Small business
marketing blog
A small business marketing blog for US owners who'd rather read one useful answer than ten listicles: websites, Google and Meta ads, Maps, CRM and tracking, with prices and the mistakes I keep running into.
Six good
first reads
Latest
articles
How much does marketing cost a small business in the US?
Small business marketing cost in the US comes in three layers: one-off builds, monthly management and ad spend. Here is what each layer usually costs.
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What percent of revenue should a small business spend on marketing?
What percent of revenue should a small business spend on marketing? The usual rule of thumb, when it breaks, and how to build the number from your own margins.
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In-house marketer, agency or freelancer: the real cost comparison
In-house marketer vs agency vs freelancer: the hidden costs of each option, the risks nobody mentions and a simple way to choose for your stage.
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How to get more local customers without wasting ad money
How to get more local customers by fixing the free and cheap channels first, then adding paid ads only where they pay back.
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Marketing audit checklist: 30 things to check before you spend more
A 30-point marketing audit checklist for small business owners: tracking, website, local listings, ads, email and follow-up, before you spend another dollar.
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How to research local competitors in one afternoon
How to research local competitors in one afternoon with free tools: what to look at on the map, in reviews, in ad libraries and on their websites.
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How to define your ideal customer (with a worksheet)
How to define your ideal customer from real sales data: who pays most, stays longest and refers others, with a 12-question worksheet to copy.
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A sales funnel for a service business that actually gets used
A service business sales funnel you can run without a sales team: five stages, one number to watch at each and the simple fixes for common leaks.
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Marketing an immigrant-owned business in the US
Marketing an immigrant-owned business in the US means serving two audiences: your own community and everyone else. Here is how to reach both without splitting your budget.
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A US seasonal marketing calendar: holidays, peaks and slow months
A month-by-month US seasonal marketing calendar: the holidays and weather swings that move demand, and how far ahead to prepare for each.
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Marketing a business in a small US town
Small town business marketing runs on reputation. Here is how to protect it, use Google and Facebook well, and reach the next towns over without wasting money.
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9 marketing metrics a small business owner should watch
Nine marketing metrics that tell a small business owner whether marketing is paying off, how to find each one and which popular numbers you can safely ignore.
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Marketing a second location: what to do before opening day
Marketing a second location starts weeks before the doors open. Here is a 10-week checklist so the new site has calls on day one, not after six slow months.
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How to build a referral program that runs without you
A referral program for a small business that runs without you: the moment to ask, a simple reward, automated reminders and tracking that shows what it brings.
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Signs it is time to hire marketing help
Eight signs it is time to hire marketing help, three signs it is still too early, and how to hand over the first channel without losing control.
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How to measure marketing ROI when you are not a numbers person
How to measure marketing ROI in plain terms: four numbers a month, one simple formula and a few habits that make the answer trustworthy.
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Marketing for a new US business: the first 60 days
New business marketing in the US for the first 60 days: what to set up in which order, how to win the first customers and what can wait until later.
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Marketing a business that serves several states
Marketing a business that serves several states: how to structure the website, profiles and ads by state, and which state-by-state rules to check.
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How much does a website cost in the US in 2026?
How much does a website cost for a US small business in 2026? The four price tiers, what pushes a quote up or down, and the hidden costs owners forget.
Read →Small business website prices: what you pay for, line by line
Small business website prices make more sense once you see the line items: planning, copy, design, build, tracking and launch. Here is where the money goes.
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How much does a landing page cost?
How much does a landing page cost, and what should the price include? Copy, design, form, tracking and testing explained, with real starting prices in USD.
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15 things every small business website needs
A small business website needs more than a logo and a contact page. These 15 must-haves cover trust, speed, tracking and ownership, in the order visitors notice them.
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Website gets traffic but no leads: 10 fixes
Your website gets traffic but no leads? Ten common causes, how to spot each one in your analytics, and the fixes to try first before you pay for a redesign.
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Core Web Vitals for business owners, in plain English
Core Web Vitals explained without jargon: the three numbers Google uses to judge how your pages feel on a real phone, how to check them and which fixes matter.
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When to redesign your website (and when not to)
When to redesign your website, and when a few targeted fixes will do more for less. Eight signs it is time, five false alarms, and how to plan the switch safely.
