Australian small businesses are pouring money into digital marketing and many are getting almost nothing back.
Manny Shah, co-founder and director of Rank My Business, is seeing a lot of businesses losing ground and faltering because they are not adjusting fast enough to the changing digital landscape.
“The online world is becoming increasingly complex and fragmented,” she says.
“Online marketing can transform a business, but done badly it’s like burning cash. We see the same traps again and again and they’re wiping out visibility, customers and revenue. Our latest survey into what businesses are doing online only reaffirms the mistakes and poor decisions businesses are continuing to make with their digital marketing and online presence.”
According to Shah, it comes down to three simple but costly mistakes that are sabotaging growth.
Mistake one: trying to DIY your digital
Too many business owners still try to run their websites, ads or SEO on their own. The result? Campaigns that look busy but deliver no real results.
“You wouldn’t service your own jet engine before flying so why gamble with the engine of your business?” she notes.
“Digital is complex. Guesswork won’t cut it.”
Mistake two: chasing quick fixes
From hopping agencies every few months to chasing the latest fad, Shah says businesses destroy their momentum by never letting strategies bed down.
“Every reset is like hitting delete on months of progress. Growth takes time. Stop starting over as this has a deadly effect on your business. It kills your results.”
Mistake three: ignoring AI search
Google’s AI Overviews, AI Mode and platforms like ChatGPT are changing how people find information. Businesses that still only optimise for old-school search are fading fast.
“If you’re not preparing for AI-driven search, you’re already behind,” Shah adds.
“We’re talking AEO (answer engine optimisation) and GEO (generative engine optimisation). This is the new front line and most businesses aren’t ready.
“In fact, many businesses have no idea what these terms even mean. So many businesses we surveyed have no idea how AI is impacting the digital environment from a business presence and findability perspective.
“They think AI is something that helps you write blogs. Yes, it is, but AI has evolved and we are now moving into another sphere of AI where it is changing the very digital landscape in which we play and operate.”
A wake-up call for business owners
Shah reveals the solution isn’t complicated: get expert help, stick with it and evolve as the platforms change.
“The winners online aren’t the ones who dabble or panic. They’re the ones who invest, commit and adapt. That’s where the money is and that’s where business survival is won and lost in the current environment.”
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