Getting started with your digital marketing strategy: an evidence-based checklist

Why an evidence-based approach matters

We work with many small businesses who want to maximise their digital marketing efforts but aren't sure where to begin. The digital landscape has become significantly more complex, with AI-powered search features, voice search becoming mainstream, and new platforms emerging daily. The array of marketing channels, platforms, and AI tools available can feel overwhelming—especially when you're running a business on a tight budget.

Rather than trying to be everywhere at once, the smartest approach is to conduct an evidence-based audit of your current situation. Despite economic challenges, nearly half (49%) of small businesses are planning to increase their marketing budgets in 2025, but success depends on investing in what actually works for your business.

This comprehensive checklist will help you understand what's working, what isn't, and where to focus your limited time and resources for maximum impact. Let's start with the fundamentals and work through to the advanced strategies that matter most.

Do you have access to your website?

This might seem obvious, but it's absolutely vital that you have complete access to your website's backend. Even if you plan to outsource all web development, you must have login credentials for several reasons:

• You need to be able to grant access to new developers or agencies
• You may need to make urgent updates when your usual developer isn't available
• You should be able to install tracking codes and analytics tools
• Your relationship with your current web developer may change

What to check right now:

• Can you log into your website's admin area?
• Do you have access to your domain registrar account?
• Can you access your web hosting control panel?
• Do you have FTP details if needed?

If you don't have this information, contact your web developer immediately to obtain these details. Store them securely in a password manager.

Is your website fit for purpose?

Your website needs regular maintenance to keep up with modern standards. Technical SEO has become increasingly important as Google prioritises user-friendly websites. Here's your comprehensive website health checklist:

Core functionality checks

• Contact forms: Test every form on your site. Do they work? Are submissions being received?
• Mobile responsiveness: Does your site work perfectly on phones and tablets? Mobile-first strategies are essential.
• Loading speed: Use Google PageSpeed Insights to check your Core Web Vitals scores
• Booking/purchase process: If you sell online, test the entire customer journey

Technical requirements

• HTTPS security: Your site must have an SSL certificate
• Core Web Vitals: These Google ranking factors measure loading performance, interactivity, and visual stability
• Accessibility: Ensure your site works for users with disabilities
• Voice search compatibility: 71% of internet users prefer voice searches over typed queries

For a complete website audit, consider our comprehensive website checklist or our WordPress-specific webinar on taking over an existing WordPress site.

Do you have quality content that demonstrates expertise?

Google's E-E-A-T guidelines (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness) have become more important than ever in 2025. Your content needs to demonstrate genuine expertise and provide real value to your audience.

Essential content audit questions

• Do you have enough content to establish expertise in your field?
• Is there a blog section where you share industry insights?
• Do you have an FAQ section answering common customer questions?
• Does your content address the questions potential customers ask before buying?
• Are you creating content that could appear in AI Overviews and featured snippets?

2025 content priorities

• Conversational content: Optimise for conversational search queries like "How do I find the best local plumber?"
• Video content: Over 91% of businesses now use video marketing as part of their strategy
• Local SEO content: Include location-based keywords and local references
• Expert-level content: Move beyond basic information to provide unique insights and expertise

Our content development ideas checklist and webinar on implementing a successful content generation strategy can help you develop a content plan that works for your business.

Have you got Google Analytics 4 properly configured?

As of 2025, 30 million websites worldwide are using Google Analytics 4 (GA4), but many small businesses haven't properly configured it for their needs. GA4 is fundamentally different from the old Universal Analytics and requires a strategic setup.

GA4 essentials checklist

• Installation: Is GA4 installed and collecting data correctly?
• Access: Do you have admin access to your GA4 account?
• Key events: Are you tracking the events that matter most to your business success?
• Conversion tracking: Have you defined what constitutes a conversion for your business?
• Enhanced ecommerce: If you sell online, is revenue tracking set up correctly?

2025 GA4 advanced features

• Predictive analytics: GA4 now offers expanded capabilities for predicting user behaviour, such as purchase probability and churn rates
• Cross-platform tracking: Track engagement and ROI across platforms using a single analytics account
• Audience insights: Use GA4's audience builder to understand customer segments
• Attribution modelling: Understand which marketing channels contribute to conversions

If you haven't set up GA4 yet, check our video guide to installing Google Analytics 4 and explore our comprehensive Google Analytics resources.

