Conducting a digital marketing audit gives marketers an effective way to examine a company’s digital footprint to provide a bird’s eye view of a business and its customers.

How to Conduct a Successful Digital Marketing Audit

what-is-a-digital-audit

[[p]]With digital marketing, there&rsquo;s always room for improvement. The pace of change is fast when it comes to digital channels, which means that marketers constantly need to adapt to stay ahead of the competition and boost growth.&nbsp;[[/p]]

[[p]]This has never been more important, now that marketing leaders look to use [[a href="https://digitalmarketinginstitute.com/blog/ai-in-digital-marketing-the-ultimate-guide" target="_blank"]]AI to streamline and optimize marketing activities[[/a]].&nbsp;[[/p]]

[[p]]This is where a digital marketing audit comes in. Conducting an audit gives marketers an effective way to examine a company&rsquo;s digital footprint to provide a bird&rsquo;s eye view of a business and its customers, and leverage [[a href="https://digitalmarketinginstitute.com/blog/how-to-use-data-analytics-to-drive-better-business-insights" target="_blank"]]data to drive business insights[[/a]].&nbsp;[[/p]]

[[p]]In this blog, we will explore:[[/p]]

[[ul]]
	[[li]][[a href="#heading_79788"]]What is a digital audit?[[/a]][[/li]]
	[[li]][[a href="#heading_79790"]]What are the benefits of a digital audit?&nbsp;[[/a]][[/li]]
	[[li]][[a href="#heading_79792"]]What can a digital audit examine?[[/a]][[/li]]
	[[li]][[a href="#heading_79794"]]What&rsquo;s included in a digital audit?[[/a]][[/li]]
	[[li]][[a href="#heading_79796"]]How to conduct a digital audit[[/a]][[/li]]
[[/ul]]

[[p]]Let&rsquo;s get started.&nbsp;[[/p]]

[[p]]A digital audit is an assessment of all your active digital channels. It enables you to document and assess the performance and value of your current digital activities, to see how effective they are, whether that&rsquo;s for a campaign or for general marketing efforts.&nbsp;&nbsp;[[/p]]

[[p]]It can be particularly useful to audit your digital activities before the planning stage of your [[a href="https://digitalmarketinginstitute.com/blog/what-are-the-most-effective-digital-marketing-strategies" target="_blank"]]digital marketing strategy[[/a]]. You can then build a foundation on past performance to determine which channels and other considerations to include in your plan.[[/p]]

[[p]]As a marketer, it&rsquo;s important to know the digital channels you are using and the performance of each. This will help you to double down on those that work and tweak or abandon those that don&rsquo;t.&nbsp;[[/p]]

[[p]]It&rsquo;s all about putting your energy and resources into activities that make an impact and meet business objectives. Some of the key benefits of a digital audit are to:&nbsp;[[/p]]

[[ul]]
	[[li]]Identify strengths and weaknesses in current strategies (a SWOT analysis can help here)[[/li]]
	[[li]]Help optimize marketing spend [[a href="https://digitalmarketinginstitute.com/blog/how-to-plan-a-digital-marketing-budget" target="_blank"]]within a budget[[/a]] and boost ROI[[/li]]
	[[li]]Ensure alignment with business goals and [[a href="https://digitalmarketinginstitute.com/blog/how-to-improve-your-marketing-campaigns-based-on-these-critical-kpis" target="_blank"]]Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)[[/a]][[/li]]
	[[li]]Improve customer engagement and conversion rates[[/li]]
[[/ul]]

[[p]]A digital audit helps you establish what websites, pages, profiles, and accounts are active, and who has been managing them.&nbsp;[[/p]]

[[p]]By using a checklist, you can get a full picture of all the digital assets and channels in your organization in an objective way.&nbsp;[[/p]]

[[p]]You can audit the current status of digital marketing activities by analyzing the following:[[/p]]

[[ul]]
	[[li]]A website audit looks at your existing website or current performance which requires an analysis of the site analytics on a basic level.[[/li]]
	[[li]]A [[a href="https://digitalmarketinginstitute.com/blog/how-to-choose-the-best-social-media-channels-for-your-business" target="_blank"]]social media and channel[[/a]] audit identifies existing social media and other channels that are being used, as well as their function and performance.[[/li]]
	[[li]]An access and login audit ensures that you have all usernames and passwords for all channels and analytics.[[/li]]
	[[li]]An administrator audit looks at the admins of all channels and how email updates are received.[[/li]]
	[[li]]An existing resources audit is used to note who is currently working on your owned channels and how many hours are being dedicated to daily operations.[[/li]]
	[[li]]A history audit checks what history has been stored on activity management and previous campaign activity, as well as what has previously been implemented.[[/li]]
	[[li]]A chain of command audit clarifies who is working on digital activity, what remit each person has, and who is responsible for decision making.[[/li]]
[[/ul]]

