Perform a digital audit for your business

A digital ‘audit’ may seem like a daunting task, but once broken down into stages, the process can be accomplished quickly. This first planning step to take involves reviewing the digital health of your business and analyzing the current situation of your business in terms of:

• Your company’s ability to handle changes.

• The online market

• Your position in the online and offline market

• The external environment in which you are operating

This is an opportunity to spot weaknesses in your business profile and online marketing power, so that you can later build a marketing strategy based on your strengths as well as sales opportunities.

Don’t worry about the results of your research. This is a useful business exercise, not a personal comment. It’s better to find ways to improve your online marketing situation than to ignore the need to improve. Try to get an overview of your business, as online audits are very helpful if you respond logically rather than emotionally.

Remember, if you find holes in your business, you are not alone. Very common business audit findings include:

• The business has not been well planned in the past.

• Not enough is known about a company’s customer groups (segments).

• The price is inconsistent with the competition.

• Cash flow is a concern and the marketing budget is not enough to achieve the objectives.

• Creation of brand, website and customer loyalty needs

• Not enough is known about the potential of the Internet as a sales tool.

• The business team does not have much technical knowledge of IT

It’s worth keeping in mind that if you are in a fast-moving industry, you will need to review your audit more frequently.

Consider your internal environment (factors you can control)

To. Decide what you want to get out of your audit, you want to:

• More effective business procedures

• Better return on investment (ROI)

• Market information to plan campaigns

• Build relationships with clients

B. Consider the success of the information you already have (and how it is translated online):

• Internal written, digital or word of mouth data on customer service and productivity.

• Any marketing strategy

• Business strategy

• Product development, customer service and communication systems.

• What product / service distribution system and service network do you currently have? How would I have to change online?

vs. Consider your current assets to help you decide how you will achieve your digital goals. These include cash flow, business competencies, and internal and external resources such as your:

• Management, employees, stakeholders, suppliers, partners, agency workers: their digital skills / experience / contacts / goodwill and support

• Current customers: their digital preferences (what they use in terms of hardware, software, social networks, advertising, downloads, webinars, podcasts, games)

• Commercial budget (and commercial budget of partners)

• Materials and technology

• Review all your marketing materials: what are they and how are they used? Are they profitable and what return on investment do you get?

• Brand (including your character, company culture and location)

• Processes and systems, speed of operations and delivery to the market

• Previous commercial activity, research / knowledge of the competition and the market, financial history, campaign results.

D. Define your current and target customers, considering the things that your regular customers have in common:

Tip 1: Create current and target market groupings (segments) based on your purchasing behavior and demographics. It can help to define each group as a person. For example, a live music venue may target someone like ‘Johnny’, who is 32 years old, single and likes to have a pint with his friends at a club where he listens to new bands and then uses his iPhone to download the tracks. from iTunes. You are an impulsive shopper who responds to what you see / hear.

Tip 2: Learn to use a search marketing tool like Google Keywords SEOmoz, LongTail Pro, or Market Samurai to find out what products, services, and information (relevant to your business) your target customers are looking for online. There are many tutorials available for each of these on YouTube or their respective websites.

me. What are your company’s planned goals and KPIs? Has any been accomplished online or offline? Why were they successful? Do you have customer feedback? Especially reviewing what plans are in place to recruit, convert, and retain customers?

Consider the marketing environment your company is in and your market position (online and offline)

To. How do your trademark (personality) and your products / services fit into the wider market and how will they be affected by it? You may want to use a free survey design service, such as Survey Monkey, to ask current and potential customers for their opinions on your company’s credibility, reputation, products / services, and future growth online. This process also helps remind customers of your brand and your intention to trade online.

B. Consider your online and offline market:

• What does your industry look like online?

• Who are your main competitors? Are they the same offline? How would you describe your online brands, promotion techniques, customers? What is the unique and emotionally attractive thing about them for your clients? How can your brand be different and more attractive than theirs (without losing money?)

D. What market share do you currently have (shows how competitive you are)? You can define this as Value (your market sales revenue divided by the total available market sales revenue) or Volume (your market unit sales volume divided by the total volume of units sold in that market). You can also compare your relative market share to a market leader (your market share volume divided by the market leader’s share volume). However, be careful when planning price wars on this basis, as they damage the price structure of the industry.

me. What alternative partners and agencies are there in the online marketplace to help you with your supply chain, research, marketing, services, offers, web links, advertising, etc.?

gram. Assess your business ‘digital’ marketing mix – This is a combination of marketing factors that collectively represent your online business. They include where you can find your company’s brand online, how you promote your business, your current online pricing mechanisms, your products or services offered online, your online representatives and processes, and evidence of their existence (for example, if you offer services shows testimonials, awards, guarantees, transparent customer service).

h. analysis of the market strength of your online brand:

• How will potential customers come into contact with your brand and what does it mean to them (logos, products, website, promotions, social media interaction, downloads, employees, email responses, purchasing systems, value-added after-sales services) , etc.)

• How do you assess these aspects of brand equity?

• Are you planning to expand your brand / products / services?

• Does your brand reinforce your business values?

Consider the external environment (factors beyond your control)

To. Marketers use an analysis tool known as PESTEL (abbreviated as PEST) to consider the external environment in which a company operates and the factors that could affect the objectives of that company.

PESTEL is an acronym that represents the words Political, Economic, Social, Technological, Environmental and Legal. You can create your own PESTEL analysis by stating these words and then flagging bullet points with details that affect your company’s ability to achieve the goal of establishing and operating online.

An example of a bullet under the heading ‘legal’ could be:

• UK Data Protection Act 1998

This is important, as you will need to comply with this law to protect the customer data you own as a result of online (and offline) trading.

You will probably be able to list at least 5 factors under each heading that are important influencers for your online success.

PESTEL analyzes are useful as they can help you identify potential threats to your business or opportunities when viewed in light of your strengths and resources.

B. Your strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats online can be expressed using a SWOT tool (you may have done this exercise to create your offline business plan or marketing plan). A SWOT helps you get a bird’s eye view of your business, so you consider how well you can compete, where you are weak, where you could be threatened, and then you can build a strategy for your digital plan.

It’s worth taking the time to learn how to do this specifically for your business needs and avoid the pitfalls. For more guidance on SWOT development, check out this American Internet Marketing Smes site.

Audit summary

Now, in light of your audit findings, try answering the following questions and see how they fit into any current business / marketing plan you have:

1. Which of your KPIs and goals have you already achieved and which can you achieve as a result of your audit?

2. What does your SWOT / PESTEL analysis tell you about your business’s potential to reach and retain target customers? What specific opportunities exist that are not inhibited by weaknesses?

3. Who can you compete with and what are your weaknesses / strengths / plans? What specifically will you offer (within budget) to customers that is different from your competitors and offers greater value?

4. Can you summarize the buying behavior of your target markets?

5. Are you more clear about what you need to produce and how you should supply your goods / services online?

6. Do you have the clues you need to provide good online customer service in a way that your current and target customers appreciate?