How to Use Customer Insights to Improve Conversions at Every Stage of the Journey

January 26, 2026

Ever launched a campaign that felt spot on, only to watch it fall flat? Chances are, you were selling a product. Not solving a problem.

I see this daily, especially from those that are yet to understand the power of using insights. The most informed marketers don’t start with features. They start with pain points.

‍

Here’s how to use insight to improve conversion at every stage of your customer journey—with examples from the teams doing it right.

‍

1. Discovery: Speak to their struggles

Before your customer even knows they need you, they’re grappling with a problem. Your job is to understand that problem better than they do.

‍

What to ask:

‍

What are you struggling with?
What have you tried before—and why didn’t it work?
What’s stopping you from trying something new?

Real-life example:

‍
At Koru Kids, the team noticed a demand problem: they couldn’t recruit enough older nannies, despite high demand. They ran deep 1:1 conversations and learned these women weren’t motivated by money—they wanted to feel needed. The insight? “You’re needed.” That simple emotional message boosted conversions by 281%—not clicks, conversions.

‍

What to do:

‍

Swap feature-first messaging for emotion-first copy.
Try headlines like: “Now you can feel valued while working with children” instead of “Flexible part-time nanny work available.”
Use tools like The Mom Test to frame better interview questions.

2. Research: Show up where it matters

Once they feel the pain, your customers start looking. But not necessarily for you. For answers. For ideas. For a better way.

‍

What to ask:

‍

Where do you go to find solutions?
What convinced you a better option existed?
What would make you say “This is exactly what I’ve been looking for”?

What to do:

‍

Research the keywords and phrases customers are actually using—not what your team thinks they say.
Partner with the podcasts, newsletters, and communities they already trust.
Add language that reassures ("You don’t need to be an SEO pro to rank on Google”) as seen in the ad examples from the deck.

3. Comparison: reduce friction, build trust

Now your customer is comparing you to competitors—or simply wondering if they need to change at all.

‍

What to ask:

‍

What almost stopped you from signing up?
What else did you consider?
What convinced you in the end?

What to do:

‍

Add testimonials that speak to emotional wins, not just business ones.
A/B test landing pages that focus on life outcomes. E.g., “Ace your driving test in 10 mins a day” vs. “UK Driving Theory App.”
Include social proof that mirrors the customer’s situation.

4. Commitment: Remove Friction and Celebrate Progress

At the final stage, you’re helping them follow through—whether that’s a purchase, onboarding, or continued use.

‍

What to ask:

‍

What made you take the final step?
What helped you feel confident in your choice?
What’s been most helpful so far?

Real-life example:

‍
One of our clients noticed a major onboarding drop-off. By speaking with users, we learned the friction point was fear—people didn’t understand what they were signing up for.

‍

The fix: revamp the onboarding flow with messaging like “Now you can…” to show immediate progress. Conversions to paid jumped 3x.

‍

What to do:

‍

Update onboarding screens to focus on desired outcomes.
Send milestone check-ins like “You’ve just unlocked your first win.”
If someone cancels, don’t just ask why, they might not know. Ask: What was missing? What would have made you stay?

Turning insight into action

Here’s our process for turning interviews into conversions:

‍

Step 1: Prioritise and Categorise
Use the Jobs to Be Done framework to tag insights by struggle, trigger, anxiety, and desired outcome.

‍

Step 2: Map It to the Journey
Don’t dump insights in a spreadsheet. Align them with the four key stages: Discovery → Research → Comparison → Commitment.

‍

Step 3: Test and Measure
Run A/B tests on ads and landing pages, create lead magnets tied to emotional struggles, and revisit your onboarding flow to highlight progress, not features.