Customer journey framework

Nine gates. Fix the earliest one that fails.

Cited, Clicked, Chosen. Every customer passes through nine gates. Fixing a later gate while an earlier one fails is money spent in the wrong place.

Get your Nine Gates score

The journey

Each gate, with an example for both doors.

01 · CitedDiscoverabilityShowing up in Google, AI answers and marketplaces when buyers search.

I sell onlineAI shopping answers list a competitor for your best-selling category.

I get enquiries onlineAn AI tool recommends three rival clinics, not yours.

All nine gates

Three stages. Nine gates. One order.

Cited.Can they find you?

GATE 01

Discoverability

Showing up in Google, AI answers and marketplaces when buyers search.

I sell onlineAI shopping answers list a competitor for your best-selling category.

I get enquiries onlineAn AI tool recommends three rival clinics, not yours.

GATE 02

Findability

Search, menus and filters that get people to the right product or page fast.

I sell online"3/8 hex bolt" returns no results.

I get enquiries onlineThe pricing page is three clicks deep.

Clicked.Do they stay?

GATE 03

Relevance

The landing page matches what they searched for.

I sell onlineA search ad lands on the home page, not the category.

I get enquiries onlineA demo ad lands on a generic blog post.

GATE 04

Clarity

They understand what you offer, who it is for and what to do next.

I sell onlineSpecs are buried under marketing copy.

I get enquiries onlineThe service page never says who it is for.

GATE 05

Usability

Speed, mobile, navigation and forms that never get in the way.

I sell onlineFilters reset when you go back.

I get enquiries onlineThe booking form breaks on mobile.

Chosen.Do they buy, and come back?

GATE 06

Trust

Reviews, specs, policies and proof that remove doubt.

I sell onlineNo delivery date or returns policy near the button.

I get enquiries onlineAccreditations hidden in the footer.

GATE 07

Conversion

Checkout, quote, form, call or booking that works first time.

I sell onlineShipping cost appears only at the last step.

I get enquiries onlineThe form asks 20 questions before a call.

GATE 08

Assistance

Order updates, onboarding, enquiry follow-up and fast answers on calls, email, chat and WhatsApp.

I sell onlineOrder emails go out with no tracking link.

I get enquiries onlineOnboarding starts a week after signup.

GATE 09

Retention

Reorders, renewals and referrals.

I sell onlineNo quick reorder for repeat trade buyers.

I get enquiries onlineNo renewal reminder or referral ask.

Why it matters

Why buyers use it.

01One shared language for every team and agency

02Spend goes to the gate that actually fails

03Progress you can score and track monthly

90+ProjectsAdvanced CX Solutions Deployed Across Industries

100+CX JourneysCustomer Journeys Optimized for Seamless Engagement

$250M+Impact in RevenueOptimizing customer journeys for sustainable profitability.

In depth

Why the earliest gate matters most

The Nine Gates are the steps every buyer passes through online. Cited: discoverability and findability. Clicked: relevance, clarity and usability. Chosen: trust, conversion, assistance and retention.

Each gate can be measured, and each one caps the next. If buyers cannot discover you, nothing else matters. If they find you but cannot find the right product, a better checkout will not help.

That is why we always fix the earliest gate that fails. It gives the biggest lift for the effort and makes every later fix work harder.

A free AI scan gives you a first Nine Gate score. A DCX Audit measures every gate in depth and prices the leak at each one.

More ways to run

Explore 01Ways to workView Explore 02InsightsView

Also exploreSolutions

DCX Strategy and Transformation Conversion Rate Optimization AI Search Visibility (GEO)Digital Merchandising Catalog and Product Data Digital Analytics Growth Marketing Ecommerce Website Development

Get your Nine Gates score.

Free AI scan in about 48 hours.