A Quick Audit Case Study: Revolutionizing Digital Marketing

A couple of weeks back, the CEO of Lutronic got in touch with me. He heard us talking on Clubhouse and realized they needed help with their digital marketing. He then passed the baton to Gina, who’s the Marketing VP. If you check out Lutronic online, you’ll see they’re quite a big deal. They make cosmetic lasers that do cool stuff, like their star player AccuFit. But they’re not one-trick ponies; they’re also into skin resurfacing and a bunch of other similar equipment.

So, now we’re gearing up to meet Paul. He’s the digital marketing go-to person in their operations team. That’s quite a journey from the CEO to the marketing head, landing on Paul’s plate. We’re catching up with him over lunch soon.

When things are on the line, it’s time to meet in person. Lutronic is a big player, raking in around $120 million in South Korea. They’re focused on the U.S., where most of their online action happens. They’re redoing their website and have dipped their toes into ads, but they’re missing some basics.

Our game plan? We’re diving into their social media accounts and giving their website a thorough checkup. When you’re under pressure, this is how you roll.

Guess what? We’re diving into it right now. Our guy Anthony and digital plumbing expert Daniel have crunched some data. They’re selling these fancy laser machines to doctors, not regular folks, because these gizmos can cost a pretty penny, sometimes more than a hundred grand.

And then it’s my turn. I’m taking a close look at their online stuff. Checking out their website, comparing them to competitors, using some handy tools we have. Now that Paul has shared their social media info, we’re doing a quick check, the kind that doesn’t need special access. Here are the steps that need to be taken in a quick audit of this type:

1. Understanding the Business

Prior to diving into a quick audit, it’s absolutely crucial to get inside the headspace of your client – understanding their goals, content, and targeting. Let’s break down why this understanding rocks at each step of the game:

Goals:
Kicking off the audit means syncing up with your client’s big-picture goals. It’s like tuning in to their frequency. Without nailing down what they’re shooting for, any metrics you pick might be as useful as a broken compass. Different businesses have different aspirations – whether it’s turbocharging traffic, smashing conversion records, or shining a spotlight on their brand. This goal clarity sets the stage for metrics that matter.

Content:
When you’re in the analysis zone, digging deep into their content strategy is like being the Sherlock Holmes of marketing. Understanding the kind of content they’re throwing out there, the vibe they’re channeling, and where they’re showing up is pure gold. It’s like deciphering their secret code. This knowledge lets you read the performance metrics like a seasoned cryptographer – revealing what’s creating ripples, mapping to goals, and deserves a standing ovation.

Targeting:
Knowing their audience breakdown, their likes, dislikes, and online hangouts is like holding the ultimate treasure map. It’s like speaking their language. These insights guide your moves – whether it’s supercharging ad placements, crafting magnetic ad copy, or aiming your marketing firepower at the right crowd. With this intel, your actions are laser-focused and ready to make waves.

To put it straight, wrapping your head around your client’s goals, content strategy, and targeting is like the secret sauce for a quick audit. This understanding doesn’t just make your audit another checkbox exercise – it turns it into a strategic roadmap custom-fit for your client’s dreams and goals. Now that’s what I call playing the digital marketing game like a rockstar!

So, now that we are armed with a clear understanding of the client’s GCT, let’s first dive into their website and see how that’s performing.

2. Website Performance and Digital Plumbing

Alright, let’s dive into their website and take a look at the plumbing setup they’ve got going on. Hang tight, I’ve got the visuals right here.

First things first, their domain rank is off the charts – a whopping 60. To put it in perspective, Blitzmetrics.com is at 62, so these guys are riding high. They’ve got a solid grip on 1,700 keywords. And check this out, they’ve got a healthy collection of backlinks, around 6,400, spread across 1,100 different domains. Now, when you’re in the global arena, aiming for that 50-plus range is the name of the game, and they’re right in the mix.

