Quick Wins for Small Businesses in South Africa: 3 Easy Fixes You Can Do Today
Running a small business in South Africa is tough. You're managing sales, admin, marketing, and more, often on a tight budget.
The good news? You don't need a full-time marketing team to start seeing better results. You just need to fix the right things.
Here are three quick wins you can do today to help your business look better, sound better and attract more local customers.
1. Ditch the fluff. Write like you speak
Most local websites and social posts are full of polite filler:
“Welcome to our website. We pride ourselves on excellent service. Contact us for all your needs.”
That doesn’t work. People scroll past it because it says nothing real.
Fix this today:
Say what you do.
Say who it’s for.
Say what happens next.
Example:
We fix blocked drains for homes in Durban North. Send us a WhatsApp and we’ll reply within 15 minutes.
You don’t need to be a copywriter. Just be clear, natural and useful.
2. Replace stock photos with real ones (yes, I’m working on this too)
Let me admit something: my site currently uses Unsplash. I know. Hypocrite. But I’m working on it.
Soon, I’ll post real “at desk” photos because honestly, I never leave my desk anyway.
And that’s the point. You don’t need perfect pictures. You just need real ones.
Fix this today:
Take 3 photos on your phone. Your workspace, your product or service, and yourself.
Use them on your homepage, your latest blog post or your Google profile.
If you’re camera-shy, try showing your hands at work or the space you work in.
Real photos help people trust you faster. No filters needed.
PS. In penance, I decided to practice what I preach and supply a photo of ‘me’. I’m in ‘scare quotes’ purely because this is back in 2020 and in the UK, but it’s still me at my desk - so there you go. Oh, and prepare yourself for pictures of cats and dogs, as they’re my only colleagues. If I’m going to be honest, I may as well show you all!
PPS. No, I’m not smiling. It was 2020.
3. Turn your most asked question into a blog post
You already know what customers ask over and over. Maybe it’s about pricing, delivery, bookings or timelines.
Instead of repeating yourself, turn it into a helpful blog post or pinned social post.
Fix this today:
Write the question as your headline. For example:
“How much does it cost to hire a plumber in Durban?”Keep your answer short, honest and local.
Share it on Facebook and WhatsApp.
This builds trust, saves you time and boosts your chances of showing up in search results when people Google the same thing.
Want more small business tips like these?
Book a free 15-minute session and I’ll help you spot one quick win for your business this week.
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