurture leads, close deals, and keep your customers happy.

The customer lifecycle represents the different stages a customer goes through, from initial awareness of your brand to becoming a loyal advocate. HubSpot offers default lifecycle stages including:
– Subscriber: Someone who has shown interest by signing up for your email list or downloading content.
– Lead: A qualified prospect who has expressed interest in your product or service.
– Marketing Qualified Lead (MQL): A lead who has been deemed sales-ready based on marketing criteria.
– Sales Qualified Lead (SQL): A lead who has been qualified by sales as ready for a sales conversation.
– Customer: Someone who has purchased your product or service.

Steps to Set Up Lifecycle Stages in HubSpot Free CRM:
1. Navigate to Settings: In your HubSpot dashboard, click the settings gear icon in the top right corner.
2. Select “Objects”: In the left-hand sidebar menu, choose “Objects.”
3. Choose “Contacts” or “Companies”: Select “Contacts” if you manage individual relationships, or “Companies” if you focus on business accounts.
4. Click “Lifecycle Stage”: Find the “Lifecycle Stage” tab within the chosen section.
5. Customize Stages (Optional): While HubSpot offers default stages, you can customize them by clicking “Add stage” and entering a new name.
6. Edit Stage Definitions (Optional): Click the pencil icon next to a stage to edit its definition for internal clarity.

Once you’ve set up your stages, leverage them to create targeted marketing campaigns:
– Nurture Leads: Segment your contacts by lifecycle stage and send relevant content based on their needs. For example, send educational content to subscribers and more sales-oriented content to MQLs.
– Track Progress: Monitor how contacts move through the funnel by analyzing their lifecycle stage data. Identify any bottlenecks and optimize your marketing efforts accordingly.
– Measure ROI: Track the effectiveness of your marketing campaigns by correlating them with lifecycle stage progression.

Even with the free version, you can leverage lifecycle stages to:
– Create basic email sequences based on lifecycle stage.
– Track contact interactions and update their lifecycle stage accordingly.
– Generate reports to visualize your customer journey and identify areas for improvement.

By implementing lifecycle stages, you’ll gain a deeper understanding of your customer journey. This empowers you to nurture leads with targeted marketing, ultimately boosting sales and building stronger customer relationships.

Want to learn more about using HubSpot for your business? Check out our website for free resources and tutorials! https://www.witmergroup.com/hubspot-onboarding-services/