Audit Checklist - Email & SMS

Conducting an email and SMS audit when starting with a brand is essential for understanding the current performance and identifying opportunities for improvement. By reviewing key areas such as list segmentation, deliverability, compliance, messaging cadence, automation flows, and creative assets, you gain valuable insights into what is working and where gaps exist.

This audit ensures that campaigns align with best practices, resonate with the target audience, and adhere to legal standards, laying a strong foundation for optimized engagement, higher conversion rates, and sustainable growth.

Audit Checklist:

SYSTEMS & TOOLS

1. Current automations

2. List of needed automations

3. Current ESP - capabilities & limitations

4. Data integration

ONGOING MARKETING

5. Monthly email cadence

6. Monthly SMS cadence

7. Sending strategy

PROCESSES & PEOPLE

8. Current processes

9. Current people

Follow Up Questions:

1. When was the last time our welcome flow was tested?

• Can we test the hero image?

• Can we test the landing page?

• Can we test how the products are merchandised?

2. What have we done recently to optimize the pop up experience?

• Have we tested images?

• Have we tested copy?

• Have we tested collecting first party data?

3. Have we tried different welcome offers?

• What happens when we increase / decrease the first purchase discount?

• Have we tried free gift with purchase? Free shipping?

• How does the welcome offer compare to normal sitewide sales?

4. Is the post purchase flow broken up between first time buyers and repeat buyers?

• Do we tell first time buyers how to use the product?

• Are we cross selling / up selling different products in each?

• Do the flow splits merge back together or stay separate?

5. On a typical campaign, what is the % revenue from buyers vs non-buyers?

• Does this differ during sale periods?

• How long is our buyer / non buyer engagement window?

• What content converts our non-buyer base the most?

6. Are we optimizing our designs for the mobile experience?

• What % of our audience shops on mobile vs desktop?

• Is the image and text easy to read for multiple age demographics?

• Is the hero CTA above the fold?

7. Are we toggling our email / sms messaging?

• Are our messages being sent at different times?

• Are we using SMS focused copy and email focused copy respectively?

• How are we leveraging these channels to combat quiet hours?

8. When was the last time we cleaned our list?

• At what point is a non-buyer not going to convert?

• What happens to former buyers after they clear through the winback flow?

• What’s the strategy to navigate this before / after sale periods?

9. Are we sending enough emails per week?

• What % of that revenue would be made if we increased that number to 2-3 per week?

• How many of our unsubs would have stayed in the list if we sent at a regular cadence?

10. What have we done to improve acquisition & retention?

• How have we tried to increase our traffic?

• How have we tried to increase our conversion rate?

• How have we tried to increase our AOV / CLV?