This was one of the audits I enjoyed most. A manufacturer moving production back to the UK, making it the only large producer of its kind in the country. Instruments used by professional and amateur musicians worldwide, costing hundreds to thousands of pounds each. Their biggest growth market was Japan. A sponsored musical group had
Not every business that came through the programme was struggling. One was already number one in its sector nationally. Turnover had grown from eight million to thirty million in five years. Profitability had tripled. They were, by any measure, winning. So why did they want a digital audit? A different kind of brief The brief
For most of the 55 businesses I audited, the website was a marketing channel. A way to get found, generate enquiries, build credibility. Important, but not the whole business. For some of them, the website was the business. Every transaction, every customer interaction, every pound of revenue flowed through it. When the website breaks, the
Six of the 55 businesses I audited were charities or community organisations. A community energy group helping residents cut fuel costs. A mental health charity supporting ten thousand people a year with a hundred and twenty staff. A philanthropic foundation connecting businesses with families in need. A community facilities provider with three employees and almost
Some of the most interesting audits I did were for creative businesses. A photographer with international recognition. An illustrator building a personalised clothing brand. A theatre company pivoting to digital delivery. A designer running workshops for corporate clients. The irony was painful. These were people whose work is visual, expressive and often brilliant. And their
Seven of the 55 businesses I audited were manufacturers. Injection moulding, lifting equipment, heating systems, joinery, containers. Businesses where the product is physical, the expertise runs deep and the words "digital marketing" can feel like they belong to a different world entirely. What I found was that manufacturers don't have the same digital problems as
Situation A mid sized UK foreign exchange and international money transfer firm, with a sister brand handling emigration content for lead generation. Two websites, two audiences (private clients and corporate), one small in-house marketing team. Operating in a crowded category against competitors with much larger budgets, and against comparison sites that owned the top of
20/55 businesses had case studies recommended. Almost none had written any. One had ‘loads of case studies in her head but never put pen to paper.’ A jeweller with worldwide reputation had product photos but nothing about bespoke commissions. A training company had changed outcomes for organisations but the proof lived in the founder’s memory.
37/55 had social media issues. Two distinct problems. Group A: businesses that weren’t doing anything (set up a page three years ago, posted a few things, went quiet). Group B: businesses that were posting a lot but saying nothing (motivational quotes, ‘Happy Friday!’, shared content with no commentary). Both groups had the same result: no
38/55 were using spreadsheets. 11 were on paper files. One business had its entire client base in a locked filing cabinet in one building. Frame the spectrum: some businesses genuinely don’t need a CRM yet (5 clients, simple service). Most of the businesses I audited had outgrown their spreadsheet months or years ago but hadn’t