Scoring methodology

Six dimensions. Weighted by industry.
Benchmarked against the market.

Every business gets a Marketing Score built from machine-observed data, structured self-report and qualitative signals. Here is how it works.

DigitalAcquisitionConversionRetentionBrandData

All-industry average scores across 70+ verticals

Score ranges

Scores run 0 to 100 per dimension. Below 50 means capability is underdeveloped relative to your industry. Above 70 means you are genuinely strong. The all-industry average sits around the midpoint, but most industries cluster between 40 and 60.

Low0 to 50
Medium50 to 70
High70 to 85
Very High85 to 100
Avg: 64

The six dimensions

Each dimension answers a specific question about your marketing capability. Together they give a complete picture, not just traffic or brand or spend, but all six working together.

Digital MaturityAvg: 66

Can your team measure what is working?

Analytics, tracking, tech stack

The infrastructure that lets you see what is happening. Not just whether you have analytics installed, but whether the data flowing through it is structured, actionable and connected.

What we look at
GA4 event architecture and custom dimensionsTag manager implementation and pixel coverageCore Web Vitals and site performanceCMS and hosting infrastructure quality
Strong looks like

Full attribution across channels. Sub-2s page loads. Event tracking on every meaningful interaction. Testing tools active.

Weak looks like

Basic pageview tracking only. No event structure. Manual reporting from screenshots. Cannot answer "which channel drove that sale" without guessing.

Highest average:B2B SaaS & Software77
Acquisition PerformanceAvg: 63

How are new customers finding you?

Traffic sources, SEO, ads, content

How visible you are and how efficiently you attract attention. Measures the breadth and quality of your traffic sources, not just volume.

What we look at
Channel diversification and dependency riskOrganic search trend direction (growing, flat, declining)Paid media efficiency and spend allocationContent velocity and social presence
Strong looks like

Four or more active channels. Growing organic traffic. Efficient paid campaigns. Regular content production with measurable distribution.

Weak looks like

Single-channel dependent. Declining organic. No content engine. All growth requires ad spend.

Highest average:Landscaping & Garden Services75
Conversion EfficiencyAvg: 63

When someone visits, do they take action?

Site speed, UX, CTAs, landing pages

Whether traffic converts into outcomes. The best acquisition in the world is wasted if visitors leave without doing anything.

What we look at
Mobile site speed and responsivenessCTA clarity and form frictionLanding page structure and testingEcommerce funnel metrics (cart-to-purchase, view-to-purchase)
Strong looks like

Sub-3s mobile load. Clear CTAs above the fold. Tested landing pages. Conversion rate tracking per channel.

Weak looks like

5s+ load times. Buried CTAs. No dedicated landing pages. Cannot tell which pages convert and which leak.

Highest average:B2B SaaS & Software74
Retention & LoyaltyAvg: 62

Do customers come back without you paying again?

Email, loyalty, repeat customers

Your ability to retain customers and generate repeat revenue without paying acquisition costs again. The most underinvested dimension across Australian businesses.

What we look at
Email infrastructure and automation sequencesReturn visitor rate and repeat purchase rateCRM and loyalty program signalsReview velocity and customer advocacy
Strong looks like

Active email sequences. 30%+ return visitor rate. Loyalty or referral program running. Growing review count.

Weak looks like

No email list. Sub-10% return rate. No reactivation flow. Customers churn silently.

Highest average:B2B SaaS & Software77
Brand & PositioningAvg: 64

Would a customer choose you and know why?

Positioning, search volume, differentiation

Whether your market knows you exist and understands why you are different. Brand is not a logo. It is whether someone searches your name unprompted.

What we look at
Branded search volume and trendGoogle rating and review countSocial media presence and engagementCompetitive differentiation signals
Strong looks like

Growing brand searches. 4.5+ star rating with review velocity. Clear market position that customers can articulate.

Weak looks like

Zero brand searches. No reviews or low ratings. Indistinguishable from competitors. Competing on price only.

Highest average:Funeral Services & Memorial74
Data & TrackingAvg: 58

Are decisions based on evidence or gut feel?

Attribution, testing, automation

Whether your marketing decisions are informed by data or driven by opinion. The dimension that separates businesses that improve from businesses that repeat.

What we look at
Attribution model sophisticationA/B testing and experimentation cadenceMarketing automation and workflow toolsReporting cadence and data accessibility
Strong looks like

Multi-touch attribution. Active A/B testing program. Automated reporting. Data accessible to decision makers.

Weak looks like

No attribution. No testing. Gut-feel decisions. Monthly reports that nobody reads.

Highest average:EdTech & Online Learning Platforms69

Compare any two industries

Different industries weight dimensions differently. A SaaS company and a plumbing business face completely different marketing challenges. Pick two industries and see how their profiles compare.

vs
DigitalAcquisitionConversionRetentionBrandData
Accounting & Financial AdvisoryAged Care & Disability Services (NDIS)
DimensionAccounting & F..Aged Care & Di..Gap
Digital6761+6
Acquisition6357+6
Conversion6257+5
Retention7365+8
Brand6463+1
Data55550
Composite6660+6
Biggest gap: Retention (8 points). Accounting & Financial Advisory leads.
Explore all benchmarks

Common questions

We score your business across six dimensions, each weighted differently based on your industry. The composite Marketing Score is a weighted average of these six scores. Weights are calibrated from scoring 700+ Australian businesses.

Machine-observed signals (GA4, Search Console, Google Ads, site scan, Core Web Vitals) carry the most weight. We supplement with structured self-report data from the intake quiz and qualitative signals from the chat session. More connected data sources means a more precise score.

A SaaS business lives or dies by its conversion funnel and data infrastructure. A local trades business depends on brand reputation and being found. We calibrate weights to reflect what actually drives growth in each vertical, not a one-size-fits-all formula.

After any significant change to your marketing: new website, campaign launch, agency switch, rebrand. Most businesses benefit from quarterly scoring to track trajectory. The score is a snapshot of capability, not a grade that expires.

Yes. Your scorecard benchmarks you against your industry average and the 700+ businesses in our dataset. Hub users can also add specific competitors for head-to-head comparison with estimated scores and confidence intervals.

A low score in one dimension is normal and expected. It means that specific capability is underdeveloped relative to what Australian businesses in your industry typically have. The most useful information is which dimension is lowest and whether it is the one that matters most for your industry.

Sign up to get your Marketing Score. The scorecard, benchmarks and Hub co-pilot are included. We are a marketing intelligence consultancy. The tool proves our expertise. Consulting is what you buy when you want the people behind it working on your business.

Most audits give you a checklist or a PDF. We give you a scored, benchmarked, industry-weighted assessment built on live data. Then we tell you the one thing to fix this month. Not twelve things. One thing.

See where you stand

Get your Marketing Score. Benchmarked against your industry. One clear priority to act on this month.

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