Digital marketing doesn’t have to mean big budgets or complicated tools. If you run a café, salon, home service, or boutique, you can make real progress in 30 to 60 days by tightening your basics, turning on a few high-impact tactics, and focusing on actions that actually drive sales.
A 2024 State of Commerce report from Salesforce found that more than half of customers prefer digital engagement. With this in mind, the following sections offer a quick crash course on how to get your small business's digital marketing strategy off the ground.
Before you change anything, grab a quick snapshot of where you are today. This doesn’t need to be perfect — just enough to compare against in 60 days.
In a simple spreadsheet or notebook, record:
These numbers become your “before” picture and will help you see what’s working.
Next, pick one primary outcome and one supporting goal, and keep them simple and measurable. For example, you might aim to increase online orders by 20% and grow your email/SMS list by 100 new local subscribers. Write your goals somewhere visible and use them to filter every tactic you take on.
As opposed to a giant online store, you simply need a straightforward way for customers to buy your most important offerings.
Identify the small set of products or services that generate most of your revenue and feature them prominently on your homepage. Make sure people can purchase or book them online without having to call or email. If you don’t have a full store yet, start with a simple order or booking form and expand later.
Walk through your checkout process on your phone and remove anything that slows you down. Offer at least two payment options, allow guest checkout, and be clear about shipping or fees upfront. Aim for a path where a customer can go from “I want this” to “Order complete” in under two minutes.
Make your main call-to-action (CTA) — “Order Now,” “Book an Appointment,” or “Shop Bestsellers” — clear and consistent. Add a few short testimonials or star ratings and clarify what’s included in each product or service. Small improvements in clarity and trust can noticeably increase conversions.
If you use a point-of-sale system or already sell through marketplaces, connect the dots through POS e-commerce integration. Sync your inventory where possible and list a limited set of top offerings on one platform that fits your industry, such as delivery apps, booking marketplaces, or Etsy. Start small, then refine based on what sells.
Local search engine optimization (SEO) is about showing up when nearby customers search for what you do — and making it easy for them to act.
Claim and verify your GBP, then fully complete it:
Add clear photos of your exterior, interior, team, and offerings. Post at least once a week to feature a special, event, or announcement.
When it comes to schema for local businesses and the structured data that’s communicated to search engines, make sure your name, address, and phone number (NAP) match exactly across your website, GBP, social profiles, and key directories. Choose a handful of important sites to update and use a single “master” version of your details to keep everything consistent.
Select one primary review platform and build a review generation strategy into your routine. Ask after positive interactions, send direct links by text or email, or use a QR code at checkout. Aim for steady, genuine growth (10 to 20 new reviews in a month is a strong start).
On key pages, use headings and copy that reflect how people actually search: “[Service] in [City/Neighborhood].” Add a simple “Areas We Serve” section or page listing your service area. You don’t need advanced keyword tools. Simply aim to write the way your customers talk.
A lightweight customer relationship management (CRM) solution helps you keep customer info in one place and follow up consistently without losing track.
Choose a tool that plays nicely with what you already use — your POS, booking platform, or e-commerce system may include one. You need basic contact records, simple tagging or segments, and a view of what people have bought or requested.
Set up two to three easy ways to collect contact info. On your website, offer a small incentive for joining your list. In-store, use QR codes or a tablet at the counter. Explain clearly what people will receive and collect only what you need, like name, email, and possibly phone.
Once your CRM is collecting contacts, a few email marketing automations or other forms of contact can work quietly in the background.
Start with a few simple flows:
Set these once and let them run while you focus on day-to-day operations.
Complement your automations with a light monthly rhythm: one or two promotional messages (offers, events, new products) and one value-focused message (tips, ideas, or seasonal advice). Each send should have one clear CTA and link to the page where customers can act.
You don’t need big budgets to test paid ads. Instead, strive for a focused approach with the following in mind:
Start with a local or Performance Max campaign optimized for store or service goals and tightly geotargeted around your area. Use clear, benefit-driven language and existing photos. Let the campaign run for a few weeks, then review metrics like clicks, calls, and direction requests.
On Facebook or Instagram, run a small campaign aimed at people within a set radius of your location. Show your space, team, or featured products and pair visuals with a simple, specific offer. Send traffic to a booking page, order page, or your directions page so there’s an obvious next step.
You don’t have to post every day; you just need useful, consistent content.
You might follow a simple three-post pattern each week:
Use formats you can produce reliably — short videos, carousels, or photos with captions — and reuse this rhythm across the platforms that matter most to your audience.
Look for local businesses that share your audience but don’t compete. Collaborate on cross-promotions, bundles, events, or giveaways. Even one partnership campaign in your first 60 days can significantly boost visibility for both partners and give you content to share across channels.
Keep measurement simple so you actually use it.
Create a one-page dashboard that tracks:
Update it once a week and look for trends rather than obsessing over single days.
Every month, run one or two small experiments, then change one major element at a time so you know what truly moves the needle. For instance:
Different industries apply the same framework with small twists. For example:
In a month or two, you can sharpen your digital presence, attract more local customers, and build simple systems that support ongoing revenue. If you’re ready to pair those practical skills with deeper business knowledge, formal education can help you think more strategically about growth, leadership, and long-term planning.
Start with three to five bestsellers or services on a simple checkout page and enable local pickup with a “buy online, pickup in-store” approach. Add wallet pay and a clear delivery promise before anything fancy.
You can see movement in two to four weeks for branded and map pack queries if GBP and reviews are active. Content pages typically take four to eight weeks to index and rank locally.
Add capture at checkout and a homepage pop-up with a first-order incentive. Run a partner giveaway to seed 200 to 500 local subscribers quickly.
A tiny paid layer accelerates progress. $10 to $20/day on branded + one local service term often pays for itself and reveals winning offers faster.
Three are key: welcome, abandoned cart recovery, and post-purchase. Nail these before branching into birthdays or win-back.
Ask at the right moment, like after a successful pickup or service completion. Using QR cards and a short SMS/email request with a direct link can also support your review generation strategy.
No clear CTA is among the top missteps small businesses can make in their marketing. Every page and post should ask for one action: call, book, order, subscribe, or review.
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