Are You in the 75% of SMEs Wasting Their Marketing Budget?
the kpis you must track to turn it around

We see it every week at DVANA.

Smart businesses. Hard-working teams. Money flowing into marketing.

But one problem keeps showing up — quietly draining budgets, time, and energy.

"We’re doing all the things... but we’re not sure what’s actually working."

Sound familiar?

You’re not alone.

Research shows that 75% of SMEs admit they have little or no clarity over whether their marketing is delivering results.

And it’s not because they don’t care.

It’s because modern marketing is noisy. Fragmented. Overwhelming.

For growing businesses — especially those with lean teams — this usually means:

• Budgets spent.
• Time lost.
• Results unclear.

But it doesn’t have to stay that way.

Meet Sarah — And Maybe Yourself Too

Sarah runs marketing for a growing tech consultancy.

She’s sharp. Passionate. Creative.

Her team is working flat out — social media, ads, blogs, email campaigns — ticking all the marketing boxes.

But every month, her Managing Director asks the same question:

"So... what’s working?"

And Sarah feels that familiar discomfort.

Website traffic looks good. Followers are up. Open rates are steady.

But actual leads? Sales? Revenue directly tied to marketing?

That’s murky.

And if you’re a small business owner doing this yourself — without a marketing team — it’s even harder.

Because every wasted hour... every unclear result... costs you more than money.

It costs you focus. Energy. Opportunity. Time.

Why Most SMEs Stay Stuck

This is the pattern we see all the time at DVANA.

Businesses aren’t failing because they aren’t marketing.

They’re struggling because they aren’t measuring what matters.

And that creates real problems:

• Wasted spend on what looks good but doesn’t convert.
• Missed quick wins hiding in plain sight.
• Growing frustration and disconnect between marketing activity and sales results.

But this is exactly where clarity becomes your competitive edge.

The 5 KPIs Every Growing Business Must Track

Here’s what we help our clients track — every single week.

Because when you know these numbers, everything changes.

1. Cost Per Lead (CPL)

How much are you paying for a lead?

Break it down by channel — stop wasting budget on dead ends.

2. Lead-to-Customer Conversion Rate

It’s not about how many leads you get.

It’s about how many become paying customers.

3. Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC)

Your total marketing spend ÷ number of new customers.

This tells you whether your growth is scalable — or expensive guesswork.

4. Customer Lifetime Value (CLV)

What’s a customer worth to your business over time?

The higher this number, the more you can confidently invest in growth. That really means marketing.

5. Marketing-Sourced Revenue

This is the truth-teller.

If you can’t tie revenue directly to marketing activity — it’s time to fix that.

Real Results: What Clarity Can Do For You

One of our clients — a growing consultancy much like Sarah’s — came to us spending over £100k a year on marketing.

Busy team. Lots of activity. But unclear results.

We helped them implement a simple KPI dashboard focused on what mattered most.

Within 6 months:

• Cut wasted ad spend by 40%.
• Doubled down on 2 high-performing channels.
• Increased marketing-driven revenue by 70%.

But the result that mattered most? Their Head of Sales told us: "It was the first time in two years I walked into a board meeting feeling completely confident about the numbers. No second-guessing. No excuses. Just clarity."

That’s what happens when your marketing stops being a cost... and starts becoming your competitive advantage.

Ready to Take Control?

Marketing should drive your growth — not drain your resources.

At DVANA, we help businesses like yours cultivate clarity, accelerate results, and dominate your market — with marketing that actually works.

Because businesses that know their numbers don’t just survive.

They lead.

Let’s turn your marketing from guesswork into growth — and from cost centre into competitive advantage.

👉 Book Your Free Discovery Call Now

Remember: In marketing, clarity isn’t optional. It’s your edge.