Is your Google Business Profile optimised for AI search?

For any business serving local customers, your Google Business Profile (formerly Google My Business) has become even more critical. 46% of all Google searches are for local information, and Google's AI Overviews now include local business information more frequently.

Google Business Profile essentials

• Complete information: Google rewards businesses that fill out their profile completely—the more information you provide, the higher your chances of appearing at the top of search results
• Accurate categories: Choose the most precise primary category and relevant secondary categories
• Regular posts: Share updates, offers, and news to keep your profile active
• High-quality photos: Businesses with photos receive 42% more requests for directions and 35% more clicks to their website
• Customer reviews: Actively manage and respond to reviews

New 2025 features to leverage

• AI Overview compatibility: Ensure your business information is optimised for Google's AI-generated overviews
• Visual search optimisation: Google Lens now supports video and voice searches, making visual content management crucial
• Sustainability badges: Highlight green initiatives and DEI attributes like "Women-led," "Black-owned," or "LGBTQ+-friendly"
• Voice search optimisation: 50% of consumers use voice searches daily, often for local queries

Our Google Business Profile webinar covers the latest best practices for local SEO success.

Are you using social media strategically?

Social media marketing these days focuses on smaller-scale, audience-focused engagement rather than attempting viral reach. It's better to excel on one or two platforms than to spread yourself thin across many.

Social media audit checklist

• Profile consistency: Are your business details identical across all platforms and your website?
• Content performance: Which posts generate the most engagement and leads?
• Posting frequency: Are you maintaining a consistent presence?
• Community engagement: 41% of organisations are testing proactive engagement strategies, with 1.6x higher engagement when creators reply to brand comments

Social media priorities

• Quality over quantity: Focus on creative content that reflects your brand personality, even if it differs from other marketing channels
• Social commerce: Social media platforms continue expanding shopping features for instant purchases
• Authentic engagement: Prioritise partnerships with micro-influencers and existing customers over celebrity endorsements
• Platform-specific content: Generation Alpha prioritises visual and interactive content, particularly on platforms like YouTube

Check out our platform-specific webinars for Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn to develop platform-specific strategies.

Are you tracking conversions across all touchpoints?

In 2025, customer journeys are more complex than ever. Your customers often interact with your business across multiple devices and platforms before making a purchase. Proper tracking helps you understand the complete customer journey.

Essential tracking setup

• Cross-domain tracking: If customers move between your main site and booking/payment platforms
• Social media tracking: Facebook Pixel, LinkedIn Insight Tag, and other platform pixels
• Email marketing integration: Track which email campaigns drive website visits and conversions
• Phone call tracking: Use unique phone numbers for different marketing campaigns

2025 privacy considerations

• First-party data focus: Businesses increasingly rely on first-party data like customer subscriptions and email marketing rather than third-party cookies
• Server-side tracking: Use server-side tagging to comply with data privacy laws while maintaining accurate tracking
• Consent management: GA4's enhanced consent mode tools help handle user preferences transparently

Where are your customers actually coming from?

Understanding your true customer acquisition channels is crucial for budget allocation. 65% of small businesses say customer referrals are their best source for customer acquisition, with the rate even higher (75%) for businesses with 10 or fewer employees.

Customer source analysis

• Revenue attribution: Track which channels generate actual sales, not just website visits
• Customer lifetime value: Use GA4 to analyse customer lifetime value and segment shoppers by behaviour
• Referral tracking: Implement systems to track word-of-mouth referrals
• Offline conversions: Connect online marketing efforts to in-store or phone sales

Acquisition channel priorities

• Email marketing: Small businesses claim email marketing provides the highest return on investment
• Organic search: 49% of businesses say organic search brings them the best marketing ROI
• Local search: 28% of local searches result in a purchase within 24 hours
• Content marketing and SEO: Provides the best ROI according to marketers

What are your competitors doing?

