Understanding the Return of Your Internet Marketing Efforts

In the realm of Internet Marketing, a marketing audit is a powerful tool to help you assess the ROI of your company’s marketing efforts. A full periodic marketing audit of your company is important, but we will focus a bit more on internet marketing in this article. A marketing audit provides the opportunity to determine strengths and weaknesses in your marketing efforts. It allows you to make changes that will improve customer satisfaction and profitability.

Review Objectives

Start by reviewing the goals and objectives laid out in your marketing plan. This is a good time to make sure you’re reaching your goals and objectives, and that they are effective in helping your organization reach customers. Are your objectives SMART? That is to say are they specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and timed? If not, a marketing audit gives you the opportunity to change this. Make adjustments to your objectives and goals as needed.

Brand Consistency

A marketing audit will help you determine if your branding is consistent across all areas of your business. Everything from business cards to your online footprint should carry a consistent branding message. Brand consistency conveys information about your company and assists you in managing customer impressions. Managing brand consistency online is a daunting task, but is easier with a clear understanding of your goals and objectives.

Internet Marketing

• Internet marketing starts with your website. In this age of Google, it is often the first impression that many customers have of your company. Is it fast and easy to navigate? It should also be mobile friendly and visually attractive.
  
• Create great content, that informs and engages customers. Make sure content fits with your branding and SEO strategies.
  
• Your website should also be secure. This isn’t stressed enough in marketing. The news is heavy with stories of companies who’ve been hacked. Check in with your IT department. It’s not marketing’s job now, but if you get hacked, it will be a marketing nightmare.
  
• Search for your business in various search engines. What do you see? Are there reviews on Yelp, Google Local, or similar sites? Claim these types of pages for your business. Make sure your message is consistent, and reach out to customers who leave critical reviews. This is a chance to win those customers back and gain many more. Many of these listing and review sites have free and premium services for business owners. Decide what level is right for your business.
  
• Follow up on your SEO and social media strategies. Are they working? Determine if they are consistent with your branding message. Make adjustments as needed to ensure you are reaching customers, and that they are reaching back.
  
• Use analytics to sort through online customer data to determine necessary adjustments to your internet marketing.

It is wise to perform a marketing audit periodically as part of your marketing plan. Here is a checklist by Janet Waring to get you started.

Lowcountry Media Solutions creates websites that work. Contact us online or call 843-782-3836 to learn how we can help you with marketing strategies that align with your objectives and goals. You can also find us on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, and LinkedIn.