Beyond the Storefront: Crafting the whole
journey that converts

Thank you. I’m Matt, I’m from Rusty Monkey, and today we’re going to talk about a topic very close to all of our hearts: old windows. Let me explain. A few years ago, we needed to replace the windows in our house—this is a photo of our actual house and our actual windows. My first experience was… awful. I had double-glazing salespeople sitting in my living room, giving me the classic hard sell. If you’ve ever dealt with them, you know exactly how bad it can be. I got quoted something like four billion pounds for a few windows. So I thought, “Forget this, I can do it myself.” I’ve got a friend who’s a builder, and he’s done it before. I started searching for places online to buy windows. Now, I’ve been in ecommerce for years. I’m a designer. I care about branding. And what I found? Horrific. The first site I landed on was so badly designed, I thought it was a joke. Starbursts everywhere, Comic Sans font—it hurt me as a designer. My trust level immediately plummeted. I tried a few others. One had a giant warning sign. Another was called “Just Value Doors,” which didn’t inspire much confidence. But the real gem was “justdosuk.com,” which my brain read as “Just And Windindowsduk.” It was baffling. But for some reason—maybe curiosity—I went back to that first terrible site. And here’s the twist: their user experience was actually brilliant. Despite the hideous UI, they had: Informative videos Support for legislation and regulations An intuitive product configurator Great customer journey flow They helped me not make mistakes. And I realised: User experience (UX) trumps user interface (UI). That journey—how you guide someone, answer their questions, take them from A to B—is more impactful than the colour of your “Buy Now” button or how sleek your design is. Now, it’s not always simple. UX, UI, and brand all intertwine. Sometimes, brand even trumps UX. Think about Patagonia. Their site is clunky, but people believe in what they stand for. Dr. Martens? Horrible logo. Inconsistent online experience. Still wildly successful because their brand resonates. And Supreme—total chaos. No navigation, no search, terrible UX. But the scarcity model, the hype, the FOMO—it works because of brand power. The takeaway here is: You need all three—UI, UX, and brand. Master those pillars, and you’ll truly connect with your audience. So how do you do that? I want to share a practical tool you can use: the customer journey map. You don’t need a big agency or months of budget. You can start this in a day. We’ve done it in a day. Start by listing out: Every customer touchpoint What your customer is doing What they’re thinking How they’re feeling Are they excited? Confused? Angry? Curious? Map it all out—everything from first exposure (like a Google ad or a word-of-mouth referral), to consideration, purchase, post-purchase, and even product use. Use a whiteboard, sticky notes, whatever works. You might uncover new ideas:
Maybe your audience visits art galleries. That opens up opportunities—handouts, digital displays, tube station ads, branded gift shop items, even custom prosecco labels if that’s their thing! This exercise exposes: Weak touchpoints that need improving Strong ones you can elevate Entirely new ones you never thought of Now, let’s go back to my window-buying journey. My first exposure? Terrible. So bad I left immediately. But because every other competitor was just as bad, I came back. Their saving grace? The journey itself.
They had great social proof. Their content answered all my questions. I felt reassured by the time I hit “Buy.” Then came post-purchase remorse. You know that sinking feeling? “Did I really just spend all that money?” They managed it okay. Decent follow-up emails. Clear delivery info. Not amazing—but not terrible. Then came the installation. I was cold. Tired. Covered in plaster dust. Feeling unsure and not very confident. And here’s where they missed a golden opportunity. They didn’t need to do much—but they did nothing. What if they’d sent me a Spotify playlist for the install? Or better yet: A free teabag. That’s it. A single tea bag. That tiny gesture, at the right moment, would have made me feel seen and appreciated. Or gloves if it’s cold. Suncream if it’s hot. Think about what your customers are doing with your product—and how you can elevate that moment. As for my final experience? The windows work. I’m happy. But not brand advocate happy. Not five-star review happy. And they were so close. If they’d just fixed the terrible website and sent me a free tea bag, I would’ve told everyone how amazing they were. Now, let’s talk why this matters. We’ve got stats (from the very reputable justandwindowsuk.com!) that show: Companies with strong customer experience drive 4–8% more revenue They outperform competitors by 80% Loyal customers are 5x more likely to repurchase, 4x more likely to refer 32% of people will walk away after one bad experience It takes 12–13 positive experiences to undo the damage of a single negative one And remember: you don’t have to fix everything at once. Start small. Focus on one journey—like post-purchase or checkout. Even recruitment can be mapped as a customer experience. This isn’t a one-time exercise. It’s a mindset. If nothing else, give away free tea bags. You’ll make me happy—and maybe build a better brand in the process. Thank you very much.