A digital marketing audit analyzes online marketing channels focusing on the needs of the customer to identify performance gaps and drive overall optimization and improvement.
Getting the best performance from your digital channels requires an understanding of what works and why. In an incredibly complex and fast changing environment, many brands have websites, search, email and social programs that have fallen behind best practices, failing to engage their audiences, generate leads, build brand equity and create revenue.
Mapping the Current State
A digital marketing audit provides the fast track to understand how your digital assets are performing and what’s needed to accelerate ROI. They break down what’s working, what’s not and where there are short-term competitive opportunities to improve upon. More importantly, they can provide a longer-term roadmap that aligns your internal and external teams, agencies and stakeholders.
Armed with analysis from experienced technical marketers, your brand team can quickly identify how budgets can be realigned so that they can work harder., which means not necessarily spending more, just changing the allocation of investment to capitalize on strengths and eliminate weaknesses.
Types of Digital Marketing Audits
Using a holistic approach ensures you’re getting the right messages, to the right audience, at the right times, utilizing the right media – providing visibility into the right media mix.
People: Interview key stakeholders within an organization to identify required team competencies and agency capabilities within product, sales, marketing and IT to boost integrated campaign effectiveness, engagement and conversion.
Process: Review the channel mix, marketing processes and marketing structures to identify priorities, quick wins and strategic wins as well as cost savings and streamlined processes.
Technology: Analyze the digital marketing technology platform including website, search, marketing automation, CRM, analytics and social to deliver digital marketing that works seamlessly together.
The audit can be broken down into smaller and concentrated areas but should include the following:
- Social
- Technical (CMS, CRM, mobile, tools, etc.)
- Organic Search
- Paid Search
- Brand
Output: Integrated Marketing Strategy
Behind every business goal lies a marketing strategy that will build a strong and consistent brand experience throughout the customer lifecycle. Today, marketers must combat the fragmentation of the customer journey due to the growth of digital channels, platforms and content, which has placed enormous strain on marketing to be relevant and responsive.
In the world of digital marketing, understanding the current state will inform the roadmap to improved ROI – identifying the areas with the greatest opportunity for improvement.
Ultimately, while the digital marketing audit is a valuable first step to improve efficiency and campaign performance, it’s the project prioritization, implementing process improvements and putting controls in place to ensure that gains are sustained over time that will prove to be the best investment you can make.