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Marketing & Website Tips

Expert insights on web design, SEO, digital marketing, and growing your business online.

What Website Hosting Costs, and What You Need
Web DesignOctober 6, 202611 min read

What Website Hosting Costs, and What You Need

What small business website hosting really costs in Canada, why your renewal price is nothing like your signup price, the difference between shared and managed WordPress hosting, and when cheap hosting starts costing you customers.

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WordPress vs Squarespace vs Wix vs Shopify: Which Should Your Business Use?
Web DesignSeptember 29, 202612 min read

WordPress vs Squarespace vs Wix vs Shopify: Which Should Your Business Use?

An honest comparison of the main website platforms for Canadian small businesses, including when Squarespace is the better call than WordPress, why leaving Wix means rebuilding, and the questions that actually decide it.

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A No-Fluff Small Business Marketing Strategy for 2026
Business GrowthSeptember 22, 202611 min read

A No-Fluff Small Business Marketing Strategy for 2026

A practical, sequenced marketing strategy for a Canadian small business in 2026: fix the foundations first, then layer AI search, reputation, content, and paid where it actually pays off. Here is what to do, and in what order.

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Schema Markup for AI Search: The Structured Data That Helps You Get Cited
SEOSeptember 15, 202611 min read

Schema Markup for AI Search: The Structured Data That Helps You Get Cited

Schema markup will not force ChatGPT or Google to cite you, but it removes the ambiguity that makes machines unsure about what your business is. Here is which schema types matter for AI search, how to add them, and how to test them.

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What's a Realistic Marketing Budget for a Small Business? (2026, Canada)
Business GrowthSeptember 8, 202611 min read

What's a Realistic Marketing Budget for a Small Business? (2026, Canada)

How much a Canadian small business should spend on marketing in 2026, with percentage-of-revenue ranges, channel allocation, what changes the number, and the budgeting mistakes that quietly drain cash.

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Local Lead Generation: Where Your Next Customers Come From
Business GrowthSeptember 1, 202611 min read

Local Lead Generation: Where Your Next Customers Come From

Most local service-business leads come from a short list of channels you can control. Here is where your next customers come from, what to prioritize on a small budget, and how to track it.

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Website Care Plans: Why Your Business Site Needs Ongoing Maintenance
Web DesignAugust 25, 202611 min read

Website Care Plans: Why Your Business Site Needs Ongoing Maintenance

A website care plan keeps your site secure, fast, and working while you run your business. Here is what these plans actually cover, what neglect really costs, and how to tell a fair price from a padded one.

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Online Reputation Management for Local Businesses (Without the Spin)
Digital MarketingAugust 18, 202611 min read

Online Reputation Management for Local Businesses (Without the Spin)

A practical, honest guide to online reputation management for local and small businesses: monitor reviews, earn more of them ethically, respond well to criticism, and keep your listings accurate so AI and local search recommend you.

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Is SEO Dead? What AI Search Really Means for Your Business in 2026
SEOAugust 11, 202611 min read

Is SEO Dead? What AI Search Really Means for Your Business in 2026

No, SEO is not dead. It is changing. Here is what is actually shifting with AI search, why the fundamentals still matter, and what to do about it now.

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How to Track Your AI Search Visibility (ChatGPT, Perplexity, and AI Overviews)
SEOAugust 4, 202613 min read

How to Track Your AI Search Visibility (ChatGPT, Perplexity, and AI Overviews)

A measured, practical guide to checking whether your business shows up in ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google AI Overviews. The tooling is young, so here is what is reliable, what is rough, and how to read it honestly.

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How to Show Up in Google AI Overviews: A Local Business Playbook
SEOJuly 28, 202612 min read

How to Show Up in Google AI Overviews: A Local Business Playbook

AI Overviews now answer many searches before anyone clicks. Here is how local businesses get surfaced as a cited source, and an honest look at what it does to your traffic.

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AI Search Optimization Cost in Canada: What You Pay For (2026)
SEOJuly 22, 20268 min read

AI Search Optimization Cost in Canada: What You Pay For (2026)

Agencies now sell AI search optimization at wildly different prices, from a line item inside an SEO retainer to standalone packages costing thousands per month. Here is what the work actually involves, what it should cost in Canada, and when you are being oversold.

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