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How long it takes to build a website, week by week
A realistic website build timeline: what happens in each week from the brief to launch, what slows projects down, and how to keep yours on schedule.
Read →How to write a website brief (free template)
How to write a website brief that gets you accurate quotes and a faster build: ten sections, example answers and a free template to copy.
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12 questions to ask a web designer before you sign
Twelve questions to ask a web designer before you sign, what a good answer sounds like, and the red flags that tell you to keep looking.
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Domains and hosting: what a business owner needs to know
Domain and hosting basics for business owners: what each one is, who should hold the logins, how DNS, SSL and email fit together, and the mistakes that take sites offline.
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WordPress or a custom-built site: which to choose
WordPress vs custom website: a fair comparison of cost, speed, security, editing and ownership, with the cases where each one is the better choice for a small business.
Read →When Squarespace or Wix stops being enough
Outgrowing Squarespace or Wix happens to growing businesses. Seven signs it is time to move, what stays and what changes, and how to switch without losing rankings.
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ADA website accessibility: what small businesses need to know
ADA website accessibility in plain English: how courts and the DOJ treat business websites, what WCAG 2.1 AA means, why overlays are not a fix, and where to start.
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Legal pages a US business website needs
Which website legal pages does a US business need? Privacy policy, terms, cookie notice, accessibility and SMS terms explained, with clear signs of when to ask an attorney.
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Landing page or full website: which do you need first?
Landing page or full website first? It depends on where your customers will come from. A clear comparison of cost, timeline, ads and SEO, and how to start small without waste.
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Website conversion checklist: 20 small changes that add leads
A website conversion checklist of 20 small, practical changes that turn more visitors into calls and inquiries, grouped by page area so you can work through it in a weekend.
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Mobile website checklist for small businesses
A mobile website checklist you can run on your own phone in 15 minutes: speed, readability, buttons, forms, calls, maps and the popups that cost local businesses customers.
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Website care plans: what they cost and what they include
What does a website care plan cost, and what should it include? Updates, backups, security, content edits and response times explained, plus how to tell whether you need one.
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Online booking for a service business: options and setup
Online booking for a service business: the three main setups compared, the rules to decide before launch, and how reminders and deposits cut no-shows.
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What a home services website needs to win more calls
What a home services website needs to turn searches into booked jobs: the call-first layout, service and area pages, proof homeowners trust and the follow-up that wins the job.
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How to structure a service page that sells
A service page structure that turns visitors into inquiries: ten sections in the order buyers think, what to write in each, and the mistakes that make good services look generic.
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Writing website copy that sells when you are not a copywriter
How to write website copy that sells when you are not a copywriter: a six-step process, real before-and-after rewrites, the words to cut and a quick test before you publish.
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Do you really own your website? A checklist
Do you really own your website? A 12-point ownership checklist for domain, hosting, code, content, analytics and ad accounts, plus how to recover access you have lost.
Read →How much does SEO cost in the US?
What SEO costs a US small business, how retainers, audits and hourly work are priced, and how to tell a fair quote from a cheap one that costs you more later.
Read →Local SEO checklist for US small businesses
A printable local SEO checklist: 40 checks in seven groups that decide whether people nearby find you on Google, Maps and AI answers, plus a monthly routine.
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Google Business Profile optimization, step by step
Google Business Profile optimization in ten practical steps, from choosing the primary category to tracking calls, with the mistakes that quietly cost you visibility.
Read →How to get into the Google Maps 3-pack
The Google Maps 3-pack is the box of three businesses above the regular results. Here is how Google picks them and a practical plan to earn one of those spots.
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How to get more Google reviews without breaking the rules
How to get more Google reviews from real customers: when and how to ask, ready-to-use messages, and the Google and FTC rules that make shortcuts expensive.
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SEO vs PPC: where a small business should put money first
SEO or pay-per-click ads first? A plain comparison of speed, cost and staying power, with a decision table for small businesses on a limited budget.
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Why your website isn't showing up on Google
If your website isn't showing up on Google, the cause is usually one of nine things. A quick test tells you which, and most fixes take less than a day.
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Keyword research for a local business, step by step
A step-by-step method for local keyword research using free tools and your own customers' words, ending with a simple map of which page targets which search.