[[p]]A comprehensive audit examines key components such as website performance, [[a href="https://digitalmarketinginstitute.com/blog/what-is-seo-and-why-is-it-important" target="_blank"]]SEO[[/a]], content marketing, social media strategy, paid advertising, and email marketing.&nbsp;[[/p]]

[[p]]By analyzing these areas, you can identify gaps, optimize strategies, and enhance overall performance. A digital audit usually involves the following elements:[[/p]]

[[ul]]
	[[li]][[strong]]Quantitative review[[/strong]] - This looks at your digital activity to assess what&rsquo;s working or not working by analyzing measurable results such as GA4 data, CRM reports, or ecommerce purchase data.&nbsp;[[/li]]
	[[li]][[strong]]Qualitative review[[/strong]] - This examines the core digital assets and engagements such as website design and [[a href="https://digitalmarketinginstitute.com/blog/10-strategies-for-a-successful-ux-project" target="_blank"]]user experience (UX)[[/a]], social media content, or brand messaging.&nbsp;[[/li]]
	[[li]][[strong]]Competitor review[[/strong]] - With a [[a href="https://digitalmarketinginstitute.com/blog/how-to-do-a-competitive-analysis-in-digital-marketing" target="_blank"]]competitive analysis[[/a]], you compare your assets to those of identified key competitors.[[/li]]
	[[li]][[strong]]Channel review[[/strong]] - A channel review is used to analyze and audit each channel independently, and how well they work together.[[/li]]
	[[li]][[strong]]Accessibility[[/strong]] - This ensures your [[a href="https://digitalmarketinginstitute.com/blog/digital-accessibility-what-marketers-need-to-know" target="_blank"]]channels are accessible[[/a]] to different audiences (e.g. adhering to the Web Accessibility Content Guidelines or WACG-2)[[/li]]
	[[li]][[strong]]Governance[[/strong]] - This step ensures you have the right skills, people, and processes in place to deliver in the short and longer term.[[/li]]
	[[li]][[strong]]Recommendations[[/strong]] - This stage should recommend the next steps with marketing budgets, responsibilities, and timelines.[[/li]]
	[[li]][[strong]]KPIs[[/strong]] - You can use [[a href="https://digitalmarketinginstitute.com/blog/digital-marketing-kpis-how-to-choose-and-track" target="_blank"]]KPIs[[/a]] to decide how to measure performance and check the implementation of recommendations.[[/li]]
[[/ul]]

[[p]]Now that you know what a digital audit is, as well as the benefits and elements involved, let&rsquo;s look at how to conduct one by looking at some of the key areas mentioned in the previous section.&nbsp;[[/p]]

[[p]]A company&rsquo;s website is a way for consumers to learn more about the brand and product or service they offer. It can also give visitors a feel for a brand by learning more about its &lsquo;personality&rsquo;.&nbsp;[[/p]]

[[p]]That&rsquo;s why 83% of consumers appreciate when a website looks attractive and up-to-date, according to a survey by [[a href="https://clutch.co/resources/top-6-website-features-people-value" target="_blank"]]Clutch[[/a]]. But it&rsquo;s not only the design and content, people also want easy navigation and to get the information they need in the lowest number of clicks possible.&nbsp;[[/p]]

[[p]]Here are key things to consider when doing a website or technical audit.&nbsp;[[/p]]

