Thoughts on websites, small business, and getting found online.
A services list could sit on any site in Canada. A page about the barn roof you stripped in Bonshaw could not. Why photos of finished jobs now do more for a small business site than the list of trades does.
AI assistants name only a handful of businesses per answer, and they filter hard on reviews and matching information before they name anyone. Why a business that does fine on Google can be left out, and what gets you on the list.
Google now writes an answer at the top of many searches, and fewer people scroll to the links. What that changes for a small business, and how to get named in the answer.
Most happy customers would leave a review, they just never get asked. The simple way to get more, and why they matter more than owners think.
Your home page has about five seconds to make three things obvious: what you do, where you do it, and how to reach you. Here's what belongs up top, and what you can leave off.
The two things word of mouth can't do: bring you customers who've never heard of you, and make your business worth more if you ever sell.
Freelancers, agencies, and the $20 to $50 per month builders: what each one charges, and why I don't bill monthly.
The practical local checklist: claim your Google Business Profile, put a real website behind it, keep your details consistent, and get reviews.
A Facebook page is great, but it doesn't show up well on Google search or on AI search.
SEO and AEO decide whether a stranger looking for you clicks on your business or finds someone else.
The numbers behind a small business website: online research, local search, first impressions, load speed, and revenue growth, and the customers you can't see you're losing.
Red Isle Web