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Service-area businesses on Google: no storefront, still ranking
Plumbers, cleaners, mobile groomers and other businesses that go to the customer can rank on Google Maps too. Here is how to set up a service-area profile properly.
Read →City landing pages: ranking in several cities without doorway pages
How to build city landing pages that rank in several towns without becoming doorway pages: when they make sense, what goes on them and what to leave out.
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A do-it-yourself SEO audit in one hour
A DIY SEO audit you can finish in sixty minutes with free tools: six timed blocks, what to look for in each, and how to turn findings into a short fix list.
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Technical SEO checklist for small business websites
Thirty technical SEO checks for a small business website, grouped by what they protect: crawling, indexing, site structure, speed, security and structured data.
Read →How to write blog posts that rank and bring customers
Most small business blogs get no visits. Here is how to pick topics with buying intent, structure a post that ranks, and turn readers into inquiries.
Read →Backlinks for a local business: 15 realistic ideas
Fifteen realistic ways a local business can earn backlinks from real organizations in its community, and the link schemes that can cost you rankings.
Read →How to redesign a website without losing Google rankings
A redesign can wipe out years of Google rankings in a week. Four phases protect your traffic: inventory, URL map, redirects and launch checks.
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Google AI Overviews: what they mean for local businesses
What Google AI Overviews change for a local business, which searches they touch and leave alone, and how to become a source the AI summary cites.
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How to get your business recommended by ChatGPT and other AI assistants
AI assistants now recommend plumbers, dentists and restaurants. Where ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity and Siri get that information, and seven honest steps to be included.
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Apple Business Connect and Bing Places: the listings most businesses forget
Google isn't the only map. How to claim and fill in Apple Business Connect and Bing Places, free listings that feed Apple Maps, Siri, Bing and Copilot.
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Google Search Console for business owners
A plain-English guide to Google Search Console for business owners: how to set it up, which five reports matter and what to look at each month.
Read →How long does SEO take to work?
A realistic, month-by-month answer to how long SEO takes for a local business, what changes the pace and how to tell early whether it's working.
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Which US business directories still matter
Not every directory is worth your time. The US business directories that still bring customers or feed maps and AI tools, sorted by priority and by industry.
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Google Business Profile suspended: what to do next
A suspended Google Business Profile can cut calls overnight. What to do in the first hour, why profiles get suspended and how to prepare a solid appeal.
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Local business schema markup, explained
What LocalBusiness schema markup does for a small business, a copy-ready JSON-LD example, the properties worth filling in and how to test it.
Read →15 SEO mistakes that keep small businesses off page one
Fifteen common SEO mistakes small businesses make on their website, Google profile and reviews, why each one costs customers and how to fix it.
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How much does Google Ads cost in the US?
Google Ads cost in the US explained: ad spend, setup and management, what pushes the price per click up, and how to estimate a budget for your own market.
Read →Google Ads for small business: a beginner's guide
A beginner-friendly guide to Google Ads for small business: how an account is built, which campaign type to choose first and what to check in the first 60 days.
Read →Cost per click: what it is and how to lower it
What cost per click means, how the Google Ads auction sets your price and 8 practical ways to lower CPC while keeping, or growing, your leads.
Read →Google Ads wasting money? 12 places to look
Google Ads wasting money? Here are the 12 spots where budget usually leaks, how to check each one yourself and how to size the waste in your account.
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Google Local Services Ads: are they worth it?
Google Local Services Ads charge per lead, not per click. How they work, what the badge requires, how ranking works and when they are worth adding to your plan.
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Performance Max on a small budget: pros and cons
Is Performance Max right for a small budget? The pros and cons for local service businesses and online stores, and how to test it without losing control.
Read →Negative keywords: stop paying for the wrong clicks
How negative keywords work in Google Ads, which searches to block from day one, how to build shared lists from search terms and how to avoid blocking real customers.
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Google Ads conversion tracking for calls, forms and bookings
How to set up Google Ads conversion tracking for phone calls, form submissions and online bookings, test it and import sales back from your CRM.
Read →What a PPC landing page needs
The structure of a PPC landing page that turns ad clicks into calls and forms: message match, form and call button, speed, trust signals and tracking.
