You know that feeling when you're driving and something just feels... off?

Maybe it's a slight vibration. A weird noise. Nothing dramatic, but your gut tells you something needs attention.

That's exactly how most DTC brands operate their marketing.

Surface-level everything looks fine. Revenue is decent. Ads are running. Emails are sending.

But underneath? Dozens of small inefficiencies are quietly bleeding profit, limiting growth, and keeping you stuck in the same revenue bracket year after year.

Here's what separates brands doing $500K from those scaling past $10M:

The million-dollar brands optimize tactics. The eight-figure brands audit systems.

Today, I'm giving you the exact 100-point audit framework our agency uses to evaluate DTC brands. It's the same checklist that helped our clients identify over $50M in hidden revenue opportunities last year.

Fair warning: This isn't a quick scan. It's a comprehensive deep-dive that will take 2-3 hours to complete properly.

But those hours could be worth millions.

☐ 1. Your target customer can be described in 3 sentences or less
☐ 2. Your unique value proposition is immediately clear to first-time visitors
☐ 3. Your pricing strategy has a clear rationale beyond "competitive analysis"
☐ 4. You can articulate your brand story in under 30 seconds
☐ 5. Your business model supports sustainable unit economics at scale

☐ 6. You monitor competitor pricing, positioning, and creative monthly
☐ 7. You know your market share within your specific category
☐ 8. You track competitor ad spend and creative themes
☐ 9. Your differentiation goes beyond features to customer outcomes
☐ 10. You have a clear view of whitespace opportunities in your market

☐ 11. Your contribution margin per customer exceeds 40%
☐ 12. Customer payback period is under 6 months
☐ 13. You track net revenue retention for repeat customers
☐ 14. Working capital requirements are mapped for growth scenarios
☐ 15. You have 6+ months of operating expenses in cash reserves

☐ 16. You launch new creative tests on a weekly schedule
☐ 17. Creative performance is measured beyond ROAS (engagement, retention, etc.)
☐ 18. You maintain a creative asset library for scaling winners
☐ 19. Creator briefs include psychological triggers, not just product features
☐ 20. You test creative variations, not just completely new concepts

☐ 21. Every piece of content serves a specific funnel objective
☐ 22. User-generated content is systematically collected and leveraged
☐ 23. Brand voice and tone guidelines are documented and followed
☐ 24. Content calendars align with business goals, not just posting frequency
☐ 25. You track content performance to customer acquisition cost

☐ 26. Creative production can scale with budget increases
☐ 27. You have relationships with 5+ reliable creators/photographers
☐ 28. Asset approval processes don't create bottlenecks
☐ 29. Creative refresh happens before fatigue sets in (not after)
☐ 30. Brand guidelines are specific enough to maintain consistency at scale

☐ 31. Email list grows by 20%+ monthly through owned channels
☐ 32. Segmentation goes beyond demographics to behavioral triggers
☐ 33. You track email-to-revenue attribution accurately
☐ 34. List health metrics (deliverability, engagement) are monitored weekly
☐ 35. Lead magnets are conversion-focused, not just value-added

☐ 36. Welcome series extends beyond 3 emails and drives measurable revenue
☐ 37. Abandoned cart sequence includes 6+ touchpoints over 14 days
☐ 38. Post-purchase sequences focus on retention, not just education
☐ 39. Re-engagement campaigns systematically win back inactive subscribers
☐ 40. Browse abandonment flows capture medium-intent visitors

☐ 41. Open rates exceed 25% for promotional emails
☐ 42. Click-through rates exceed 3% for promotional emails
☐ 43. Email generates 25%+ of total revenue
☐ 44. Subject lines are A/B tested systematically
☐ 45. Mobile optimization is prioritized (70%+ mobile open rates)

☐ 46. Ad spend is distributed across 2+ platforms to reduce dependency
☐ 47. Budget allocation aligns with customer lifetime value by channel
☐ 48. Creative testing budget represents 20%+ of total ad spend
☐ 49. Learning phase thresholds are respected (50+ conversions/week)
☐ 50. Attribution modeling accounts for cross-platform customer journeys

