How to Run a 2026 Marketing Review That Actually Changes Your Results
- Oliver Nikolla
- Jan 1
- 6 min read
If you are a London business owner and your marketing feels “busy” but unreliable, you are not alone. Too many SMEs in Camden, Islington, Enfield, Barnet, Hackney and Westminster are paying for activity without certainty. A few posts, a few ads, a bit of SEO, then silence, then panic spend when enquiries dip. That cycle is exactly how budget disappears with nothing to show for it.
A proper marketing review 2026 is not a report that sits in a folder. It is a commercial reset. It tells you what is generating qualified leads, what is producing noise, and what must be fixed before you increase spend.
At Merx Marketing Ltd, we help businesses navigate the evolving landscape of modern marketing. In this blog, we break down how product managers can successfully implement AI-powered strategies, from data analysis to customer personalisation, while staying aligned with business goals.
If you're curious about how AI can elevate your marketing performance and streamline decision-making, this guide offers clear, actionable steps to get you started.
About Merx Marketing
• Multi award winning marketing and sales agency based in North London
• Founded in 2022 by Chartered Marketer Daniel Nikolla
• Builds structured marketing systems with measurable outcomes
• Inspired by Mercury, the Roman god of commerce and communication
Merx Marketing Ltd was founded with a simple mission, to help businesses build marketing systems that create real growth. Daniel Nikolla, the director of Merx Marketing, a London based marketing company, built Merx through continuous networking, sharpening expertise, and responding to a clear market gap. London SMEs do not need more random tactics, they need a joined up system that turns attention into revenue.
Merx works through a structured three stage process, Strategy Development, Marketing Execution, and Post Marketing Analysis, so decisions are based on evidence, not assumptions.
Strategy development, marketing execution, post marketing analysis
1. Run A Performance Review Before Planning New Spend
Start by listing every channel you have touched in the last year and what you spend monthly. SEO, Google Ads, paid social, organic social, email, referral partnerships, directories, and website updates. If you cannot confidently list them, that is the first warning sign, because unmanaged spend almost always becomes wasted spend.
Next, pull your last 90 days of data from GA4, Google Search Console, ad platforms, and your CRM if you use one. If you do not have a CRM, even a clean spreadsheet of enquiries and outcomes is better than guessing.
Now define a qualified lead. Not every form fill is valuable. A restaurant might need bookings, not vague enquiries. A builder in Barnet might need homeowners within budget, not renters asking for quick quotes. A dental clinic in Central London might need treatment ready patients, not bargain hunters.
Finally, check tracking basics. Calls, forms, bookings, and purchases must be measured properly, otherwise you are “optimising” blind.
Output: one page scorecard showing your top channels, weak spots, and tracking gaps.
Contributor quote A GA4 implementation specialist we work with put it simply, “If your conversions are not set up cleanly, every marketing decision becomes a gamble, and the house usually wins.”
For reliable GA4 fundamentals, Google’s own GA4 support documentation is a useful reference point.
2. Fix The Biggest Leaks In Your Funnel
Most London SMEs do not have a traffic problem, they have a leakage problem. The money is already coming in at the top, then it falls out through cracks you cannot see.
Find the top three leaks, usually from this list, tracking, targeting, offer clarity, landing page performance, or follow up speed.
Landing pages are a common failure point. Slow load times on mobile, weak calls to action, long forms, and unclear value will quietly destroy conversion rates. Do not let your website leak enquiries while you increase ad spend.
Paid media is another. If your Google Ads audit London reveals irrelevant search terms, loose location targeting, or mismatched intent, you will pay for clicks you never had a chance of converting. Tighten locations across North London boroughs and test carefully across Central London areas where competition can be brutal.
Proof matters more than ever. Reviews, case studies, portfolio evidence, and a clear process with timelines reduce hesitation. If your credibility is hidden, the prospect will assume it does not exist.
Output: a prioritised fix list ranked by impact, so you stop firefighting and start improving outcomes.
Contributor quote A conversion rate optimiser we collaborate with often says, “Most businesses do not need more visitors, they need fewer distractions and a clearer next step.”
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3. Build A 90 Day Plan And Improve Monthly With Merx
Once you have clarity, build a 90 day plan that is realistic. Set three targets for 2026, such as qualified enquiries, cost per lead, bookings, and revenue. These should match how your business actually grows, not vanity metrics.
Your SME marketing strategy London should be simple and structured:
Foundations, tracking, CRM, reporting, and conversion events in GA4.
Capture, SEO and local pages for high intent searches, plus Google Ads that match intent and location.
Nurture, email follow up, remarketing, and social proof to convert the undecided.
Then commit to a monthly routine, one report, one meeting, one action list. This is where momentum is built. Without cadence, marketing becomes emotional, and emotional marketing is expensive.
AI can help, when used responsibly. It can summarise trends, flag weak conversion pages, and suggest test ideas. It should not replace strategy, but it can speed up analysis so you make decisions faster.
Output: a 90 day action plan with owners, deadlines, and metrics, so execution does not collapse under day to day pressure.
Our doors are open!
Come to our office and we will talk about your business or project.
We are located in North London, 75 Colney Hatch Ln, N10 1LR.
Why London SMEs Choose Merx
Merx is North London based and supports businesses across Camden, Islington, Enfield, Barnet, Hackney, and Westminster, plus wider London boroughs where growth potential is real but competition is relentless. The team has experience across construction, hospitality, and specialist services, which matters because what works for a trades business rarely works for a clinic or an ecommerce brand.
Merx is a multi award winning marketing and sales agency, a WIX Partner, and backed by five star Google reviews. Creativity matters, but commercial outcomes matter more. If your marketing does not drive measurable results, it is not marketing, it is noise.
Visit us for a free marketing consultation:
75 Colney Hatch Lane, London, United Kingdom, N10 1LR
Contact us:
+44 (0) 7480 845583 - danieln@merxmarketing.co.uk
MERX is here to help
FAQ
What is included in a marketing review 2026?
A proper review looks at performance across SEO, Google Ads, social, email, and website conversion, then checks GA4 tracking and lead quality. The goal is to produce clear actions, not vague commentary, so you can invest with confidence.
How do I know if I need a marketing audit London before spending more?
If leads are inconsistent, ad costs are rising, tracking is unclear, or you cannot link spend to revenue, you need an audit. Increasing budget without fixing leaks usually makes the problem more expensive, not more profitable.
What is the difference between a marketing performance audit and a strategy?
An audit tells you what is happening and where it is failing. A strategy tells you what to do next, in what order, and why. London SMEs usually need both, because performance data without a plan still leads to reactive decisions.
Can GA4 actually help a small business, or is it only for large companies?
GA4 is useful for SMEs when it is set up properly, with the right conversion events and clear reporting. Without a clean setup, it creates confusion and false confidence, which is worse than having no data at all.
What results should I expect after a 90 day plan is implemented?
You should expect clearer lead quality, improved conversion rates, and more predictable performance reporting. If the foundations are fixed first, 90 days is often enough to stop the most damaging waste and start building momentum.
NEW: Ask Merx Marketing’s AI Chatbot
We are excited to launch our very own AI chatbot. This smart assistant scans all previous blogs, resources and website content to answer any questions you may have about marketing, AI tools, SEO, and more.
Want one for your business? Merx Marketing can build a bespoke AI chatbot that lives on your website, helping customers 24/7 while reducing customer service costs.
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