As Digital Solutions Round 2 draws to a close on 31 March, we’ve been reflecting on the real progress we’ve seen, and the patterns that lead to lasting digital success. Our mentors have worked one on one with businesses across the region, delivering workshops, and watching practical changes take hold.

Here are the key insights from Round 2, plus your straightforward roadmap to keep the momentum going.

What our mentors have learned this round

1. Overwhelm kills progress
Most businesses arrive wanting to “do digital properly” (social media, SEO, websites, ads, analytics). But trying everything at once leads to burnout. The businesses who progressed fastest picked one or two priorities and mastered them first.

Quickest wins we saw:

• A tidy Google Business Profile (current hours, photos, services)
• Simple websites with clear contact info and booking flow
• One automated task (invoicing, enquiry forms)
• Purposeful social posts (1-2 per week, right audience)

2. Basics first, experts for the rest

Handle the essentials yourself: Google Business updates, clear website contacts, purposeful social posts. For technical areas like Google Ads, advanced analytics, or cyber security policies, and bring in specialists when needed.

3. Measurement doesn’t need to be complicated
Forget complex dashboards. Track 1-2 numbers that matter to your business: phone calls from Google, website visits turning into enquiries, or email opens from your first newsletter.

Your 90-day digital roadmap

Week 1: Pick your priority
Choose one from these high-impact basics:

• Update Google Business Profile
• Fix website contact/booking page
• Start 1 targeted social post per week
• Or another task that you want to tackle first

Weeks 2-4: Build the habit
Do it consistently. Refer back to what you’ve already learned: checklists, workshop notes, or simple online refreshers on your chosen priority.

Month 2: First Review

Review:

• Are you showing up in local searches?
• Is your contact info working across devices?
• What’s one number improving (calls, visits)?

Month 3: Make it sustainable
Document your process so you can repeat it easily. If you have team members, train one person on the task. Or consider outsourcing one digital task (social posts, Google updates), joining a local business group for accountability and skill sharing, or both.

Digital success lasts when it’s repeatable and not overwhelming.

Start today

Pick your one priority this week. Small, consistent digital habits build the foundations that grow your business now and into the future.

The Round 2 participants who succeeded didn’t do everything. They picked one thing, mastered it, then built from there!