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Squama Marketing Boost your brand with Squama Media: Canada's global agency for web design, content, and branding.

Some brands sell a service. Others hold a room.For Bravehearts Collective, the website needed to reflect the community b...
10/05/2026

Some brands sell a service. Others hold a room.

For Bravehearts Collective, the website needed to reflect the community behind it: warm, welcoming, and built around connection.

So we designed with that in mind. The editorial layout, warm palette, storytelling, and space given to the community all work together to create an experience that feels intentional and human.

Because a website shouldn't just tell people what you do. It should show people what makes your business different and give them a reason to connect with it.
And while every business has a different story, the principle is the same: your website should communicate clearly, reflect what makes you different, and make it easier for the right people to take the next step.

That's the thinking we bring to every website we build for small businesses across Ontario.

What should someone understand about your business within the first few seconds of landing on your website?

Most small business owners have been told they need to spend more on digital marketing.Very few have been told what they...
10/02/2026

Most small business owners have been told they need to spend more on digital marketing.

Very few have been told what they should actually spend it on first.

Here's something we see often with Ontario businesses.

A business invests $2,000 a month in Facebook Ads. Six months have passed. The results are disappointing. The instinct is to increase the budget or try a different platform.

But when you look closely, the issue isn't the spend.

Every ad is sending traffic to a homepage that doesn't clearly explain what the business does, who it serves, or what the visitor is supposed to do next.

The money isn't the problem. The foundation is.

This is one of the most common patterns in small business digital marketing. And it's worth understanding before you commit to any monthly budget.

According to BDC, Canada's bank for entrepreneurs, a common starting framework is around 2% to 5% of revenue for B2B businesses and 5% to 10% for B2C businesses. For a B2C business making $500,000 a year, that's roughly $2,100 to $4,200 a month across all marketing activities.

But the percentage is just a starting point.

What actually matters is understanding what each channel does, what it costs, and whether it matches what your business needs right now.

A website is the foundation everything else builds on. Local SEO builds visibility that can continue working over time. Google Ads delivers faster results but costs continue for as long as you run campaigns. Social media and email can become more powerful once the foundation is working.

The question worth asking before you approve any marketing spend isn't "how much should I spend?"

It's "what do I want this money to actually do for my business?"

Because $500 a month that consistently brings in new customers is a better investment than $5,000 a month that produces traffic with nothing to show for it.

If you're not sure where your marketing budget should go first, start with the foundation.

Is your website clearly explaining what you do and who you serve?
Is your Google Business Profile complete and accurate?

If the answer to either of those is no, that's a good place to start before increasing your marketing spend.

What's been your experience with digital marketing budgets? Did you start with the right channels or learn the hard way? Drop it in the comments.

Most small business owners assume that if their business isn't showing up on Google Maps, they simply need to create a p...
10/01/2026

Most small business owners assume that if their business isn't showing up on Google Maps, they simply need to create a profile.

But it isn't always that simple.

Someone nearby searches for the service you offer.

Three businesses appear.

Yours doesn't.

And the customer moves on without ever knowing you were an option.

Before you create a Google Business Profile, there are two things worth checking.

First, is your business eligible?

Google Business Profiles are for businesses that have in-person contact with customers, either at a physical location or by traveling to them.

Second, does your business already have a profile?

Search your business name on Google first. You might already have a listing that you can claim.

Once you're listed, don't just leave the profile sitting there.

Keep your information accurate.
Add photos.
Keep your hours and services up to date.
Ask genuine customers for reviews and respond to them.

And if you travel to customers, make sure your service area reflects the cities you actually serve.

But here's the part many business owners miss:

Being listed isn't the same as being found.

Google says local results are mainly influenced by relevance, distance and prominence.

So getting onto Google Maps is the starting point. You still need to build a strong local presence around it.

That's why we put together a simple step-by-step guide for Ontario small business owners.

It walks through what to check before creating your profile, what to avoid, and what to do once you're listed.

Have you checked whether your business shows up on Google Maps when someone searches for your service?

You can air your view in the comment section

Most small business owners have heard they should be blogging.But here's the question nobody really answers:Do you actua...
09/23/2026

Most small business owners have heard they should be blogging.

But here's the question nobody really answers:

Do you actually need a blog?

A business blog isn't a diary. It's a way to answer the questions your customers are already searching for online.

Think about the questions people ask you before they hire you.

How much does this cost?
How long will it take?
Do I actually need this service?

Those questions can become blog posts that help people find you, understand your service, and trust your business before they contact you.

But not every business needs a blog right now.

