Small Business Marketing Budget Guide

How Much Should a Small Business Spend on Their Internet Presence?

When you’re running a small business, every dollar counts. And with today’s economic conditions—where everything costs more and the outlook feels uncertain—it’s fair to ask how much you should really invest in your online presence.

The short answer: your digital presence is now as vital as your storefront. The real question isn’t “Should I invest?”—it’s “How much should I invest?”

Transparency: The industry benchmarks below were generated with ChatGPT as reasonable ballparks. Panorama Marketing Group typically comes in lower because I’m home-based, this is my retirement side gig (that I genuinely enjoy), and I bring decades of experience—so you get agency-level quality without agency overhead.

The Rule of Thumb: 5–10% of Gross Revenue

Marketing pros commonly suggest allocating 5–10% of gross revenue to marketing. For most small businesses, the majority should go to your digital footprint—website, GBP, social, email, and SEO. See what the U.S. Small Business Administration recommends as well.

Lean (≈5%): Keep essentials current—updated website, GBP optimization, basic social posting.
Growth (10%+): Ongoing SEO, regular email campaigns, social ads, and professional management.

Where the Budget Goes

Website (20–30%): Mobile-friendly, secure, fast, and SEO-ready.
Google Business Profile + Local Listings (10–15%): Free to create; value comes from steady updates, photos, posts, and review replies.
Social Media (20–30%): Consistency builds trust; ads can scale reach when needed.
SEO & Content (15–25%): Articles, local pages, and backlinks to win high-intent searches.
Email Marketing (10–15%): Still the ROI champ for retention and repeat business.

Why PMG Can Do More for Less

Home-based: No office overhead.
Retirement side gig: I keep pricing reasonable because I enjoy the work.
Decades of experience: Senior execution without the agency markup.

Result: practical pricing + seasoned strategy = better value for small businesses.

Real-World Monthly Numbers

$500–$1,000 Competitive locally: core website care, GBP updates, consistent social, basic email.

$1,500–$3,000 Growth mode: deeper SEO, content calendar, ad testing, robust email & reporting.

DIY Lower cash outlay, higher time cost. If your time is better spent running the business, outsource.

Actual needs vary by industry competitiveness, geography, and goals (lead gen vs. brand building).

The Takeaway

Think of your internet presence as digital property. Just like you wouldn’t neglect your storefront, don’t neglect your website, Google Business Profile, social channels, and email. A steady, right-sized investment keeps you discoverable, credible, and competitive—especially when budgets are tight and everything costs more.