How to build a martech stack for a small business

MarTech, short for Marketing Technology, is an abbreviation often used to describe digital tools that are used within marketing functions.

As you can imagine, this encompasses A LOT of tools, with thousands promising better leads, smarter automation, and higher ROI, it’s easy to fall into the trap of buying software before understanding what you actually need - especially as a small business.

When you’re building your ‘stack’ (which means just the collection of tools you use), it can be overwhelming.

But the important thing to remember is that a successful MarTech stack for a small business is not about having more tools; it’s about having the right ones.

This guide walks through how to build a MarTech stack that fits the realities of a small business: limited budget, limited time, and small teams wearing multiple hats.

Start with business goals, not tools

Before choosing any platforms or software, anchor your MarTech stack to outcomes.

It’s tempting to start with questions like “Which CRM should we use?” or “Do we need marketing automation?” But these are the wrong questions to ask at the beginning.

Instead, focus on what the business is trying to achieve.

Key questions to answer include:

• Are you trying to generate more leads?

• Increase repeat purchases?

• Improve customer retention?

• Reduce manual marketing effort?

  
  

You should also be clear on what success looks like in the next 6–12 months and how many people will actually be using these tools on a day-to-day basis.

A small business MarTech stack should solve specific problems, not try to “do everything.”

The goal is to attract customers, convert leads, and grow revenue without adding unnecessary cost or complexity.

A good MarTech stack is:

• Lean

• Well-integrated into your wider operations

• Built to service a real business need

  
  

Below is an example of a stack built for a small business. Bear in mind that every business's stack will look a bit different.

The 5 essential martech categories for small businesses

Most small businesses only need a few tools to market well in the beginning. Everything else is optional until scale demands it. We’ve broken down the 5 core categories below.

1. Website & Content Management System (CMS)

Your website is the beating heart of your MarTech stack. It’s where traffic lands, content lives, and conversions happen, making it one of the most important tools your business will invest in.

For many small businesses, the website is also the first and sometimes only touchpoint a potential customer has with your brand.

At a minimum, your website needs to load quickly, be easy to update (without relying on developers), and support landing pages and forms that capture leads. It should also be mobile-friendly, secure, and built with SEO best practices to support your long-term growth.

Popular options include:

• WordPress

• Webflow

• Squarespace

• Wix

  
  

For small businesses, flexibility and ease of use matter far more than advanced or enterprise-level features. Your CMS should integrate seamlessly with analytics tools, email platforms, and your CRM, enabling data to flow across your stack without manual workarounds.

2. Analytics & Tracking

If you don’t know what’s working, you can’t improve it, and this is where analytics plays a critical role. Analytics tools give you visibility into how people find your business, what they engage with, and where they drop off.

At a minimum, your MarTech stack should help you understand where traffic is coming from, which pages or actions drive conversions, and which campaigns generate leads or sales. This insight allows you to double down on what’s working and stop wasting time or money on what isn’t.

Common tools include:

• Google Analytics (GA4)

• Google Tag Manager

• Google Search Console

• Heatmap tools like Hotjar (optional)

  
  

Analytics don’t need to be complex to be effective. Even simple dashboards can be extremely valuable if they’re reviewed consistently and used to guide decisions rather than collected and ignored.

3. Content creation 

Content is the engine that drives engagement and builds your brand. It fuels almost every part of your MarTech stack.

For small businesses, creating consistent, high-quality content doesn’t have to be complicated or expensive, but it should be strategic. Content can include blog posts, social media updates, videos, graphics, or email newsletters, anything that communicates your value to potential customers.

Effective content creation helps you attract visitors, educate prospects, and nurture relationships over time. It also provides material for social media, email campaigns, and even SEO, making it a central part of your marketing efforts.

Key practices for small businesses include planning a content calendar, repurposing content across channels, and prioritising formats that resonate most with your audience. Start simple and scale your efforts as you learn what works best.

Popular tools for content creation and management include:

• Canva for graphics and social media visuals

• Grammarly or Hemingway for polished writing

• Trello or Notion for content planning and organisation

  
  

The goal isn’t to produce a massive volume of content but to create consistent, high-quality pieces that engage your audience and support your marketing goals.

4. Email Marketing & Basic Automation

Email remains one of the highest ROI marketing channels for small businesses, especially because it gives you direct access to your audience without relying on algorithms or paid reach. It’s a critical channel for nurturing leads and maintaining relationships with existing customers.

At an early stage, automation doesn’t need to be complicated. In fact, simple workflows are often more effective and easier to maintain. The focus should be on timely, relevant communication rather than complex logic or excessive segmentation.

High-impact use cases include:

• Welcome emails

• Lead follow-ups

• Post-purchase emails

• Re-engagement campaigns

  
  

Popular tools include:

• Mailchimp

• ActiveCampaign

• HubSpot Starter

  
  

Automation should reduce manual effort and save time for your team, not create technical overhead or require constant troubleshooting.

5. Acquisition Tools (Paid & Organic)

Acquisition tools help bring new people to the top of your funnel and introduce them to your brand. These tools support both paid and organic strategies, and the right mix will depend on your budget, goals, and timeline for results.

If you have the budget, paid acquisition often includes platforms like Google Ads and Meta (Facebook and Instagram) Ads, which can drive fast results when managed carefully. However, they require ongoing spend and optimisation to remain effective; this isn’t always an option for new businesses.

Organic acquisition typically includes:

• Google Search Console

• Basic SEO tools

• Social scheduling tools like Buffer or Hootsuite

  
  

Not every small business needs paid ads immediately. Many succeed by focusing first on SEO, content marketing, referrals, or partnerships, using paid channels later to accelerate growth once the fundamentals are in place.

What happens to your martech stack when you grow?

Just like any business growth, expect some teething pains when it comes to your martech stack.

Try to avoid the urge to just acquire more and more tools because you think that’s going to give your marketing more power and more edge. That’s not really how it works.

As we mentioned at the start of this article, using a new tool requires some forethought, even when your business gets bigger.

Start thinking about what channels are giving you the most pipeline, e.g., are you an e-commerce business that seems to be converting a lot of customers on TikTok? You might want to consider how to improve another social media platform that's flagging, like Instagram, and improve the consistency of your posting with a social media scheduling tool like Buffer.

Try to make strategic decisions when it comes to embedding new tools into your operations.