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Retargeting ads: how to bring back visitors who left
How retargeting ads work on Google and Meta, which audiences to build, what to show past visitors, how to avoid ad fatigue and which privacy rules apply.
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Manage Google Ads yourself or hire someone?
Should you manage Google Ads yourself or hire someone? What the work involves each week, when each option makes sense and how to hire without losing your account.
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Google Ads account audit: a checklist
A step-by-step Google Ads account audit checklist: ownership, conversion tracking, settings, keywords, ads, bidding, landing pages and what happens after the click.
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How much do Facebook ads cost in the US?
How much Facebook ads cost in the US, how Meta charges, what drives the price up or down and how to set a budget from the leads you need.
Read →Facebook ads for a local business: a practical setup
A practical 7-step setup for Facebook ads for a local business: who owns what, tracking, the right objective, location targeting, creative and lead follow-up.
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Instagram ads for small businesses
How Instagram ads work for small businesses: who they suit, which formats and creative work, boosting vs Ads Manager and where to send people who tap.
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Facebook lead ads: getting leads that pick up the phone
How to run Facebook lead ads that bring people who answer: form settings, qualifying questions, offers, instant CRM sync and a callback routine.
Read →Facebook ads not getting results? What to check
Facebook ads not getting results? A step-by-step diagnosis: objective, tracking, learning phase, creative, landing page, lead follow-up and account issues.
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Meta special ad categories: housing, employment, credit and politics
What Meta special ad categories cover, how they restrict targeting for housing, employment and financial ads, and what political and social issue ads require.
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TikTok ads for a small business
How TikTok ads work for a small business: which businesses they suit, Spark Ads and lead forms, creative volume, tracking and how to run a first test.
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LinkedIn ads for B2B: costs and when they pay off
What drives LinkedIn ads costs for B2B, how to work out whether they can pay off for your deal size, which formats and targeting work and what to try instead.
Read →Ad creative that works on a small budget
How to make ad creative that works on a small budget: angles to test, formats you can produce on a phone, hooks, copy that earns clicks and how to test.
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Google Ads vs Facebook ads: which fits your business?
Google Ads or Facebook ads? How each finds customers, what each costs, which businesses suit which and how to split your budget when you use both.
Read →Microsoft Ads (Bing): is it worth it for a small business?
Is Microsoft Ads worth it for a small business? Where Bing ads appear, who sees them, how to import from Google Ads and when to skip it for now.
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ROAS vs ROI: what to measure in your ads
ROAS vs ROI: the difference, how to calculate each, how to find your break-even ROAS and which numbers to watch daily, monthly and quarterly.
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How to choose a CRM for a small business
How to choose a CRM for a small business without paying for features nobody uses: the questions to answer first, a simple scoring table and the demo traps to avoid.
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How much does CRM implementation cost?
CRM implementation cost is more than the monthly subscription. Here is what a small business pays in year one: licenses, setup, data migration, integrations and team time.
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Custom CRM vs HubSpot or Pipedrive
Custom CRM vs HubSpot or Pipedrive: an honest comparison of cost over three years, flexibility, data ownership and the situations where each option makes sense.
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Speed to lead: why fast replies win more customers
Speed to lead is the time between an inquiry and your first real reply. Why it decides who gets the job, how to measure it and how to cut it to minutes.
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Missed calls are lost customers: text-back and other fixes
Missed call text-back sends an automatic text to anyone whose call you could not answer. How it works, what to write, the US rules and other fixes for missed calls.
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How much does an AI chatbot for a website cost?
What an AI chatbot for a website really costs: setup, platform and usage fees, maintenance and the cases where a chatbot pays for itself or wastes money.
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AI receptionists and voice bots: what they can and can't do
An honest look at AI receptionists and voice bots: the calls they handle well, the calls they should hand to a person, legal points in the US and how to test one.
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Automated appointment reminders that cut no-shows
Automated appointment reminders reduce no-shows when timing, wording and rescheduling are right. A ready schedule, message templates and the US rules for texting clients.
Read →CAN-SPAM: email marketing rules for US businesses
The CAN-SPAM Act in plain English: what every commercial email must include, how fast to honor unsubscribes, which emails are exempt and the inbox rules on top.