But let’s take a closer peek at their page. It’s just an 18. Here’s the scoop: it’s nestled in a subdomain, specifically a double subdomain, “us.aesthetic.lutronic. Now, if it were simply lutronic, they could be rubbing shoulders with that 60 score. The deal is, this 18 is not just one-third as strong – we’re talking four orders of magnitude weaker. Wrap your head around this: we’re talking 10,000 times less punch, and this is all on a logarithmic scale. You know, every 10 is a whole new world of power.

quick audit

Hold on, there’s more. The Facebook pixel? Nah, they’re not showing that off.

quick audit

And their tags? Yeah, they’re kind of on the fritz. They’ve got this tag manager situation going on, probably a bit out of place. And guess what, Google Analytics is missing in action. Plus, they owned up – Google remarketing isn’t in their toolkit. Now, in the medical realm, that’s something you can play with or opt out of.

No oogle tags

So there you have it, a snapshot of the digital plumbing on their site. It’s like peeking under the hood and finding some parts missing. Time to roll up your sleeves and give this setup a proper check!

Using the Developer Tools

Alright, let’s have a bit of fun and dig into the nuts and bolts of their website. No fancy extensions this time – we’re diving into the developer tools. First, we’re going mobile. Hit that reload button, and let’s check out what’s cooking in the network.

So, we’re looking at 32 requests and a total of 3.8 megabytes on the menu. And you know what’s adding some weight? That flashy rotating graphic show they’ve got going on. Now, let’s switch gears and jump into desktop mode. A quick reload to see if it grooves differently on the bigger stage. And voila, we’re looking at nine megabytes for 25 requests.

Next stop, LIGHTHOUSE – Google’s premium speed insights tool. You’ve heard of it, right?

Our golden rule? Keep those scores above 90 on both counts. But you know what usually messes up the party? Yep, those sneaky images. They can be the reason your website’s dragging its feet.

Speaking of feet-dragging, Google’s all about that mobile-first index stuff. It’s like they’re repeating it in stereo. And guess what? When we peek into Google Search Console, we’re still playing by the same rules – keeping things out in the open, part one of our quick audit saga.

But here’s the kicker – the scores are taking a hit. Why? It’s like a neon sign above the door. The first bite of content takes ages to show up. Reaction time? A whopping 14 seconds. Now, be honest – would you stick around for 14 seconds waiting for a website to show its face? Yeah, didn’t think so.

Now, let’s talk about the loading stages. We’ve got three amigos here. First, the “time to first bite,” usually the behind-the-scenes stuff. Then, the usability time – about five or six seconds in. Last but not least, the grand finale – full load, which can take a sweet 15 seconds. So when people say a site’s slow, what’s the deal? The initial response, that “first bite,” the usable moment, or the full shebang? And guess what? We’re lagging behind in all these departments.

Google’s not holding back – they’re handing out grades, and it’s a 25 for mobile. Ouch, that’s a “terrible” sign. On a desktop, it’s a different story, 58. Still, “terrible” isn’t far off.

Google insights mobile
Google insights Desktop

And here’s the scoop – nobody’s got the patience for a slow-loading website. It’s like a classic catch-22. A slow site equals fewer visitors, which leads to even fewer conversions and engagement. So, back to the drawing board, we go!

Now, let’s switch to desktop mode and ditch that Chrome extension. Developer tools, you’re up – let’s roll!

Other Tools

So, check it out, I’ve got a bunch of tools in my bag – SEO Quake, for starters, which is totally free. You know, the DIY route – always an option. And what are we looking at here? 406 pages on the domain across all the different things they do? Bing and Yahoo got a bit more going on, but Google’s playing it tight with their index. Now, I’m thinking 406’s a bit on the low side. For national sites, we’re talking over a thousand, and if you’re keeping it local, maybe even 100.

406 Google index

And let’s play around with this – you know, the good old “site:” trick and what’s the verdict? 496 results. And here are the top pages.

Alright, there you have it – a handful of simple fixes on the horizon. We can peek at this from an SEO perspective, give it a good ol’ scrub, and get those gears turning!

Keywords Review

Alright, let’s dive into the keyword playground and see what’s sizzling at the top. No surprises, they’ve got the crown when it comes to ranking for their own name – a solid number one spot.

Backlinks and Referring Domains

Okay, so let’s look at these 6,400 backlinks and look at how powerful they are in terms of their domain rank.