[[ul]]
	[[li]][[strong]]Check performance and speed:[[/strong]] This includes page load times, mobile-friendliness, and site speed.[[/li]]
	[[li]][[strong]]Optimize SEO:[[/strong]] This includes [[a href="https://digitalmarketinginstitute.com/blog/complete-guide-to-on-page-and-off-page-seo" target="_blank"]]on-page SEO[[/a]] (e.g. meta tags, headings, keywords), technical SEO (indexability, crawl errors), and backlink profile.[[/li]]
	[[li]][[strong]]Improve UX and accessibility:[[/strong]] Elements to look at here are site navigation, design, readability, and compliance with relevant regulations.[[/li]]
	[[li]][[strong]]Review website design:[[/strong]]&nbsp;Do you use white space and eye-catching colors to let text breathe? Are the CTA buttons easy to see and clickable? Are you using headings and subheadings for easy reading?&nbsp;&nbsp;[[/li]]
	[[li]][[strong]]Check security and compliance: [[/strong]]This should look at HTTPS, SSL certification, [[a href="https://digitalmarketinginstitute.com/blog/the-definitive-gdpr-checklist-for-marketers" target="_blank"]]GDPR compliance[[/a]], and data privacy measures.[[/li]]
[[/ul]]

[[p]]There are some great [[a href="https://digitalmarketinginstitute.com/blog/ai-tools-for-creating-a-website" target="_blank"]]AI tools for website design[[/a]], so check them out to see if they can help.&nbsp;[[/p]]

[[p]]Content is the way you communicate with your audience so it&rsquo;s crucial to get it right.&nbsp;[[/p]]

[[p]]So, whether it&rsquo;s a [[a href="https://digitalmarketinginstitute.com/blog/how-to-start-a-blog" target="_blank"]]blog[[/a]], social media posts, webinars, or a podcast you need to make sure that you&rsquo;re providing the right content to the right people at the right time.&nbsp;[[/p]]

[[p]]Here are some ways to [[a href="https://digitalmarketinginstitute.com/resources/toolkits/tools-guidelines-for-your-next-content-audit" target="_blank"]]conduct a content audit[[/a]] that can help refine and optimize your content marketing efforts.&nbsp;[[/p]]

[[ul]]
	[[li]][[strong]]Assess content quality and relevance: [[/strong]]Evaluate if the content aligns with audience needs and business goals (e.g. compare content to your [[a href="https://digitalmarketinginstitute.com/blog/the-beginners-guide-to-defining-buyer-personas" target="_blank"]]buyer personas[[/a]]).[[/li]]
	[[li]][[strong]]Analyze engagement and readability:[[/strong]] Check for clarity, grammar, and formatting along with any localization issues (e.g. &lsquo;z&rsquo; versus &lsquo;s&rsquo; in copy for addressing U.S. readers).[[/li]]
	[[li]][[strong]]Gauge content performance:[[/strong]] Analyze blog posts, landing pages, and multimedia content for engagement, bounce rates, and conversions.[[/li]]
	[[li]][[strong]]Discover gaps and opportunities: [[/strong]]Identifying missing topics and trending subjects using a tool like Google Trends or [[a href="https://digitalmarketinginstitute.com/resources/videos/walkthrough-google-notebooklm" target="_blank"]]Google Notebook LM[[/a]] can help update old content that once performed well.[[/li]]
[[/ul]]

[[p]]Here&rsquo;s a walkthrough from DMI expert Will Francis on how to use Google Notebook LM.&nbsp;[[/p]]

[[p]]The goal of SEO is to drive traffic to your website. This is from search engines like Google or Bing, social media networks like YouTube and [[a href="https://digitalmarketinginstitute.com/blog/is-tiktok-a-search-engine" target="_blank"]]TikTok[[/a]], and [[a href="https://digitalmarketinginstitute.com/blog/google-ai-overviews-what-do-they-mean-for-search" target="_blank"]]AI search[[/a]].[[/p]]

[[p]]You know that your SEO tactics are working when the traffic coming to your website takes action such as a download or sign-up. This means that the content is relevant and the people visiting are of high intent.&nbsp;[[/p]]

[[p]]Here are some effective ways to improve your SEO:[[/p]]

[[ul]]
	[[li]][[strong]]Create a keyword strategy: [[/strong]]Research and strategize for keyword rankings, search intent, and competitiveness.[[/li]]
	[[li]][[strong]]Conduct on-page &amp; off-page SEO: [[/strong]]Analyze internal linking, meta descriptions, backlink profiles, and domain authority.[[/li]]
	[[li]][[strong]]Leverage [[a href="https://digitalmarketinginstitute.com/blog/local-seo-for-beginners-improve-your-visibility-online-free-checklist" target="_blank"]]local SEO[[/a]]: [[/strong]]Factor in local searches by checking Google My Business, local citations, and reviews for local businesses.[[/li]]
[[/ul]]

