Can a prospective customer immediately understand why this purchase is worth the money?

Being affordable isn't the same thing as showing value. A prospective customer should quickly understand what you do, who it's for and why spending money with you will make something better, easier, faster or more enjoyable.

• Look at: your homepage, service descriptions, offers and calls to action.

• Ask yourself: Are we explaining what we sell, or why someone should care?

What are we doing to get existing customers to buy again?

Many small businesses put nearly all their marketing energy into finding the next customer. Meanwhile, the people who have already raised their hands, and their credit cards, hear nothing.

• Look at: follow-up emails, rebooking, repeat-purchase reminders, loyalty efforts and past-customer outreach.

• Ask yourself: What happens after someone buys?

Do we have an intentional system for asking happy customers for referrals and reviews?

"Most of my business comes from word of mouth" is wonderful. But word of mouth isn't a marketing strategy if you're simply waiting for it to happen. Your happiest customers want to help. You just have to make it easy for them.

• Look at: Google reviews, testimonials, referral requests and follow-up communication.

• Ask yourself: When and how are we asking?

Are we actively building and using our email database?

Social media is useful, but you don't own your followers. The platform does. Your email list is different. It's a direct line to people who already know you. And having a list isn't enough. You have to actually use it.

• Look at: list growth, segmentation, how often you send, re-engagement and calls to action.

• Ask yourself: If social media disappeared tomorrow, how would we reach our audience?

Can Google and AI clearly understand what we offer, where, for whom and why we're different?

Being online isn't the same as being findable. People are searching with longer, more specific questions, and they're asking AI tools for recommendations. Your website needs to give those systems enough information to understand your business.

• Look at: website copy, service pages, location information, FAQs, your Google Business Profile and SEO.

• Ask yourself: Could someone who has never heard of us find us while searching for the problem we solve?

Do we have enough reviews, testimonials, examples and proof to make choosing us feel safe?

When money feels tighter, a bad purchase feels riskier. Your marketing shouldn't just tell people you're good at what you do. It should help them believe it.

• Look at: reviews, testimonials, case studies, examples, credentials, photos and your process.

• Ask yourself: What evidence are we giving someone who is trying to decide whether to trust us?

Can we identify which marketing activities actually produce inquiries, customers, donations or repeat business?

You don't need a dashboard with 47 metrics. You do need some idea of what's working. Otherwise, it's very easy to keep spending time and money on something because "we've always done it."

• Look at: website traffic, email clicks, inquiries, referral sources, sales and repeat business.

• Ask yourself: If we had to cut one marketing activity tomorrow, would we know which one?