☐ 51. Campaign objectives align with business goals, not platform defaults
☐ 52. Audience targeting balances reach with relevance
☐ 53. Ad groups are organized for clean performance analysis
☐ 54. Bidding strategies match campaign maturity and objectives
☐ 55. Landing page alignment prevents message-match disconnect

☐ 56. Campaigns are reviewed and optimized on a set schedule (not reactively)
☐ 57. Performance trends are analyzed over 7+ day periods
☐ 58. Scaling decisions use statistical significance, not daily fluctuations
☐ 59. Negative keywords/audiences are actively managed
☐ 60. Customer acquisition cost trends are tracked by cohort and channel

☐ 61. Site loads in under 3 seconds on mobile devices
☐ 62. Navigation structure supports customer discovery and decision-making
☐ 63. Search functionality returns relevant, useful results
☐ 64. Mobile experience is optimized for thumb navigation
☐ 65. Accessibility standards are met for inclusive shopping

☐ 66. Product descriptions focus on outcomes, not just features
☐ 67. High-quality images include lifestyle and detail shots
☐ 68. Social proof is prominently displayed and regularly updated
☐ 69. Shipping, returns, and guarantee information is clear
☐ 70. Related products and upsells are strategically placed

☐ 71. Checkout can be completed in 3 steps or fewer
☐ 72. Guest checkout is available (no forced account creation)
☐ 73. Payment options include popular methods for your demographic
☐ 74. Shipping costs are transparent before checkout begins
☐ 75. Trust signals (security badges, testimonials) address checkout anxiety

☐ 76. Order confirmation goes beyond logistics to reinforce purchase decision
☐ 77. Shipping communications include tracking and delivery expectations
☐ 78. Unboxing experience reflects brand positioning and values
☐ 79. Post-delivery follow-up encourages engagement and feedback
☐ 80. Return/exchange process is clear and customer-friendly

☐ 81. Response times meet or exceed customer expectations
☐ 82. Support channels match customer communication preferences
☐ 83. Common questions are proactively addressed through content
☐ 84. Support interactions are tracked for product/experience insights
☐ 85. Customer service contributes to retention and lifetime value

☐ 86. KPIs are clearly defined and tracked consistently
☐ 87. Attribution modeling captures cross-channel customer journeys
☐ 88. Cohort analysis reveals customer behavior patterns over time
☐ 89. Data quality is validated through regular audits
☐ 90. Reporting focuses on actionable insights, not vanity metrics

☐ 91. Customer lifetime value is calculated and used for decision-making
☐ 92. Inventory forecasting incorporates marketing campaign impacts
☐ 93. Profit margins are tracked at SKU and channel levels
☐ 94. Cash flow projections account for marketing investment timing
☐ 95. Competitive intelligence informs strategic decisions

☐ 96. Fulfillment processes can handle 3x current order volume
☐ 97. Team structure supports growth without founder bottlenecks
☐ 98. Technology stack scales with business growth
☐ 99. Cash flow management supports aggressive growth investments
☐ 100. Brand positioning differentiates at scale, not just at startup phase

90-100 Points: You're operating at the level of top 1% DTC brands. Focus on optimization and scaling what's working.

80-89 Points: Strong foundation with room for improvement. Prioritize the gaps that impact revenue most directly.

70-79 Points: Solid performance with significant growth opportunities. Address foundation issues before scaling spend.

60-69 Points: Major optimization needed. Focus on fixing systems before increasing marketing investment.

Below 60 Points: Stop everything. Fix your foundation before throwing money at marketing tactics.

Don't try to fix everything at once. That's how good intentions become overwhelming projects that never get finished.

Instead:

Remember: The difference between brands that scale and brands that plateau isn't talent or luck.

It's systems.

Want our team to conduct this audit for your brand and create a prioritized action plan? Reply with "AUDIT" and I'll send you the details.

P.S. Save this checklist. Come back to it quarterly. The brands that audit regularly are the ones that scale predictably.