Today: get found, even before you have a website
- Create your Google Business Profile. It’s free and it’s what puts you on Google Maps. Add your hours, phone number, service area, categories and a few real photos. Google has to verify you first, which can take anywhere from minutes to a couple of weeks, so start now.
- Register your domain name (for example yourbusiness.ca) so nobody else takes it. It’s a few dollars a month at most.
- Ask your last few happy customers for a Google review. Reviews are one of the first things people, Google and AI assistants look at.
This week: one strong page beats five weak ones
If you need a website as soon as possible, don’t start with ten pages. Launch a single, well-made page that answers what customers actually want to know, then add pages once the business is rolling. That one page needs:
- what you do and where, in the first line (“Emergency plumbing in Kanata and west Ottawa”);
- a call or text button that works with one thumb, and online booking or a quote request if you take them;
- your services, with prices or starting prices if you can share them;
- photos of your real work, your team or your space;
- a few reviews, your hours and your service area;
- your business name, address or area and phone number written exactly as they are on your Google profile.
That’s also exactly what Google and AI assistants like ChatGPT look for when someone asks them for a business like yours.
What actually slows a website down
It’s rarely the building. It’s waiting for things. Have these ready and your site can launch much sooner:
- your logo (any version is fine to start);
- 10 to 20 photos from your phone: your work, your space, you;
- a list of your services and rough prices;
- your hours and the areas you serve;
- logins for your domain and any old website or Google profile;
- one person who can say yes to the design.
Do it yourself, or hire someone?
A builder like Wix or Squarespace can get a basic page up in a day if you have the time to do it yourself. It’s a fair choice when money is tight. Hire a studio if you’d rather spend that time on customers, need booking or quotes built in, or want the site set up properly for Google and AI search from day one, so you don’t have to redo it in six months.
Either way, don’t skip these: make sure it works well on a phone, the domain is in your name, and you can get into every account yourself.
How we handle “we need it soon”
We give you a launch date in writing before we start. For tight deadlines we launch a focused one-page site first and add pages after, so you’re taking calls while the rest is built. We’re based in Ottawa and work with local businesses across Canada.
In a hurry? Call or text 613-858-8104 or book a free 15-minute call. Have a site already? Run the free website check first.