If you’ve typed “how to advertise my business” into Google, start by working out what a new customer is worth to you, setting up your free listings and deciding on the one thing you want ads to do. Then test one channel, or ask someone who does this every day to run it for you.
We’re an advertising agency, so bear that in mind as you read. Most of what follows costs nothing, and it’ll make any ads you run work harder.
Where does advertising fit in marketing for small business owners?
Marketing is everything that helps people find you, choose you and come back. Advertising is the part you pay for, where you buy a place in front of people who wouldn’t otherwise have seen you.
Ads can only bring people to the door. If your website won’t load on a phone, or enquiries sit unanswered for two days, you’ll be paying to send more people into the same problem.
So before you think about Google or Instagram, ring your own number. Try to book on your own website from your phone. Whatever goes wrong for you is going wrong for your customers too.
What should I do before I spend anything on ads?
Work through these in order. None of them costs anything.
- Describe your customer in one sentence. Say who buys, what they buy and where they are. “Dog owners within five miles who want a Saturday groomer” will guide every later decision. “Everyone” won’t.
- Work out what a new customer is worth. Use your profit: what’s left from a sale after materials, staff and delivery. Count repeat visits cautiously.
- Give your ads one job. Pick the goal that matters most: more foot traffic, more online sales, more bookings or more leads. Ads trying to do all four are hard to judge.
- Claim your free listings. If customers visit you, or you travel to them, you can add a Google Business Profile at no charge, which puts you on Search and Maps. If you only sell online, you won’t qualify, but Google’s free product listings may show your products, though it doesn’t guarantee they’ll appear.
- Ask real customers for reviews. Never write your own. UK advertising rules ban fake reviews.
- Decide how you’ll count results. Clicks tell you very little. Record every enquiry in one place, even a notebook, and ask each new customer how they found you. If you add tracking to your website later, the UK’s data regulator says advertising cookies and tracking pixels (small bits of code that record what visitors do) need people’s consent.
Before your ads go live, make sure you’ve got these covered:
- You can handle more work next month.
- You know your profit on a typical sale.
- You’ve set an amount you’re comfortable testing.
How much should I spend on ads?
Nobody can name the right figure without knowing your business. You can get close with three numbers: the most you’d pay for a new customer, the price of a click and how many clicks it takes to win one.
These figures are made up, to show how the sum works:
- A new customer brings you £120 of profit on their first order.
- You’re happy to put up to £40 of that into ads.
- A click costs £2.
- One click in 20 turns into a customer.
Twenty clicks at £2 comes to £40, so you’re right on your limit. To win five customers at that rate, you’d need 100 clicks, or £200 of ad spend. You won’t know the “one in 20” until you’ve tried, and that’s the point of a first test. Our cost per customer calculator will run the sum with your own numbers.
Click prices vary widely, because Google sells ad space by auction. A business bidding on “emergency plumber” in London can pay up to £63.60 a click, while a Belfast restaurant bidding on “restaurants near me” can pay up to 56p. Those figures come from Google Keyword Planner on 3 November 2026, for an ad at the top of the page, and each is an estimate, not an invoice. You can look up your own search and city or read the full city figures.
Three things on the bill catch new advertisers out:
- Google can spend up to twice your daily amount on a busy day, but no more than 30.4 times it in a month.
- Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram, can spend up to 75% over your daily amount on some days, but no more than seven times it in a week.
- Both add a 2% fee for ads shown in the UK.
Which kind of advertising suits my business?
Search ads appear when someone is already looking: they type “boiler repair” and you show up. Social ads on Facebook or Instagram appear while people are doing something else, so the ad has to catch their eye.
If people already search for what you sell, begin with search. If your product is easier to show than to describe, social ads tend to suit you better. Either way, we’d start with one channel, because a small ad spend split three ways teaches you very little.
If you’re torn, our quiz will suggest a starting point.
When is an agency worth paying for?
Running ads well takes time and practice, and mistakes cost real money while you learn. An agency earns its fee when your time is better spent on your business, or when you want someone who knows the platforms to get your ad spend working from the start. Add up the full monthly cost, the agency’s fee plus your ad spend, and compare it with what new customers are worth to you.
Whoever you speak to, ask these questions:
- Who owns the ad accounts if we part ways? They should be in your name.
- Do I pay the ad platforms directly? If not, ask how much of your money reaches them.
- How is your fee worked out? A percentage of ad spend rises when ad spend does, whatever the results.
- What will you report each month? Look for cost per customer as well as clicks.
- What won’t you promise? Nobody controls an auction, so be wary of guaranteed results.
For comparison, our own answers: your accounts stay in your name and you pay the platforms directly. We charge for our time, from £85 an hour using credits (one credit is one hour), and never a percentage of ad spend. Always-on plans start at £485 a month, with a three-month start and then 30 days’ notice. How it works has the detail.
Questions people ask
Do I need a website before I advertise?
Not always. Ads run from a Facebook Page can bring in messages, leads or calls, and a Google Business Profile helps people find you on Search and Maps. A clear website does make ads easier to judge, though.
How long until I know whether ads are working?
Nobody can promise a date. Meta says a new group of ads usually settles after about 50 results in a week, which small accounts may not reach. We’d give a first test at least a month and judge it on customers won.
What rules do my ads have to follow?
Describe what you sell accurately, and hold evidence for any factual claim before the ad runs. Marketing emails to individual customers need their permission, and every email needs a way to unsubscribe.
What to do next
When you’ve got a rough idea of what a customer is worth, take our six-question quiz. It suggests a bundle, a plan or a number of credits, and you’ll see the answer without giving an email address. You can also look through our prices or ask for the full price list. If you’re already running ads, the Ads health check is £425 for a look at one ad account, fixes in plain English and a 30-minute walkthrough. If you haven’t started yet, an Always-on plan includes set-up. When you’re ready, you can get started here, and we reply within one working day.
Related guides
- Google Ads vs Facebook ads: how to choose your first channel
- How much does Google Ads cost, and how much should you spend?
- Which part of your marketing funnel isn’t working?
This guide is general information based on publicly available sources, correct when written in November 2026. It isn’t legal, financial or tax advice, and ad platforms change their rules and menus often, so check the latest guidance before you act.