The Basics
Q. Why do I need a website?
A. More people are using the Internet now instead of the telephone book when looking for businesses. If your business is not on the Internet, you are going to be left behind.
Q. I think I can do it myself/friend/family, isn't that a better idea?
A. We hear that sometimes. Have you ever noticed when someone is doing something for you for free it never seems to get done? And if it does you never get quite what you wanted? And then you feel like you can't really be pushy about it because they did you a favor? What a waste of time! Think about all of the professional services your business uses (banking, insurance, accountants, lawyers, etc.). You can't trust a friend or family member that knows some basics about these topics to do the job of a professional. Saving a little money can sometimes lead to a lot of time, frustration and expense later.
Q. I think I want to do it locally, isn't that a better idea?
A. We understand that everyone likes to support the businesses in their community, and if the service is of equal quality and price, we say go for it! Competing with companies across Canada and internationally forces us to keep improving our service and keep our prices low. Besides, even if your provider was next door, everything is done over the telephone and email anyway.
Q: What is website hosting?
A: Hosting just means keeping a website on a computer somewhere connected to the Internet so people and search engines can view it.
Q: What is a domain name?
A: This is the address of your website on the internet (for example: www.google.com or www.cbc.ca)
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Websites.ca All-In-One Website Service
Q. Who are you?
A. Websites.ca Inc. is a privately owned company that helps small businesses across Canada get the most out of the Internet - and at a great price. We been helping companies since 1999. We have offices in Montreal and Winnipeg. Read more about Websites.ca Inc.
Q. Is Websites.ca right for me?
A. There are thousands of website companies out there because getting into the business seems so easy. Websites.ca has taken the much less common step of becoming a serious national website provider that our customers can depend on in the long term, but our service isn't for everybody. Contact us to find out if our website service is right for your business.
Q. What if I want to switch to a different website service?
A. No problem. We'll do our best to fix any problems you have, but sometimes a company grows or changes so our service is no longer right for them. We'll be sad to see you go, but we'll help every step of the way if you need to move to another provider.
Q. What if I tell my friend to sign up?
A. We really appreciate it when a customer sends someone to try out our service. If they sign up we'll give you 6 months free service!
Q. How much is it again?
A. Some of our customers want bigger websites and more service than others so we have 3 pricing plans. $24.95/month, $34.95/month, $44.95/month. Check out our Pricing page for details about what is included with each.
Q. Do I own my domain name?
A. Any domain name that we manage for a customer is registered in their name - so yes, you own it. They can take over management at any time.
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Information and Updating
Q: How long does it take to get my website going?
A: Our set-up process can take as little as a week and usually no longer than 30 days.
Q: How many pages can my website have?
A: We have 3 plans for different sized websites, but you can always add as many extra pages as you need. Read our Pricing page for details.
Q. Can I change pricing plans?
A. Yes. Customers can move to a larger or smaller plan, it's free!
Q. Can I do my updates, or will you just do them for us?
A. Our customers can update their website themselves - it is as easy as writing an email. If a customer is too busy, they can just call or send us the updates and we do it for them - no charge. It is included in the package!
Q: How do I send in updates if I don’t want to do it myself?
A: You can email or fax in changes for your website, or just call us and tell us what you need. Contact us for help.
Q: What if I'm too busy to worry about updating my website?
A: We'll check in once in a while, don't worry! We can go over things with you on the phone and make any changes you need. This can take as little as 5 minutes.
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Website Marketing and Search Engines
Q: Will my Websites.ca website show up on Google/Bing/Yahoo?
A: Yes. Your Websites.ca Marketing Report will also track how well your website is doing on the major search engines. If your website isn't doing as well as you had hoped, we'll work with you on getting better results.
Q: Why isn't my website showing up on the search engines?
A: There may be millions of results on the search engines for a common phrase. What we do is work with you to figure out what specific phrases your potential customers might be searching for. Usually this means adding a place name or region name to the search to get a better idea where your website is showing up in the results.
Q: How do I improve the position of my website on the search engines?
A: The three things that the search engines like Google are looking for are: 1. Good Information - The more useful the information (words) on your website is to people, the higher Google ranks your website, 2. Regular Updates - If the information on your website is fresh and current Google will give you a better rank, 3. (and maybe the most important) In-Links - this means that Google keeps track of which and how many websites are linking to yours. Google sees these links as a vote of confidence for your website - and the higher the rank of the website linking to you, the more weight it has.
Q: I did everything I could to get a better rank on Google. Why am I not seeing any results?
A: Google may not be checking your website too frequently. Be patient. If you have a lot of good information that you keep up-to-date and lots of websites link to yours, your rank will improve.
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