TL;DR: Growth expert Joe Benson shared three adjustments that helped a new owner boost inbound leads by 127% and slash cost-per-lead within a month. Below you’ll find the exact steps, real before/after numbers, and a link to claim a free “Growth Roast” audit so you can apply the same wins to the company you just bought—or plan to buy.

Digital Marketing Masterclass: Key Insights from Joe Benson's Expert AMA

On May 13th, 2025, the EBIT Searcher Community hosted Joe Benson, co-founder of Eversite, for a deep-dive discussion on digital marketing strategies post-acquisition. With 22 years of experience building digital marketing engines for companies in their $1M to $10M growth phase, Joe provided our community with battle-tested insights that directly impact the bottom line.

Joe's unique perspective comes from helping over 500 clients generate more than $500M in sales through strategic digital marketing. His agency specifically focuses on the crucial growth phase—where foundational marketing systems either propel companies to scale or become bottlenecks to expansion.

The Digital Marketing Assessment Framework: What Joe Actually Looks For

When asked about the first tools and reports he pulls during diligence, Joe was refreshingly direct: "The first thing we recommend is confirming your website quality. Is it functional? Is the messaging not only accurate, but conversion minded? Is it mobile friendly and secure? It's important to attack this from a sales psychology perspective rather than simply an aesthetic one."

His recommended audit covers four key areas:

• Website Technical Health: Functionality, mobile responsiveness, security

• Organic Digital Presence: Search rankings, Google My Business optimization, traffic analysis

• Paid Advertising Performance: Existing campaigns, ROAS, attribution tracking

• CRM and Lead Management Systems: Lead capture mechanisms, follow-up processes, conversion tracking

Joe emphasized a crucial point that many miss: "We could spend hours on how to take inventory of your existing marketing, but in short... at the end of the day what matters most are these three KPIs: How many qualified leads am I receiving from marketing efforts? What marketing services am I getting these leads from? How much is a qualified lead costing me (and is it worth it)?"

Three Immediate Wins for Newly Acquired Businesses

When Meh asked about quick wins for searchers, Joe outlined three changes that deliver measurable results within days, not months:

1. Fix Your Headlines (Stop the Fluffy Nonsense)

"Make sure you have clear primary headings (avoid the terribly vague, generic ones like 'Discover Our Solutions'... get to the point)," Joe advised.

He shared specific examples from his client portfolio:

• "Stop Chasing Your Accountant" (Appletree) - immediately communicates the pain point

• "Reliable, Stress-Free Moving" (Trailblazer) - addresses the two biggest customer concerns

• "Craft Your Fresh Salad" (Salad Station) - action-oriented and specific

2. Add Real Social Proof

"You must have social proof (there are lots of ways to do this, some examples include client testimonials, recognizable logos, quality photography, etc.)," Joe explained. He stressed that trust is the biggest barrier to online conversion—people need evidence that others have succeeded with your business.

3. Create Compelling Calls-to-Action

"A compelling call to action is imperative. Make it clearly visible in the top portion of your website, and give them a good reason to reach out. Don't over-ask for info at this point."

His own "Roast My Website" CTA perfectly illustrates this principle—it's specific, valuable, and memorable (and has generated hundreds of leads).

The Google Reviews Strategy That Actually Works

Joe shared two proven tactics for collecting high-quality reviews without breaking Google's terms:

"There are a few 'tips' that we recommend, but you do have to be careful not to break Google's terms. Here are two ways that I've seen work well:

1. Random raffle drawing for a prize/gift card/free month of service, whatever for any client that provides a review. Important to not offer a gift directly for a review, that's not allowed.

2. Incentivizing staff ($10 per review gained) and making it a competition. Clients that work directly with your staff are typically willing to 'help out' said staff member when they hear it's a competition and a few bucks on the line for their friend."

But Joe's most valuable insight was about preventing negative reviews: "What's equally important as good reviews is avoiding poor reviews. There are systems (we can help setup) that will allow you to direct anyone with 3 stars or less to an email form, 4 or 5 stars to Google. Often times just venting to the company directly will help you avoid a negative review and give you the opportunity to flip a poor experience into a lifetime fan."

AI Optimization: The Early-Mover Advantage

When asked about balancing traditional SEO with AI visibility, Joe revealed something most are missing: "At this point in time, two factors that play a major role in your company being listed in AI responses include: 1. Your company's 'authority' within a space. 2. How discoverable your company is."

He explained that businesses optimizing for AI now will dominate search results for the next decade: "The good news is that traditional SEO efforts actually assist in the AI optimization world as well, though there are specific points to focus on."

Key factors for AI visibility include:

• Company authority (reviews, ratings, quality backlinks)

• Discoverability (complete Google My Business profiles, schema markup, local citations)

• Structured content with clear headings and FAQ sections

Attribution and Analytics: Joe's Real-World Recommendations

When Jim asked about attribution platforms, Joe gave specific, nuanced recommendations:

"Hyros seems to be laser-focused on call funnels and has lots of integrations. TripleWhale (beautiful UI) is a solid one for Shopify related businesses. WickedReports is a great tool for long term LTV but can be pricey and a little more complex."

