Audit your online accounts and clean up anything outdated
Part 1 of the Digital Foundations series
Get your tech setup back to baseline.
We've all been there - dozens of accounts, mismatched emails and old social media profiles. If you're running a business (or even just trying to look professional), all this noise is costing you trust.
This guide walks you through the first critical step of building a strong online identity: the audit.
Why audit?
When someone Googles your business, they don't see what you see. They find dead Facebook pages, outdated Instagram posts and an incomplete Google Maps listing. On the web, first impressions matter.
A digital audit helps you:
- Regain control of your accounts
- Delete outdated or conflicting profiles
- Start fresh with purpose
Make a List
Grab a notebook, open a spreadsheet or write it on the back of a receipt - just get it out of your head and onto paper.
Write down every platform your have made an account for.
👇 Here's some example of what to include:
-
Social media
- TikTok
- Twitter (X)
- Threads
-
Email addresses
- yourbusiness@gmail.com
- info@yourdomain.com
- any other email address you have used for business
-
Websites & domains
- yourbusiness.com
- that old Squarespace site you never launched
- domain names you bought and forgot about
-
Directories & listings
- Google Business Profile
- Golden Pages
- Yelp
- Trustpilot
-
Online tools
- Stripe, Mailchimp, Calendly
- Canva, Dropbox, Notion
- Any software tied to your business email
Check Access
Once you have your list, try logging into everything. Can you?
- ✅ Yes: great.
- ❌ No: recover the account and decide whether or not to delete.
Clean House
Delete anything that's inactive, outdated or no longer useful to your business.
Examples include::
- Unused social media accounts
- Email addresses with typos or inconsistencies
- Unpublished or abandoned websites on platforms like Wix or Squarespace
Less is more. Especially when customers are looking you up.
Consolidate and Forward
Pick one master email address. Ideally on your own domain, but we will cover that later. Forward everything else to it.
Same goes for phone numbers and usernames. The goal is to present one version of your business, everywhere.
What do we mean by forwarding?
Let's say you've been using:
- yourbiz@gmail.com
- yourbusiness@hotmail.com
- info@yourdomain.com
Instead of checking three inboxes, set up email forwarding so all messages land in your main inbox (e.g. hello@yourdomain.com). Most email providers - including Gmail, Outlook and Zoho - allow you to forward mail easily. Just look it up for your email provider.
You'll still receive messages sent to those older addresses, but now you only have to check one place.
This saves time, avoids missed messages and looks far more professional.
Recap
Your digital mess is costing you trust.
This audit gives you clarity, control and a clean slate to build from.
✅ Have you:
- Listed every account, profile and platform you have ever created for your business?
- Logged into (or recovered access to) all of them?
- Deleted anything outdated, duplicated or confusing?
- Picked one master email and set up forwarding from old addresses?
If yes, you're ready for the next step.
What's next?
Now that everything's tidied up, let's lock in a professional point of contact.
👉 Next guide: Set Up a Business Email