What to Check Before You Invest 👉 Download the full checklist here:
Before actively investing in dealer digital marketing, it is essential to make sure you fully control your digital assets.
This basic checklist helps prevent common risks that later lead to loss of money, time, data, and control.
The full checklist is available for download via the link below.
Why This Checklist Matters
Many issues in digital marketing do not come from poor advertising performance, but from unresolved technical and organizational details.
At first glance, they may seem minor, but over time they become critical obstacles to growth, scalability, and security.
Block 1 — Domain and Website
The company’s domain name should be paid for at least two to three years in advance. Renewal reminders must be set in the calendar or phone of the responsible person.
A common scenario: the domain expires, the registrar sends notifications, emails land in spam, and the website is taken offline. This often happens during peak season or an active advertising campaign.
It is also critical to verify who legally owns the domain and who is listed as the registrar. In many cases, a third-party agency both built the website and registered the domain, making them the legal owner. This creates a direct risk of losing control.
Brand Protection
If the budget allows, purchase protective domains — names similar to your primary domain. This prevents third parties from registering confusingly similar addresses.
If your brand name can be spelled in different ways or is often misspelled, secure common variations (with and without hyphens, different endings, typical typos). These domains are inexpensive but significantly reduce confusion, customer loss, and reputation risks.
Block 2 — Ownership of Digital Assets
Clearly verify who owns:
YouTube channels
Facebook pages
Instagram and TikTok accounts
Advertising accounts
It is not enough to have login credentials. Ownership must legally belong to the company, not to a former employee, marketer, or external contractor.
Block 3 — Access Security
All key accounts must have two-factor authentication enabled as a standard practice.
Limit the number of administrators and clearly separate roles:
Administrator
Editor
Analyst
Access rights should be reviewed regularly.
Block 4 — Email and Core Accounts
Check which email address is used to register the domain and social media accounts. The email must belong to the company, not an individual employee.
Corporate email should include:
Backup access
Two-factor authentication
Clear ownership by the company
Block 5 — Advertising Accounts and Payment Details
Verify:
Who owns the advertising accounts
Which payment cards are connected
Who can modify budgets
Advertising may run smoothly for months, but in critical situations companies often discover they do not control the account, billing history, or data.
Block 6 — Google Business Profile
Confirm ownership and access to the Google Business Profile (Google Maps listing).
Check:
Who is the owner
Who has administrator rights
Whether the company controls access
For many dealers, this is a primary source of traffic, calls, and reviews.
Block 7 — Analytics and Pixels
Verify ownership of:
Google Analytics
Google Tag Manager
Advertising pixels (e.g. Meta Pixel)
These assets must belong to the company. Losing access means losing historical performance data, which cannot be recovered.
Block 8 — Data and Consent Requirements
Especially relevant in Europe.
Ensure the website has:
Proper cookie consent configuration
A privacy policy
A clear process for handling inquiries and data
Even without deep legal involvement, basic compliance must be in place.
Block 9 — Content and Source Files
Understand where original photo and video files are stored, who has access, and who legally owns the content.
Content is a business asset. If all source files remain with a contractor, the company does not fully own them.
Block 10 — Internal Responsibility
A specific responsible person must be appointed. This person should:
Know where all assets are registered
Understand responsibilities
Be able to restore access
Control renewals, security, and risks
Without this role, digital assets remain effectively ownerless.
Internal Digital Governance
Create a short internal digital governance document (5–10 pages) that defines:
Roles and responsibilities (RACI table)
Where access credentials are stored (e.g. corporate password manager)
Procedures for employee termination or contractor changes
A checklist covering access revocation, password changes, asset transfer, and recovery procedures
Quarterly Audit
Implement a quarterly audit.
Once per quarter, the responsible person completes this checklist and reports to management in writing.
This process takes only a few hours but prevents serious long-term problems.
Final Thought
These details often seem insignificant — until growth, advertising, or business security depends on them. Verifying domains, ownership, and access is the first step before any digital marketing investment. Without it, further spending remains a risk.