[[p]]With over 5 billion users, social media is a great way to tap into your target audience no matter where they are in the world.&nbsp;[[/p]]

[[p]]With so many platforms to choose from and a range of content formats to use (e.g. short-form video, images, polls, text, etc.), it can be hard to juggle everything and understand how effective posts are as part of a [[a href="https://digitalmarketinginstitute.com/blog/social-media-strategy" target="_blank"]]social media strategy[[/a]].&nbsp;&nbsp;[[/p]]

[[p]]Here are some simple ways to boost your social media activity.&nbsp;[[/p]]

[[ul]]
	[[li]][[strong]]Analyze platform performance: [[/strong]]Review engagement, follower growth, post frequency, and any other metric that&rsquo;s important to your business across platforms.[[/li]]
	[[li]][[strong]]Be consistent:[[/strong]] Ensuring the tone, visuals, and messaging on social align with the brand.[[/li]]
	[[li]][[strong]]Monitor ad performance: [[/strong]]Analyze social media ad campaigns and ROI.[[/li]]
	[[li]][[strong]]Benchmark against competitors:[[/strong]] Compare social performance with industry competitors.[[/li]]
[[/ul]]

[[p]]Digital advertising allows marketers to leverage data and technology to target customers with relevant messages at the right times.[[/p]]

[[p]]The aim is to use various digital channels such as social media, search engines, and websites to reach audiences and drive specific actions, such as downloading a brochure or registering for a callback.[[/p]]

[[p]]So how can you conduct an audit on your digital advertising?&nbsp;[[/p]]

[[ul]]
	[[li]][[strong]]Evaluate [[a href="https://digitalmarketinginstitute.com/blog/what-is-ppc-marketing" target="_blank"]]Pay-Per-Click (PPC)[[/a]] and display ads: [[/strong]]Review ad spend, conversions, and cost-per-click.[[/li]]
	[[li]][[strong]]Review [[a href="https://digitalmarketinginstitute.com/blog/the-ultimate-email-marketing-guide-for-beginners" target="_blank"]]email marketing[[/a]]:[[/strong]] Analyze key email marketing metrics such as open rates, click-through rates (CTR), and subscriber engagement.[[/li]]
	[[li]][[strong]]Analyze affiliate and influencer marketing:[[/strong]] Review the effectiveness of past affiliate or [[a href="https://digitalmarketinginstitute.com/blog/influencer-marketing-guide" target="_blank"]]influencer partnerships[[/a]] and sponsorships.[[/li]]
[[/ul]]

[[p]]Alongside each channel, you should conduct an overall audit of your marketing activities. This can be done using an analytics platform like [[a href="https://digitalmarketinginstitute.com/resources/ebooks/the-dmi-guide-to-ga4" target="_blank"]]GA4[[/a]] or any custom platform your team or company may use.&nbsp;[[/p]]

[[p]]To audit your overall analytics and performance, you should:[[/p]]

[[ul]]
	[[li]][[strong]]Analyze traffic:[[/strong]] Review organic, paid, referral, and social traffic sources.[[/li]]
	[[li]][[strong]]Examine user behavior:[[/strong]] Analyze time on page, click-through rates, and conversion funnels.[[/li]]
	[[li]][[strong]]Track goals:[[/strong]] Monitor goals to make sure KPIs align with business objectives.[[/li]]
[[/ul]]

[[p]]When you&rsquo;ve completed a digital audit, you should have a better understanding of which digital channels drive performance and how to adapt your strategy to double down on the tactics that work, while abandoning those that don&rsquo;t.&nbsp;[[/p]]

[[p]]You should also know your audience better and be able to create content and campaigns that drive traffic, boost engagement, and convert prospects into customers. Good luck![[/p]]

[[p]]There&rsquo;s no better or faster way to break into the digital industry than with a digital marketing certification. DMI&rsquo;s certified and industry aligned [[a href="https://digitalmarketinginstitute.com/students/courses/professional-diploma-in-digital-marketing" target="_blank"]]Professional Diploma in Digital Marketing[[/a]] will teach you the fundamentals of digital marketing, show you how to leverage AI in your marketing activities and simple ways to cultivate soft skills. You&rsquo;ll also explore key channels such as email marketing, social media, SEO, content marketing, and display and video advertising to execute successful marketing campaigns in any industry.[[/p]]

How to Conduct a Successful Digital Marketing Audit

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