You know you have to 'do digital'. Your site could use an update, your SEO is not optimal, people talk to you about Google Ads, social media, email marketing. The problem is not knowing that all of it exists. It is knowing what to start with when your time and your budget are limited.
The problem is not a lack of options, it is the absence of priority
Most company directors are not short of ideas. They are short of an order. One consultant talks to them about SEO, another about online advertising, a friend suggests rebuilding the site. The result: they make a little progress everywhere and never finish anything. It consumes time and money for a vague result.
Before choosing anything, open Google Search Console (free) and look at the queries already bringing people to your site. That tells you where to concentrate your energy before you even think about a new channel.
The questions to ask before spending a penny
- Where am I losing customers today: visibility, conversion or retention?
- Which channel already brings me customers, even a few, that I could reinforce?
- Do I have time to handle this myself, or do I need to delegate?
- What do my direct competitors do better than me online?
- What is my real budget, not the one I would like to have?
Start where you are already losing customers, not where you would like to shine
Many directors want a better-looking site or an active social presence first, because those are visible. But if prospects are already looking for you on Google and not finding you, or landing on your site and leaving without acting, that is where to intervene first. Google Search Console shows you free of charge where your current traffic comes from and which searches you already appear on. Once you know where the leaks are in your sales funnel, you also know which investment plugs the most expensive hole, rather than the most visible one.
Simple rule: never launch a new digital channel while the one you already use is not profitable. One channel mastered beats three channels half-managed.
Once you have identified your priority, the next question is almost always the same: should you invest in organic search or in paid advertising to fill that visibility gap. Our article on SEO or Google Ads: which to choose for your business helps you decide according to your budget and your time horizon, rather than heading in both directions at once.