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SMS marketing and the TCPA: the rules before you text customers
The TCPA and SMS marketing in plain English: consent you need, quiet hours, opt-out keywords, 10DLC carrier registration and the state laws that add more rules.
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How much does email marketing cost?
Email marketing cost has four parts: the platform, setup, content and time. What drives each one, a budget table for a small business and where people overspend.
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30 email newsletter ideas for small businesses
Out of things to send? 30 email newsletter ideas for small businesses, grouped by goal, with a simple format and a 12-month plan built around the US calendar.
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GA4 for small business owners
GA4 for small business owners without the jargon: what Google Analytics 4 measures, which key events to set up, the five reports worth opening and what to ignore.
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UTM parameters: a simple system for tracking every link
UTM parameters tell your analytics where each visitor came from. A simple naming system with ready examples for email, social posts, QR codes and ads.
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Call tracking: see which ads make the phone ring
Call tracking shows which ads, keywords and pages make your phone ring. How tracking numbers work, how to protect your local listings and which call data matters.
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Cookie banners in the US: when you need one
There is no federal cookie law in the US, yet many sites still need a cookie banner or an opt-out link. When you need one, what it should do and what to avoid.
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US state privacy laws and your website
California and a growing list of states have consumer privacy laws. Who they cover, what they mean for your website, forms and ad pixels, and a practical checklist.
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HIPAA and website tracking for healthcare businesses
Tracking pixels and analytics on healthcare websites can expose patient information. What HIPAA means for your website, ads and forms, and safer ways to measure results.
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The FTC rule on fake reviews: what businesses need to know
Since October 2024, an FTC rule bans fake reviews, buying reviews and hiding negative ones, with civil penalties. What it covers and how to ask for reviews safely.
Read →Showing prices honestly: junk fees and drip pricing rules
Hidden fees added at checkout are now banned in more places. What the FTC fee rule and state drip pricing laws require, and how to show prices customers trust.
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What a monthly marketing report should show
A monthly marketing report should tell you what you spent, what you got and what happens next, on one page. The sections, numbers and red flags to look for.
Read →A Looker Studio dashboard for a small business
How to build a Looker Studio dashboard a small business owner will actually open: data sources, a four-page layout, connecting CRM data and avoiding chart overload.
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Lead follow-up sequences that close more deals
A lead follow-up sequence turns quotes that go quiet into booked jobs. A ready 14-day schedule with calls, texts and emails, plus when to stop.
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How to win back past customers
Past customers already know you, so winning them back usually costs less than finding new ones. A five-step plan with segments, messages and the US rules for texting.
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A 90-day marketing plan for a small business
A 90-day marketing plan built in three blocks: fix the foundation, launch one or two channels, then measure and double down on what works.
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How a small business can compete with national chains
How a small business can compete with national chains and franchises by winning where size is a weakness: speed, specialization, people and local search.
Read →Fractional CMO or hands-on marketer: costs and when each fits
Fractional CMO or hands-on marketer? One plans and leads, the other builds and runs campaigns. Here is what each costs and which fits your stage.
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Cost per lead: how to calculate it and what to do with it
How to calculate cost per lead, what costs belong in it, how to work out the most you can afford per lead and what to do when it is too high.
Read →Customer lifetime value: how much can you pay for a new customer?
Customer lifetime value tells you the most you can afford to pay for a new customer. Here is a simple way to calculate it from your invoices, with examples.
Read →12 small business marketing mistakes that cost real money
Twelve small business marketing mistakes that cost real money, why owners keep making them and the fix for each, most of them cheap or free.
Read →What this blog covers
I write about the work I do every week: building websites, running Google and Meta ads, setting up CRM and tracking. Each article answers one question an owner actually asked me, with numbers where I have them and US specifics where they matter, from ADA website accessibility to CAN-SPAM email rules and state privacy laws.
Topics
- Strategy and budgets: how much to spend, what to measure, when to hire help.
- Websites: costs, structure, speed, accessibility and the legal pages a US site needs.
- SEO and Google Maps: local rankings, reviews, Google Business Profile, AI search.
- Advertising: Google Ads, Local Services Ads, Facebook and Instagram, tracking and ROAS.
- Systems: CRM, chatbots, email, texting and analytics.
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