Smarter Marketing Setup for a Small Business in Johannesburg

Making the tech make sense

A Johannesburg trade business reached out because they wanted their marketing to actually make sense.

They had the basics sorted - a website, a Facebook page, customers finding them. They just wanted to know where their leads were coming from and what was driving them. In short, they wanted data that meant something.

They asked about setting up a Facebook Pixel and CAPI (Conversion API). Both are great tools, but for most South African small businesses, CAPI is overkill. It’s expensive and complicated unless you’re spending upwards of R50 000 a month on ads.

So I suggested a simpler, more sustainable setup - one that gave them clean, accurate tracking and space to grow if they ever decided to scale up.

Getting the foundations right

We started fresh.

I set up Google Analytics 4 from scratch so they could see who was visiting their site, where they came from, and what they did once they got there.

Then I added Google Tag Manager to make sure every form submission, quote request, and button click was tracked properly.

I also enabled Google Signals to show how people moved between devices - desktop, mobile, tablet - because real customers don’t stick to one screen.

On the Meta side, I installed and verified their Facebook Pixel so they could retarget interested visitors later on.

But instead of pushing them into unnecessary complexity with CAPI, I focused on what would actually bring results now.

I also tidied up their Meta Business Suite, linking Facebook and Instagram under one verified setup, fixing access levels, and cleaning up contact info, CTAs, and bios.

Then I created UTM links for their posts and ads so every visit could be tracked clearly in Analytics.

And because I hate jargon-filled handovers, I wrapped it up with a short, plain-English guide showing exactly where to find their numbers.

The difference

Within a few days, everything clicked - literally.

They could see what was driving traffic, which posts were working, and where their leads were coming from.

No guesswork. No dashboards they’ll never open again. Just clear, useful data.

Their social accounts were tidy and professional. Their tracking was clean and connected.

And now they can retarget site visitors properly, without throwing money at tools they don’t need.

Why this matters

South African small businesses don’t need corporate-level systems. They need clarity.

If you’re not running huge ad budgets, you don’t need to pay for tech that makes your head spin. You just need your marketing tools - Google, Meta, your website - to talk to each other properly.

Once that’s sorted, you can finally see what’s working and stop wasting time on what’s not.

The takeaway

This Joburg trade business now has a proper setup - simple, accurate, and built for growth.
They’ve got visibility over what matters, control over their data, and a clear view of where their leads come from.

No gimmicks. No unnecessary costs. Just marketing that works.

Need your marketing setup sorted?
📧 sez@sezdg.com
📲 WhatsApp: +27 67 601 0605
🌐 www.sezdg.com