Touchpoint: Definition & Examples

What does “touchpoint” mean?

A touchpoint is any occasion when a person comes into contact with a brand, whether online or offline. This goes beyond simple advertising, as touchpoints can include a Google search result, the company’s own website, an email, a social media post, a review on a portal, a trade show booth, a phone call with sales, the packaging of a shipment, or a conversation with customer support.

Touchpoints can be broadly categorized into those before, during, and after a purchase. They underscore the fact that a purchasing decision is often not made after the very first contact. Instead, it is frequently the sum of various touchpoints that collectively shape the customer’s journey.

Where does the term “touchpoint” come from?

The concept of touchpoints originated in marketing and sales and gained significance with the idea of the customer journey—the path a customer takes through multiple stages.

With digitalization, the number of touchpoints has increased significantly. Digital channels have been added to traditional points of contact, making the process more complex but also allowing for better measurement of these numerous touchpoints.

Why are touchpoints important?

A purchasing decision does not hinge on a single interaction. It is therefore worthwhile to examine the interplay of all touchpoints with the customer and understand them as a whole. Is the message consistent? Is a touchpoint missing at any point? Does the journey break off somewhere?

Those who have an overview of their touchpoints can ensure that a consistent impression is created, which contributes to business success.

Benefits

Touchpoints reveal where contact with the customer occurs, where they are convinced, and where the journey breaks off.
Understanding touchpoints helps create a consistent impression across all channels.
You can specifically improve the points where potential customers are lost.

Challenges

Capturing and coordinating the complexity of many touchpoints is time-consuming, especially since offline and online channels interact but are rarely managed by a single team. It is also difficult to quantify the contribution of individual touchpoints to the final sale. And maintaining consistency across all touchpoints requires close coordination and aligned processes between marketing, sales, and customer service.

Example

A machinery manufacturer realizes that many prospects are convinced by the company through its website and trade show visits, but then drop off. An analysis reveals the gap: After submitting the form, no one gets back to them for days.

The company sets up a confirmation of receipt and a callback process. What was previously a weak touchpoint becomes a strength, and more inquiries can progress to sales conversations.