Audit Before You Redesign

"An audit (usually qualified as a 'site audit,' an 'e-mail marketing audit,' etc.) is a nonbiased look at your company's Web site, e-mail marketing, loyalty program, or any other part of your business that needs improvement. You know the better you design and plan a project, the easier that project will be to execute. That same logic holds true here.

Instead of jumping into a project because it's been on the backburner or is relentlessly internally championed, you must set priorities based on their anticipated lift to the business. Many companies spend millions of dollars based on the whims of executive management or on projects IT thought were 'cool,' though the projects' actual value was questionable.

In a nutshell, an audit should inventory what's good and bad with your current marketing efforts and Web site. Depending on the expertise involved, an audit should list problems with current initiatives and suggest solutions."