When it comes to your digital marketing program (or at times, lack thereof) conducting a digital audit can be both eye-opening and exciting. Yes, we said exciting! From your website to your content to your tech stack, audits examine it all. The digital marketing audit is your ticket to finding out the state of the state and where the opportunity is for you to make a quick splash on your modern marketing and sales program.
The purpose of digital marketing audits is basically to inspect all the strategies, practices, and outcomes of what your business has been doing to establish and also improve your online presence. This allows you to see areas that are working well and areas that could use a little improvement.
So, if you think you could be squeezing more results out of your current marketing plan or are feeling a little in the dark about your tech stack, then this one’s for you. Here are the 5 types of digital marketing audits Lake One utilizes, along with some of the top probing questions we ask to kick off the process.
1. Google Analytics Audit
The primary purpose of a Google Analytics Audit is to walk-through your site’s tracking implementation and setup. It goes beyond just paid media although that does play a part. From conversion to clicks to time spent on your site, here are a few questions to ask yourself to get you started in the direction.
Questions to ask:
- What are you currently tracking? Are you tracking everything you need to be?
- Is the data you are collecting valid? Can you trust it and make decisions off of it?
- What are the holes? What would you like to be tracking that you aren’t?
- Does anything need to be fixed? Is tracking broken?
- Can reporting and/or tracking be consolidated to make the process cleaner?
2. Website Audit
The fact that you are reading this blog post is a strong indicator that you realize how important your website is, but in case you don’t, we’ll say it: your company’s website is uber important. A website should attract your potential customers and empower them with information, aide in their buyer’s journey, and most importantly, provide opportunities for conversion. Design is critical as well, but great sites contain more substance beyond aesthetics.
At Lake One, we like to review websites for four main areas.
Performance
Performance can mean can quite a few things but in a nutshell, this section means, “Does your website pass the blink test?” Not familiar with the blink test? Simply put, are you able to determine within five seconds the purpose of the site, digest some content, and know what steps to take next as a user.
Questions to ask:
- Is the main value proposition clear?
- Is the main navigation menu clear and accessible?
- Is there a clear conversion path? Do the conversion paths flow through the buyer’s journey from awareness through to decision?
- Are there relevant resources for web visitors? Are they accessible?
- Do users know what steps to take next?
Content & SEO Audit
Now we start getting into the nitty-gritty, the ‘substance’ of digital marketing audits that I was referencing earlier.
Content
When reviewing a website for content, it should be two-fold with both online and offline content. Online content encompasses all of the posts, downloadables, etc. that are accessible by web visitors; offline encompasses all of the sales assets, one-pagers, etc. that may be archived internally.
Questions to ask:
- Does the site contain relevant keywords that align with a clear content & digital strategy?
- Is the content keyword-rich?
- Does the content appeal to different buyer personas?
SEO
We create content for people first and foremost. But content needs SEO love to fully reap the benefits of your hard work. SEO is an ever-present tactic we weave throughout all of our digital practices; however, at its most basic, we review from both the content and website construction itself. (Click here for info on finding the SEO keywords that will be the hardest work for you.)
Questions to ask:
- Do the relevant page titles, meta descriptions, URLs, etc use relevant keywords?
- Do the above elements follow SEO best practices for character count, structure, etc.?
- Are the images optimized for SEO as well?
Conversion
Websites must provide visitors with an opportunity to convert. A website that’s fully optimized for conversion goes beyond a learn more button and a contact us form. You can have all the website traffic in the world, but if the website isn’t converting, you’ve got a problem.
Questions to ask:
- Are there conversion pages at various stages of the funnel?
- Are there any CTA opportunities being missed?
- Is it clear what steps a user needs to take to get that information they need to convert?
3. Technical Audit
A site audit wouldn’t be complete without reviewing the technical implementation and output of the website. Have you ever sat and waited for images to load or content to render and given up? Sure, it might have been a slow glitch in your wifi, but it might not have been. Here’s what to look for when it comes to tech.
Questions to ask:
- What is the site speed?
- Is the design responsive?
- Does the design render well on mobile?
- Are there any crawl issues?
- Is there a sitemap?
4. HubSpot Audit
HubSpot offers a full platform of marketing, sales, customer service, and CRM software. It’s a powerful tool that when fully utilized, can propel your sales and marketing results forward. With all that being said, we love to look under the hood and look for ways to get more out of your HubSpot subscription. We look at the following and more:
- Landing Pages
- Forms/Form Fields
- Thank You Pages
- Personas
- Calls-to-Action (CTAs)
- Nurture Sequences
When reviewing, first check if those functionalities are in use and then check performance.
Questions to ask:
- How are the above elements performing? (conversion rates, submission rates, etc.)
- Are the nurture sequence emails targeted? What’s the enrollment criteria? Is it useful? Is someone checking those emails?
By the way, did we mention we are HubSpot Gold Partner? We just so happen to be experts in utilizing HubSpot and making it go the distance for your digital marketing program. Let’s chat.
5. Sales & Marketing Alignment Audit
We have written several pieces on the importance of Sales and Marketing alignment to achieve harmony among client-facing teams. When teams are aligned, it’s dynamite. However, when conducting the audit, think less along the lines of quick wins and more along the lines of building a strong foundation for long-term success.
Questions to ask:
- Do teams have a common definition and understanding of key terms? (i.e. marketing qualified lead, sales qualified lead, etc.)
- Are teams targeting the same buyers?
- Are teams working towards the same goals?
- Are teams promoting the same products/services?
- Are teams creating content together?
- What is the lead handoff procedure?
- How does sales provide feedback on lead quality?
- Do teams have regular meetings?
For an in-depth look at the questions above, check out our post on How to Evaluation Sales and Marketing Alignment.
Key Takeaways on Digital Marketing Audits
The best way to move forward and to grow is to gain a complete understanding of where your company is at digitally. Even if you’re not looking to grow (but who isn’t?) no matter where you are at with your marketing, everyone can benefit from a digital marketing audit.