Using SEO Tools

On switching over to another tool, SemRush, for delving deeper into the analysis, this is what we find:

And here’s another tool SpyFlu and this is what is shows:

Review of Content

Review of the content on the client’s website and social media channels not only helps in understanding the business and the products and services they offer, but also reveal opportunities for improvements on how the content is created, distributed, boosted, and optimized.

For example, for this client, the human touch was missing because, at the end of the day, humans do business with humans. So, an interactive video will play a good role here.

Here’s a review of the content on their website and social media channels:

By reviewing their content, you could also suggest additional services or products the client could offer once you have a good understanding of their business, as I did here:

The conclusion from the Quick Audit

You know, there’s a real opportunity here to level up their content game. The path forward is clear: enhance the content quality, fine-tune their boosting strategies, and seamlessly integrate these enhancements into blog posts. This is how we supercharge our search engine optimization prowess. Moreover, transitioning from a subdomain setup to a subfolder structure under their main domain – a move that could significantly amplify their online presence.

On another note, it’s imperative that they address the plumbing and tracking aspects. We’re talking about having a rock-solid system in place to meticulously monitor every aspect of their efforts.

This comprehensive approach forms the foundation of our proposal of $100K for six months of work to the client.

Backing the Numbers

So, you might ask —when you’re about to pitch them your quote of a hundred grand over six months, how are you going to substantiate that? What’s your approach to conveying the tangible outcomes they’ll gain? How do you put a solid value on the specific results they can expect?

Piece of cake. We’re diving right into their sales growth trajectory and projecting what a 10%, 20%, or 30% increase would translate to. We’re tapping into their historical sales data from the past few years.

In the last three years, they’ve gone from a couple million a year in sales to 30 or 40 million. They’ve essentially been doubling their figures annually with a relatively small team. This means we need to build on their existing momentum.

If they’ve been growing by 50% every year, and we’re like, “Yeah, we can get you a 10% bump,” they’re going to chuckle. We’ve got to factor in their profit margins as well. For instance, if they’re selling a machine for a hundred grand, what does that translate to in terms of potential gains? This is where we go back to the goals, content, and targeting.

Perhaps there’s room to optimize their margins, like they can sell that same machine for 30 grand, and even with marketing expenses, it remains a lucrative deal. But then again, this all depends. We have to be conscious that the lower-end laser market, due to the influx of Chinese and Turkish competitors, might not be as lucrative. We’ve got to be aware of those margins.

Now, remember, even though it might sound like a fundamental aspect of business, people often overlook it. If someone is handing us a dollar, we’ve got to generate three, four, maybe even five additional dollars for them—heck, perhaps even ten.

So, if we’re throwing out a hundred-grand proposition, we better have the metrics to show that it translates to half a million or even a few million in returns. They did a cool 120 million in the previous year. So, imagine telling them, “Hey, you pulled in 120 million, and with our assistance, you’re looking at an extra million next year.” I mean, that just doesn’t cut it, does it? Especially when it’s the CEO you’re talking to. We can’t stroll up to the CEO and be like, “Hey, we’ve got this nifty package for $2,500.” They’d give us the side-eye, thinking, “These folks aren’t for real.”

We have more content on how we do a quick audit. And how you can use social media to boost your website’s SEO

Dennis Yu
Dennis Yu
Dennis Yu is co-author of the #1 best-selling book on Amazon in social media, The Definitive Guide to TikTok Ads.  He has spent a billion dollars on Facebook ads across his agencies and agencies he advises. Mr. Yu is the "million jobs" guy-- on a mission to create one million jobs via hands-on social media training, partnering with universities and professional organizations.You can find him quoted in major publications and on television such as CNN, the Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, NPR, and LA Times. Clients have included Nike, Red Bull, the Golden State Warriors, Ashley Furniture, Quiznos-- down to local service businesses like real estate agents and dentists. He's spoken at over 750 conferences in 20 countries, having flown over 6 million miles in the last 30 years to train up young adults and business owners. He speaks for free as long as the organization believes in the job-creation mission and covers business class travel.You can find him hiking tall mountains, eating chicken wings, and taking Kaqun oxygen baths-- likely in a city near you.