But here's what most miss: "We primarily use a mix of smaller tools combined with GA4 and a proprietary in-house dashboard." Joe's team even built their own CMS platform because "others are poor, they just have shortcomings (some by design), so we've opted to build our own."

The Power of Website Optimization: Real Numbers

Joe shared compelling before-and-after data from a client who improved their website quality:

• Google Ads lead count increased from 26 to 59 (127% improvement)

• Cost per conversion dropped from $55.08 to $28.33 (49% reduction)

• Same ad spend, dramatically better results

"This example demonstrates why Joe considers website optimization the highest-leverage activity for most businesses. Every dollar invested in website improvement amplifies the effectiveness of all other marketing channels."

Digital Marketing ROI: The Numbers That Matter

Joe shared specific ROI examples from his client base:

Professional Services Firm: $15,000 investment → 5x increase in monthly leads → 400% first-year ROI

Home Services Company: $8,000 optimization → 62% reduction in cost per lead + doubled close rate → 300% efficiency improvement

Manufacturing Business: $25,000 comprehensive overhaul → shifted from 80% referral to 60% digital leads → 45% total revenue increase

"These aren't outliers," Joe emphasized. "Well-executed digital marketing consistently delivers 3-5x returns when implemented systematically."

Implementation Strategy: Joe's Three-Phase Approach

Joe outlined a practical framework that balances immediate improvements with long-term growth:

Phase 1: Foundation (Days 1-30)

• Fix website conversion issues (headlines, CTAs, forms)

• Set up Google Analytics and tracking

• Launch basic PPC campaigns with retargeting

• Implement review collection systems

Phase 2: Amplification (Months 2-6)

• Comprehensive SEO strategy with content calendar

• Automated email follow-up sequences

• Social media advertising campaigns

• Local SEO optimization

Phase 3: Optimization (Months 6-12)

• AI/LLM content optimization

• Advanced automation and personalization

• Conversion rate optimization testing

• Multi-channel attribution modeling

"You can't optimize what you can't measure, and you can't measure what you haven't properly set up," Joe stressed.

For Searchers: Evaluating Digital Marketing Potential

Joe's insights offer a framework for evaluating acquisitions beyond traditional metrics:

Digital Asset Quality Assessment:

• Website conversion optimization potential

• Search engine visibility gaps

• Review and reputation status

• Marketing automation sophistication

Untapped Opportunities to Look For:

• Missing digital channels (no PPC, SEO, or social media)

• Poor mobile experience

• Manual processes that could be automated

• Lack of analytics and tracking

"A profitable business with terrible digital marketing is like buying a house with great bones but ugly wallpaper,"Joe explained. "The fundamentals are there, you just need to modernize the presentation."

The Compound Effect of Digital Marketing

Joe's final insight resonated deeply with our community: "The businesses that invest in digital marketing aren't just buying leads. They're building assets that generate returns for years. It's the closest thing to passive income in business operations."

Digital marketing assets build on each other:

• SEO content continues generating traffic years after creation

• Customer email lists become more valuable as they grow

• Positive reviews accumulate social proof automatically

• Brand recognition in search results creates pricing power

Conclusion: The New Business Reality

Joe's presentation illuminated a fundamental shift in how businesses must operate in 2025. Digital marketing isn't optional—it's essential for survival and critical for growth.

For searchers, this creates both challenges and massive opportunities. The challenge: businesses without strong digital presence face increasing competitive pressure. The opportunity: acquiring businesses with weak digital marketing provides clear, measurable value creation potential.

The key insight? Approach digital marketing as Joe does—not as an expense center, but as the primary growth engine that enables everything else a business wants to achieve.

Joe offers free website "roasts" at eversite.com/joe/roast — a fun and valuable resource for any business owner looking to optimize their digital presence. Connect with him at eversite.com/joe or follow his insights on X @joebensonx.

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Join the Community Behind This Exclusive AMA

Our searcher community recently hosted Joe Benson's digital marketing masterclass—the insights you just read came directly from our private WhatsApp group discussion. This is just one of many exclusive sessions where experienced professionals share battle-tested strategies with searchers at every stage.

Recent expert AMAs include:

• Jared Johnson (First Internet Bank): $114M in closed SBA loans and creative financing structures

• Andre Achtermeier (eightM): The art of off-market deal sourcing and building broker relationships

• Chris Barrett (Midwest CPA): Advanced due diligence, financial structuring, and tax optimization strategies

Whether you're investigating your first deal or scaling your third acquisition, you'll connect with operators who've navigated these exact challenges. From digital marketing optimization and off-market sourcing to SBA financing and due diligence best practices, our community delivers insights you won't find anywhere else.