December 4, 2025
When people launch an online business, they very often jump right to the fun stuff, which makes sense - why not enjoy working on the branding, website colours, logo, and so on? But the problem is, after a while reality’s going to hit, and you’ll realise that even though you’ve got the nicest looking storefront or the most impressive website, you’re still having trouble getting anyone to look at it.
Making early marketing mistakes isn’t usually something that can’t be undone, but it’s worth knowing what they are so you can avoid them if possible and save yourself a bit of time when you’re just starting out. With that in mind, keep reading to find out more.
New businesses tend to try to sound appealing to every possible customer, which usually means they end up sounding like they’re not actually talking to anyone at all. In other words, because there’s no specific customer in mind, the message just becomes vague, and the posts feel generic, which means the customers themselves don’t really know if you mean them or not.
Real marketing works much better when you talk to one clear person and address their worries, needs, habits, and do it all in their language. The fact is, when you narrow your focus, everything becomes much easier, from writing content to working out which platforms to post your offers on.
Most people avoid analytics because they think it’s stressful and/or boring, but it’s actually crucial because it’s all the information you need about what’s working and what isn’t, and when you delve deeper, you’ll find out all kinds of things that can help you improve your marketing and make sure it reaches the right people with the right message in the right way.
Even something simple like testing two different headlines or tweaking your product descriptions can make a massive difference. And if you ever get to the point where you need expert input on your strategy, you’ll see companies like Algebra out there who can help you.
It’s tempting to write in the most professional, perfect tone and style you can and make it all sound impressive and corporate, but although you can certainly do that, you’ll probably find the normal people you want to connect with aren’t all that interested - it just sounds too false. What you actually want to do is talk to them as a human to other humans, and make things sound warm, friendly, and honest.
It can be hard to know where to start, but one thing that can work is to talk to your friends and family to get some ideas, and to listen to how they respond to various options. In the end, the more you can talk like yourself, with all your quirks, the more people are going to like it because they’ll know a real person is behind the business and not just a load of business people who don’t really care.
When you try to appeal to everyone, your message often becomes vague and fails to connect with anyone. Focusing on a specific customer allows you to tailor your language, offers, and content directly to their needs, making your marketing much more persuasive and effective.
The 'boring stuff' refers to marketing analytics and data. This includes tracking website traffic, engagement rates on social media, and conversion rates. This information tells you exactly how your efforts are performing so you can make informed decisions instead of guessing.
Try writing as if you were speaking to a friend. Use a conversational tone, share your personality, and avoid stiff, corporate language. Being authentic helps customers feel a real connection to the person behind the business, which builds loyalty.
Yes, it can be. Many new businesses spend too much time on visual details like logos and colours while neglecting the crucial task of attracting visitors. A beautiful website is useless if no one sees it, so a basic marketing plan should be a priority from the start.
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