Your biggest business asset is sitting right under your nose
Look, I’m going to be blunt. Most small business owners in Brisbane are getting absolutely taken for a ride by big tech companies.
You spend thousands on ads to get people to your site. You pay for the click, you pay for the lead, and then you let that data just sit there or, worse, you let Google and Facebook keep it for themselves.
That’s what the industry calls "first-party data." But let’s call it what it actually is: your customer list. It’s the names, phone numbers, and buying habits of people who have actually given you money or asked for a quote.
If you aren’t owning that info and using it, you’re basically renting your customers from Mark Zuckerberg. And the rent just keeps going up.
The big lie: "You need more new traffic"
Most agencies will tell you that the secret to making more money is just pouring more cash into ads to find new people.
That’s rubbish.
For most of our clients, the easiest way to get more phone calls is to look at the people who already know you. But you can’t do that if you haven’t set your business up to collect and own that information properly.
When you own your data, you stop being a slave to the algorithm. You can pick up the phone, send a text, or drop an email to people who actually want to hear from you. It’s cheaper, it’s faster, and it actually works.
Myth #1: Data is for tech giants, not my shop
I hear this all the time at the pub. "I’m just a plumber in Chermside, I don’t need a data strategy."
Yes, you bloody do.
If you have a list of 500 people you’ve done jobs for, and you aren’t keeping that list in a way that lets you see who hasn’t booked a service in twelve months, you’re leaving money on the table.
Data isn't some complex spreadsheet. It’s knowing that Mrs. Jones always gets her gutters cleared in May. It’s knowing that the guy who bought a lawnmower from you three years ago probably needs new blades by now.
If you don't have this sorted, you're constantly starting from zero every Monday morning. That’s an exhausting way to run a business.
Myth #2: Google and Facebook have all the info I need
This is a dangerous one.
Big tech platforms are making it harder and harder for you to see who is actually clicking your ads. They’re hiding the details behind "privacy updates."
What they’re really doing is making you more dependent on their automated systems. If you don't have your own records of where your leads come from, you're flying blind.
You need to be able to see which ads make money by matching your actual sales back to the person who clicked. If you rely on the "estimated" numbers in an ad dashboard, you’re probably overspending on ads that don't actually result in a bank deposit.
How to actually start (without losing your mind)
I’m not telling you to go out and buy some $500-a-month software. You can start this with a basic CRM or even a well-organised spreadsheet.
Here is what I’d tell a mate to do today:
1. Fix your website forms. Most forms just send you an email and then the data disappears into your inbox graveyard. Make sure every enquiry is being saved into a central list automatically. If your site isn't doing this, your website form is costing sales because you can't follow up effectively. 2. Ask for the mobile number. Every single time. An email is good, but a mobile number in a local business is gold. 3. Tag your customers. Don't just save a name. Save what they bought or what they asked about. This is the difference between sending a generic "Please buy from me" email (which people hate) and a "Hey, it’s been a year since we fixed your AC, want us to check it before summer?" (which people appreciate).
The real cost of ignoring this
Let’s talk about money.
Acquiring a new customer through ads in Brisbane right now is getting expensive. Depending on your industry, you might be paying $50, $100, or even $300 just to get one person to call you.
If you get that customer, do the job, and then never speak to them again because you didn't save their data? You’ve just wasted that acquisition cost.
But if you have their info, and you can bring them back for a second or third job for the cost of a 5-cent text message? Your profit margins just went through the roof.
This isn't an overnight fix
I’m not going to sit here and tell you that you’ll see a million bucks by Tuesday.
Building your own data takes time. It’s a habit. It’s making sure your staff actually put the details in the system. It’s making sure your website is set up to capture more than just a name.
Usually, it takes about three to six months of diligent data collection before you have a big enough "bucket" to start seeing the real rewards. But once that bucket is full, you’ll wonder how you ever ran your business without it.
My honest take
The businesses that will be around in five years aren't the ones with the biggest ad budgets. They’re the ones who own their customer relationships.
Stop letting the big platforms middle-man your business. Start keeping your own records. Treat your customer list like the gold mine it is.
If you aren't sure if your current setup is actually saving your data or just throwing it away, give us a shout. We don't do the fluffy stuff—we just help you get your systems sorted so you can make more money.
Drop us a line at Local Marketing Group and let’s check if your website is actually working for you or just leaking leads.