If your business runs mostly on referrals and you're not trying to grow your online presence, you may not need one yet.

But if you want your website to bring in new enquiries while you're busy running the business, blogging can become more valuable over time.

And you don't need to post every day.

Start with one genuinely useful post a month. Answer a real customer question.

Keep going consistently.

Your customers are already giving you blog ideas.

You just need to write them down.

Is your business currently blogging? What's been your experience? 👇

If someone searched for your service in your city right now, would your business show up?Not eventually.Not after scroll...
09/09/2026

If someone searched for your service in your city right now, would your business show up?

Not eventually.

Not after scrolling through page after page.

Right now, when they're actually looking for a business like yours.

For a lot of small business owners, the honest answer is: I'm not sure.

And that's where local SEO comes in.

Local SEO is simply the work of helping your business show up when people nearby search for what you offer.

Google says local results are mainly based on relevance, distance and prominence.

But here's where things get practical.

Your Google Business Profile may have been set up once and never updated.

Your website may say you provide “quality solutions” without clearly saying what you do or where you serve.

You may have happy customers but very few public reviews.

Or your business information may be different across different platforms.

None of these sound like huge problems.

But together, they can make it harder for Google and potential customers to understand your business.

And local SEO isn't about paying Google to put you at the top.

It's about making your business easier to understand and easier to find when the right local customer is searching.

So try something simple today:

Search your service + your city.
Look at what comes up.

Then ask yourself:

Does my business give Google and potential customers the same level of information?

That small check can tell you a lot about your local visibility.

What happens when you search for your own business category in your city? 👇

Do I really need a landing page? I already have a website.If you've ever asked yourself that question, you're not alone....
08/20/2026

Do I really need a landing page? I already have a website.

If you've ever asked yourself that question, you're not alone. The difference is actually much simpler than it sounds.

Your website is like your full shop. People can come in, look around, learn about your business, check your services, see your work, find your contact details, and decide what they want to do next.

A landing page is different. Think of it like setting up a small shop for one specific thing.

Let's say you run a landscaping business and you're offering free quotes. Instead of sending someone who clicks your Google ad to your homepage and asking them to find their way around, you can send them to a page created specifically for that offer.

They see the offer, understand what they're getting, see why they should trust you, and have one clear way to request their quote.

That's the whole idea.

A landing page can be useful when you're running ads, promoting one particular service or offer, or asking people to take one specific action, like booking a consultation or requesting a quote.

But here's something important: you don't automatically need a landing page just because someone told you that you do.

If you don't have a specific offer, campaign, or action you're trying to get people to take, your website may already be doing exactly what you need.

So the question isn't really, “Do I need a landing page?”

It's, “What am I trying to get my website visitors to do?”

Once you answer that, it becomes much easier to know whether you need one.

We'll be breaking this down in more detail in our upcoming blog, including when a small business actually needs a landing page and what makes one work.

For now, if you've ever wondered about the difference between a website and a landing page, we hope this helped make it a little clearer.

Now that you know the difference, which one does your business need right now, a website, a landing page, or maybe both?

Is your website quietly losing you customers?Most business owners don't realize their website is the reason visitors are...
06/22/2026

Is your website quietly losing you customers?

Most business owners don't realize their website is the reason visitors are leaving without converting.

It's not always about traffic. Sometimes, it's what happens after they land on your site.
We broke down 5 silent website issues that could be affecting your conversions.

👉 Swipe through the carousel to find out more!

We partnered with Lush by Lindsay Cosmetics to design and develop a website that not only reflects their brand, but also...
04/24/2026

We partnered with Lush by Lindsay Cosmetics to design and develop a website that not only reflects their brand, but also supports their growth.

From online booking to e-commerce, everything is built to deliver a smooth user experience.

đź“© Looking to elevate your brand online? Contact us today to get started.
DigitalExperience CustomWebsites SquamaMarketing

Your website should do more than just look good, it should work for your business.The analytics tell the real story. Fro...
04/09/2026

Your website should do more than just look good, it should work for your business.

The analytics tell the real story. From traffic and conversions to bounce rate and top-performing pages, the right data shows you what’s working and what’s holding you back.

If you’re not tracking it, you’re guessing.

Is your website actually performing or just existing?

No website means missed opportunities.If your business can’t be found online, potential customers are going straight to ...
04/01/2026

No website means missed opportunities.

If your business can’t be found online, potential customers are going straight to your competitors.

At Squama, we build websites designed to help you get found, build trust, and turn visitors into real leads.

If you’ve been putting it off, now is the time to get it done right.

Let’s get your business online.

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