Small Business Digital Marketing Mistakes — and How to Avoid Them
Pete Kleinjan is the founder and CEO of Tiger29, a leading SEO agency based in Sioux Falls. Since 2009, he has helped hundreds of businesses strengthen their online presence through proven strategies in local search and organic SEO. Recognized for his expertise in building authority, relevance, and trust online, Pete is a sought-after voice on how small businesses can leverage search marketing to drive measurable growth.
Many small businesses and startups in Sioux Falls and beyond are embracing digital marketing. Unfortunately, many also make common mistakes that hinder business growth and online visibility. Neglecting your website, ignoring SEO, or failing to consistently engage on social media can limit your ability to reach customers and effectively compete.
Without the right strategy, your business is missing out on opportunities to connect with your audience and build trust with algorithms (and AI). More importantly, you’re missing out on revenue. Recognizing and correcting these errors is crucial for sustainable growth and to stand out in today’s crowded digital world.
Mistake #1: Not Defining Your Brand
If your business looks like everyone else’s, don’t be surprised when customers treat you like a commodity. Branding isn’t just a logo. It’s the gut feeling people get when they see your name, visit your website, or read a review. The same is true for your brand and how it relates to digital marketing. Search engine algorithms, AI platforms like ChatGPT, and social media are all attempting to understand your business and match users who are looking for your products or services.
Fix: Define your brand in a way digital platforms can understand
Answer these questions and be sure to use the answers consistently across the internet.
Who are you? Your company name. Choose to always or never use LLC in your company name. The same goes for Inc.
What do you do? The products and services you offer. List them out and make sure they are all mentioned on your website.
When are you open? Define your business hours and keep them updated on your website, socials, Google Business Profile, etc.
Where are you located (or what is your service area)? If you never mention “Sioux Falls” on your website or social media, how is Google or ChatGPT supposed to know you operate in Sioux Falls?
Why do customers choose you? Ask for reviews and share them whenever you can.
How should customers contact you? Your phone number is like a social security number for your business. It should remain consistent.
Mistake #2: Not Tracking Results That Matter
Good digital marketing strategies are backed by mountains of data. Average positions, click-through-rate, impressions, website traffic, website events, and much more. And that’s just organic Search Engine Optimization. Every digital marketing channel has performance indicators that matter.
Your small business or startup needs to define what metrics accomplish business objectives. If you want customers to end up on a specific page, be sure you are measuring that. If you want customers to click a call button, measure that. There are typically at least a handful of Key Performance Indicators (I call them High Value Actions) that indicate revenue is flowing into your business. Once you understand these, it is very easy to understand if a particular campaign is working or not.
Fix: Define What Prospective Customers Should Actually Do
Then measure how many of those things are coming from each campaign or channel. This is usually pretty easy to do with Google Analytics (a free tool almost every website should use). For search engine optimization campaigns, you might consider measuring:
- Phone call button pushes. Most small startups don’t need to worry about advanced tactics like call recordings. The owner is probably answering the phone anyway.
- Contact page views. While these aren’t leads, most small businesses would be wise to try to guide visitors to their contact page.
- Form fill inquiries. These are leads. If a digital marketing campaign is driving people to fill out a form, it’s working.
- Direction requests. Especially if your business wants walk-ins.
- Employment applications, if you need new job applicants.
- Appointment bookings, if customers can set their own appointments.
- For SAAS companies, new signups.
Mistake #3: Not Calling an Expert When the Time is Right
Wearing all the hats might be necessary at first, but it can lead to frustration and burnout. Your time is valuable, and digital marketing done halfway often delivers half the results (or less). Just because you can build a website or run ads doesn’t mean you can do it well. Business operations need your attention and expertise, and trying to do it all can take your focus away from building the business.
Fix: Know When to Hire Help
Whether it’s hiring a freelancer to handle content, partnering with a local agency for SEO, or tapping into Startup Sioux Falls resources, there are smart, affordable ways to get support. The goal isn’t to do it all; the goal is to accomplish business objectives. And an expert can be a great shortcut to that end.
Mistake #4: Quitting Too Soon
Almost every digital marketing strategy takes time to be effective. This is true of paid ads, social media, and SEO/AIO.
Fix: Set a 6-Month Sustainable Budget
Use this time period to focus on executing the strategy and understanding performance. Tracking results and insight from a trusted expert can help you make fact-based decisions instead of feelings-based decisions.
Build Momentum and Stack Success
Digital marketing isn’t magic, it’s momentum that builds from small, smart decisions stacking up over time. Most small businesses and startups don’t need to do everything, they just need to understand what’s holding them back and make adjustments. Define your brand so people (and platforms) understand who you are. Track the actions that actually drive revenue. Get help when you need it. And, most importantly, don’t quit too early. The businesses that see online success aren’t always the loudest. They’re the ones who stay consistent, stay visible, and stay focused on building real Authority, Relevance, and Trust. Stack those wins, and success will follow.
About Startup Sioux Falls
At Startup Sioux Falls, we connect entrepreneurs with the resources, expertise, and community they need to grow. Insights like these are just one example of the knowledge shared across our network of founders, mentors, and business leaders. Whether you’re launching your first venture or scaling an existing company, our programs, events, and coworking community are designed to help you take the next step. Learn more and get involved at startupsiouxfalls.com