Competitive analysis requires looking beyond traditional websites to understand how competitors are adapting to AI search, voice queries and new platforms.

Modern competitor research

• AI search presence: How do competitors appear in AI Overviews and voice search results?
• Local pack performance: 7% of tracked keywords contain a Local Map Pack—are competitors dominating these results?
• Content strategy: What topics are they covering? How comprehensive is their expertise demonstration?
• Social media approach: Which platforms are they prioritising? What content performs best for them?
• Customer reviews: What are customers saying about their experience? What gaps can you fill?

Competitive advantages to identify

• Voice search optimisation: Are they optimising for conversational queries?
• Video content: How are they using video across different platforms?
• AI tool integration: Are they using AI tools effectively for content creation and personalisation?
• Customer experience: How smooth is their online-to-offline customer journey?

Do you understand your return on investment?

Understanding ROI is crucial for sustainable growth. The most valuable performance metrics to track include organic search traffic growth, especially to high-value pages. You need clear data on what marketing activities generate profitable customers.

ROI calculation essentials

• Customer lifetime value (CLV): What's the total value of a customer over their relationship with your business?
• Cost per acquisition (CPA): How much does it cost to acquire a new customer through each channel?
• Conversion rates: What percentage of leads become paying customers?
• Average order value: How much does a typical customer spend?

Budget allocation strategy

• Focus on conversion quality: Shift focus from traffic metrics to conversion quality
• Test and scale: Start with small budgets on new channels, then scale what works
• Integrated approach: SEO thrives when integrated with other marketing efforts
• Monthly reviews: Set up regular marketing reviews monthly for most small businesses, looking for trends rather than daily fluctuations

How are you adapting to AI-powered search?

AI-driven strategies now account for 75% of marketing activities, with Google's AI overviews reaching over 1 billion users in more than 100 countries. Understanding and adapting to AI search is no longer optional.

AI search optimisation checklist

• Content format: Create content that provides direct answers to common questions
• Featured snippets: 50% to 85% of sources cited in Google's AI Overviews appear in the top 10 organic search results
• Voice search compatibility: The average voice search result is only 29 words in length
• Conversational queries: Optimise for how people naturally ask questions

Alternative search platforms

• Diversified presence: Tools like SearchGPT, Perplexity, and Claude AI are growing exponentially
• Social search: 40% of Gen Z use social platforms as primary search tools
• Forum engagement: More users will look to forums like Reddit and Quora for answers, especially if put off by AI-generated replies

Practical AI integration steps

• Audit current content: Does it answer specific questions clearly and concisely?
• Optimise for snippets: Use clear headers, bullet points, and direct answers
• Monitor AI citations: Track when your content appears in AI-generated responses
• Create FAQ content: Develop comprehensive answers to common customer questions

Your next steps for digital marketing success

Now that you've completed this comprehensive audit, you should have a clear picture of where your digital marketing stands and what needs attention. Remember, consistency trumps perfection in SEO strategies—small, regular improvements will yield better results than occasional massive overhauls.

Immediate priorities (next 30 days)

1. Ensure you have access to all your digital properties
2. Set up or audit your Google Analytics 4 configuration
3. Complete and optimise your Google Business Profile
4. Conduct a basic website performance audit

Medium-term goals (next 90 days)

1. Develop a content strategy focused on E-E-A-T principles
2. Implement comprehensive conversion tracking
3. Create customer acquisition source analysis
4. Begin optimising for AI search and voice queries

Long-term strategy (6-12 months)

1. Build integrated marketing campaigns across channels
2. Develop expertise-demonstrating content regularly
3. Establish systematic competitor monitoring
4. Scale successful marketing channels based on ROI data

Getting expert support

Digital marketing can feel overwhelming, especially when you're trying to run a business simultaneously. If you need guidance implementing these strategies, sign up for our free Introduction to Digital Marketing webinar to learn more about putting an effective marketing strategy in place for your business.

Remember, the businesses that succeed with their digital marketing are those that stay active and consistently apply digital marketing best practices like updating information, earning reviews, creating quality content and building their online presence over time. Start with one or two areas where you can make the biggest impact, then gradually expand your efforts as you see results.