The Paid Marketing Audit

What it covers

The Paid Audit works through 142 individual points across 11 sections, following the customer journey from the moment a visitor first encounters the brand through to post-purchase retention. It combines live site observation, analytics data, ad account review, email platform analysis, and a structured client interview.

Every finding is supported by evidence. Every recommendation is specific and actionable. The report clearly separates quick wins from medium-term improvements and strategic priorities so you always know what to do first.

Section A: Technical and Speed

–     Page load speed on mobile and desktop with Lighthouse scores

–     SSL certificate and browser security

–     Navigation behaviour on desktop and mobile

–     Broken links across key pages

–     Image loading quality and lazy loading on category pages

Section B: Brand and Positioning

This is the most commercially significant section in the audit. It combines a structured client interview with live site and social channel observation. It covers:

–     Whether the brand communicates a clear, specific, and compelling reason to buy over every alternative

–     Audience definition and whether the site speaks to the right person with enough specificity

–     Differentiation: what the brand does better than competitors and whether that is provable

–     Messaging clarity across the homepage, product pages, and social channels

–     Brand voice consistency from first impression to post-purchase

–     Whether the positioning has ever been formally defined and written down

–     Power Brand Assessment: a proprietary six-attribute evaluation developed by Forty & Co that measures brand strength across identity, differentiation, audience alignment, proof, voice, and consistency. This assessment identifies whether the brand has the foundations to scale and where the structural gaps are.

Section C: Homepage

–     Bounce rate benchmarked against industry standard

–     Hero image and value proposition above the fold

–     Social proof visibility and best-seller placement

–     Email capture mechanism and offer

–     Visitor routing and whether the homepage is designed for new visitors or assumes familiarity

Section D: New vs Returning Visitor Experience

–     Personalisation for returning visitors

–     First-time visitor capture mechanisms and offer relevance

–     Trust-building journey for new visitors

–     Loyalty recognition for returning customers

–     Whether new and returning visitors are treated differently across the site and email

Section E: Category Pages

–     Bounce rates across all categories

–     Product sort order and bestseller placement

–     Out-of-stock handling, filtering, and missing filters

–     Category header images and visual consistency

–     Product range depth and mobile tile display

Section F: Product Pages

The most detailed section in the audit with 24 individual points including:

–     Add to basket rate benchmarked against category standard

–     Button placement, cart confirmation, and pre-selection behaviour

–     Elevator pitch copy, price position, delivery info, and in-stock signals

–     Review placement, imagery quality and range, and product description clarity

–     Scarcity signals, Q&A, size guide placement, and sticky Add to Cart

–     Trust signals and full mobile experience review

Section G: Basket and Checkout

–     Basket to checkout rate and checkout to order completion rate, both benchmarked

–     Button placement, trust icons, delivery display, and returns visibility

–     Payment options, secure language, guest checkout, and exit intent

–     Layout, discount code position, live chat, and full mobile checkout review

Section H: Email and Data Capture

–     Email popup timing, offer, and capture rate

–     Footer, page-level, exit intent, and gated capture mechanisms

–     All active automation flows reviewed with send volume, click rates, and conversion rates

–     Abandonment email timing, sequence length, subject lines, sender name, and CTA language

Section I: Trust, Social Proof and Guarantees

–     Review placement, verification, and star rating visibility

–     Press mentions, guarantees, and returns policy visibility

–     Founder and team presence and brand story quality

Section J: Retention and Lifetime Value

–     Estimated LTV, cohort analysis, and repeat purchase rhythm

–     Second sale strategy, loyalty scheme, and win-back strategy

–     High-LTV product identification, AOV trajectory, and upsell activity

–     Return rate monitoring and delivery threshold optimisation

Section K: Paid Traffic and Social Media

–     Google Ads brand search, Shopping feed, and Merchant Center health

–     Facebook and Meta ad types, CTRs, pixel health, and remarketing campaigns

–     Custom audiences in Google and Meta

–     Social content mix, video, UGC, and cross-channel positioning consistency

–     Underused brand assets and missed content opportunities

What you get

A full branded written report structured as follows:

–     Executive summary with the three headline findings and a priority action table

–     Performance metrics dashboard benchmarked against industry standards

–     Full brand and positioning assessment

–     Section-by-section findings in evidence-based tables with pass, fail, or partial ratings and a written observation for every point

–     Traffic and marketing channel review

–     Retention and lifetime value analysis

–     Quick wins table: actions that can be taken this week with no development resource

–     Phased next steps plan across immediate, 30-day, and 60 to 90-day horizons