DODSON Management Consulting

DODSON MC

The Digital Basics Audit:

Laying the Foundation for Digital Marketing Success

In today’s rapidly evolving digital landscape, success in marketing and advertising is no longer a game of guesswork. Businesses need a solid foundation to ensure their efforts convert traffic into tangible results. That’s where the Digital Basics Audit, as championed by SourceLocalMedia.com, DodsonMC.com, and EmpowerLocal.com, comes in—a systematic and thorough approach to evaluating and improving your digital presence.

By Kip Dodson

Co-developed by Steve Ludwig and Kip Dodson, the Digital Basics Audit doesn’t just identify gaps in your digital strategy; it equips businesses with actionable insights to fix them, setting the stage for long-term growth. Here’s how it works and why it’s an essential tool for modern businesses.

What Is the Digital Basics Audit?

At its core, the Digital Basics Audit is a comprehensive evaluation of your online presence. It focuses on four critical areas:

  1. Digital Directories and Profiles
    Accurate, consistent, and up-to-date business information – managed properly – across ALL major directories (Google, Bing, Yelp, etc.) is essential. Mismatched or incomplete details can harm your credibility and make it harder for customers to find you – not to mention drive them away.  You see many directories and sub-directories are overlooked but crucial.  Think of all the Maps programs, TripAdvisor, Next Door, Rated MDs or OpenTable – do you have those covered?  Customers get confused and the business doesn’t even know its happening.   Worse, Google, Bing and Meta rank you lower in free-organic-search – and then tell you to pay more for pay-for-click that’s not working as well as it should be.  When you are not populated properly it reduces your results.  Most don’t even know the proper approach.  Then the algorithms change, so results decline even more.  The cycle gets worse.
  2. Website and SEO Performance
    A user-friendly, mobile-responsive website paired with optimized SEO ensures that customers not only find you but also stay engaged. The audit evaluates page load times, navigation, use of chat-bots, can people book an appointment and start services, keyword rankings, and more to ensure your website is working as your best salesperson, 24 – 7 – 365.
  3. Social Media, Email and SMS/Text Strategies
    The audit reviews your approach to social media engagement, email marketing and text messaging, ensuring all are effectively driving awareness and real sales conversions. Are you offering the right ways to book and buy to your audience – at the right time of day?  Are your campaigns bringing measurable sales conversions and results that your marketing partner reviews with you weekly?
  4. Reviews, Reputation Management and use of Net Promoter Score
    Online reviews and your responses to them are the new word-of-mouth marketing that doesn’t increase your advertising expenses. The audit ensures your business is proactive in managing reviews, boosting your reputation, preventing client issues before they happen, constantly improving sales conversions and building trust with potential clients at all hours of the day.

Why It Matters

The Digital Basics Audit is the starting point for any business looking to improve its digital marketing performance. Without a solid foundation, even the most innovative marketing strategies will struggle to yield results.  Today, we suggest you STOP all your marketing and advertising spending until you defined your Digital Basics Score using the Digital Basics Audit to define your areas of improvement.

Here’s why this process is essential:

  • Increased Visibility: Perfecting your advertising and marketing budgets ensures your business shall be offering exactly what customers want at the time they want it – and you will see if its working or not.  You will see the GAPS and what’s working with greater VISIBILITY.
  • Enhanced Credibility: A polished online presence—complete with positive reviews and a seamless website experience—builds trust with your audience.  They buy without person-to-person engagements.  Better yet, they refer you to friends at a faster pace…..without more advertising and marketing budget.
  • Stronger, Growing Conversions: By aligning your digital basics with the right messaging and targeting, you’ll see more traffic converting into paying customers.  Not to mention, you will start to see how to make booking and buying from you even easier.

DodsonMC’s Unique Approach

The Bullseye Method, using the Source Formula combined with Digital Basics.  Source Formula—a proven method combining Targeting, Messaging, Reach, and Results.  You see, poor Digital Basics are like a clogged pipeline.  Ideal Digital Basics are like increasing the size of the and pipe and flow together.  Sales conversions made simple, but you must follow The Bullseye Method.  

The Source Formula ensures that businesses not only attract traffic but convert it effectively by:

  • Identifying the right audience (Targeting).
  • Crafting compelling, authentic communication (Messaging).
  • Amplifying their presence through multiple channels (Reach).
  • Delivering measurable success metrics (Results).

Furthermore, SourceLocalMedia.com and DodsonMC.com goes beyond the basics by continuously monitoring and refining these elements, ensuring sustained growth over time.

EmpowerLocal.com: Strengthening Communities Through Digital Mastery

EmpowerLocal.com, our nationwide publisher network, plays a crucial role in this ecosystem by helping local businesses connect with their communities beyond Google and Meta – using hyper local publishers that are only accessible through the EmpowerLocal network.  By leveraging the insights from the Digital Basics Audit, our resources enable businesses to create hyper-targeted campaigns that resonate locally, driving both online and offline engagement.

The Bottom Line

The Digital Basics Audit isn’t just a checklist; it’s a roadmap for digital success. Whether you’re a small local business or a national brand, this foundational approach ensures your digital strategy is primed for growth, profitability, and customer satisfaction.

If you’re ready to transform your digital presence and build a foundation for success, connect with SourceLocalMedia.com, DodsonMC.com, or EmpowerLocal.com today. Together, we’ll ensure your business stands out in the crowded digital marketplace.

Learn more about Digital Basics and the Source Formula

Visit DodsonMC.com, EmpowerLocal.com, or SourceLocalMedia.com for more insights and to schedule your own Digital Basics Audit.

The founder and managing partner of DodsonMC who brings: 32 years of experience enhancing operations for Fortune 500 companies. A Vanderbilt Executive MBA and an Industrial Engineering undergraduate degree. Over 20 years of success in owning and growing his own businesses. A vast network of partners that have driven accelerated results.
Kip Dodson
Kip DodsonFounder

STOP! On many measures you should STOP your advertising and marketing plans right now.

Your strategy should change. Before you do it, consider the Source Score, Digital Basics Score, Net Promoter Score and who you have on your team right now.

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Your Roadmap to Top 1% Industry Performance

Discover how the Source Score, co-created by DodsonMC, can transform your business. The Source Score is more than just a metric—it's a comprehensive roadmap designed to help you achieve top-tier industry performance.

Key Features:

Foundation Tool: Our journey begins with the Source’ Digital Diagnostic Tool, essential for evaluating your current position before investing in new technology, capital improvements, or marketing strategies.
Why It Matters: Why It Matters: In today’s rapidly evolving digital landscape, the Source Score helps determine your readiness to adapt and succeed.
Proven ROI: By following the Source Score roadmap, you can clearly see and measure your return on investment as you progress.
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