How much should you actually spend on ads?
Most people ask this the wrong way round. The right question is what you can afford to pay for a customer and still make money — three numbers give you the answer.
How much should a UK business actually spend on ads?
Most people ask this the wrong way round. The right question isn't "what do ads cost" — it's "what can I afford to pay for a customer and still make money." Three numbers give you the answer.
What a customer is worth
Not one sale — everything they spend with you over the time they stay a customer, minus your costs. This is the number almost nobody has ready.
How many enquiries become customers
Out of ten people who ring or fill in the form, how many actually book? Be honest — most businesses guess high.
What you can pay per enquiry
Multiply the first two, then decide what share of that you're willing to spend on getting the customer. That's your ceiling.
Rough starting points for UK campaigns
These are broad ranges, not quotes. Costs move constantly with competition, season and how well the account is built — treat them as a sanity check on your own maths, nothing more.
| Channel | Sensible test budget | What it buys you |
|---|---|---|
| Meta Ads — local service business | £20–£40 per day | Enough daily events for Meta to learn who converts, over a four-week test |
| Meta Ads — e-commerce | £40–£100+ per day | Room to test several products and creative angles rather than one |
| Google Search — local trades | £20–£50 per day | Steady daily clicks on high-intent keywords in a defined service area |
| Google Search — competitive sectors | £70+ per day | Legal, finance, insurance and cosmetic clinics where clicks are expensive |
| SEO | No media spend | Retainer only — but three to six months before it earns its keep |
Once you have your number.
Send me your three numbers and I’ll sanity-check them.
If your affordable cost per enquiry is below what your market charges per click, you will hear it on day one.