Fixing the Friction In Customer Journeys

When building material brands think about growth, the conversation often centers around product innovation, supply chain efficiency, or competitive pricing. These are all critical elements for success in the industry.

But there is another factor that quietly influences purchasing decisions just as much. The customer journey.

Today’s buyers interact with brands across multiple channels before making a decision. They research products online, ask AI tools for recommendations, visit retail locations, watch installation videos, and gather opinions from peers. If those touchpoints feel disconnected or if it is difficult to move from one step to the next, friction begins to build.

In this episode of Constructive Insights, Jen Candlish explores how building material brands can identify friction within their customer journeys and create more seamless experiences that support today’s evolving buyer behaviour.

“We have to take a good hard look at what we’re doing with our customer journeys because today’s customer has changed and we’re not keeping pace.” – Jen Candlish

What you’ll learn in this episode:

• What friction looks like within a building materials customer journey
• How the modern “everywhere buyer” is reshaping purchasing behaviour
• Why disconnected marketing and sales experiences slow down decisions
• Practical strategies to build a connected omnichannel journey

The Hidden Friction Costing Building Materials Brands Sales

When marketers hear the word friction, they often imagine large operational issues such as late deliveries, product failures, or broken promises.

However, friction in the customer journey rarely begins with dramatic problems. Instead, it appears much earlier through small inconsistencies that make the buying process feel more difficult than it should be.

For example, friction might occur when:

• Product information or technical documentation is difficult to find
• Messaging changes depending on the channel customers interact with
• Sales conversations feel disconnected from marketing content
• Customers must piece together their own understanding of the product
  

Each of these moments might seem minor on its own. But when combined across multiple touchpoints, they create hesitation and uncertainty for buyers.

“Friction isn’t one big thing, one big catastrophic failure on our parts that then we lose a customer’s trust.”

Instead, friction is often the accumulation of small moments where expectations and experiences do not align. Over time, these moments erode trust and make it easier for customers to default to a more familiar brand.

The Rise of the “Everywhere Buyer”

One of the biggest reasons friction is increasing in building materials marketing is because the traditional linear sales funnel is quickly fading.

For years, marketers relied on a predictable buying process where customers moved step by step from awareness to evaluation and finally to purchase.

Today’s buyers rarely follow that path.

The modern customer is an “everywhere buyer.” Instead of progressing through a fixed journey, these buyers are hopping in from different starting points, moving fluidly between stages and gathering information from a wide range of sources before engaging with a brand.

Today’s building materials buyers might:

• Ask AI tools detailed questions about building products or installation methods
• Visit retail locations to see what’s on shelf 
• Watch product demonstrations or installation tutorials on social media platforms
• Research product performance or regional considerations online
• Discuss materials with contractors, architects, or peers within the industry
  

By the time they contact a brand or speak with a sales representative, many buyers are already well informed. They have explored multiple options and formed early opinions about which products might work best for their project.

This shift means brands can no longer assume where customers are entering the journey or what information they already have.

How Customer Journey Friction Impacts Sales

For building materials companies, friction often does not show up as one obvious problem. Instead, it surfaces through subtle shifts in sales performance.

You might notice that:

• Sales cycles are taking longer than expected
• Customers become more price sensitive toward the end of discussions
• Buyers ask more questions than usual or hesitate before making decisions
• Prospects default to brands they have previously worked with

At first glance, these outcomes might appear to be normal competitive dynamics. But in many cases, friction within the customer journey is the underlying cause.

When buyers must work harder to understand a brand or connect different pieces of information, they naturally become less confident in their decision. When confidence drops, hesitation increases.

Why Connected Customer Journeys Matter More Than Ever

To reduce friction, building materials brands need to move beyond fragmented experiences and create connected customer journeys.

Consistency is an important starting point. Customers should see the same messaging, positioning, and visual identity across all channels including websites, product sheets, trade shows, and sales presentations.

However, a connected journey goes further than simple consistency.

A connected experience ensures that each interaction builds on the previous one and helps customers move forward with confidence.

For example:

• A contractor who watches an installation video should easily find supporting technical documentation or product specifications
• Someone who downloads a guide should receive content that helps with the next step in their decision process
• A conversation with a sales representative should reinforce the same story introduced through marketing content

When these touchpoints work together, the experience feels seamless instead of fragmented.

5 Tips to Build a Connected Omnichannel Customer Journey

#1. Start with deeper customer insight

Creating an effective customer journey begins with understanding your audience beyond basic demographics.

Building materials brands should analyze:

What motivates customers in their purchasing decisions

What’s triggering new product selection

Which channels they use most frequently for research

Who influences their decisions during the buying process

These insights allow marketers to design journeys that match how customers actually research and purchase building materials.

#2. Anchor the journey in your brand promise

Your brand promise should serve as the foundation of every customer interaction.

For example, if your brand differentiates itself through speed, simplicity, or efficiency, those qualities should appear throughout the entire journey. This includes how your content is structured, how quickly information is delivered, and how your teams communicate.

Customers should experience the value your brand promises rather than simply hearing about it.

Brand personality also contributes to a connected experience. Whether your brand presents itself as technical, approachable, sophisticated, or innovative, that personality should remain consistent across every interaction.

From marketing content to sales conversations and customer support, the tone and language should align so the brand feels cohesive and trustworthy.

#3. Personalize the journey using data

Modern marketing tools allow brands to personalize experiences using real behavioural data.

Personalization can range from regionally relevant imagery to role relevant content, and recommending resources based on what a customer tends to engage with.

This type of personalization helps ensure the information customers receive feels helpful, relevant, and timely.

#4. Strengthen transitions between teams and systems

One of the most important places to reduce friction is within the transition points of the customer journey.

These transitions occur when customers move between channels such as social media, websites, and email. They also occur internally when responsibility shifts from marketing to sales, then potentially to distributors or on site support teams.

#5. Journeys Based on the Individual

From the customer’s perspective, they are experiencing one single journey. They are not seeing the internal teams or systems that sit behind the scenes.

This is where data and technology play an important role.

Marketing teams often have access to valuable behavioural data about what customers have viewed, downloaded, or interacted with. When that information is shared through tools like CRMs and customer data platforms, sales teams can better understand what the customer has already experienced.

The goal is to avoid forcing customers to restart the journey every time they interact with a new team or touchpoint.

When systems are connected and teams have access to the same information, the experience becomes much more seamless for the buyer.

The Brands That Win Make It Easy to Move Forward

Fixing friction is not about adding more marketing activity or creating more complex campaigns.

It is about simplifying the journey.

Customers in the building materials industry operate under significant pressure with tight timelines, strict budgets, and demanding project requirements. When brands make it easier to access information, understand products, and move forward with confidence, they naturally become the preferred choice.

Because in today’s market, the brands that win are often not the ones with the best product.

They are the ones that make it easiest for customers to move forward.