Getting your business online is easier than ever. You can build a professional website, show up in online searches and maps, and start accepting payments online – often without any coding or technical expertise.
And having an online presence matters today – in 2025, Canadians spent over $50 billion through retail e-commerce. Many more go online to check a business’s hours, read reviews or find a location before visiting, calling or booking.
Most small businesses are already there in some form. According to a 2025 Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) survey, nine in 10 small businesses use at least one digital channel, and 78 per cent have a website.
Whether you’re launching a new business or bringing an established one online, this guide walks through the steps to building your online presence, reaching customers and making the most of digital tools.
What can a strong online presence do for your business?
Your online presence includes everything customers can find about your business on the internet – from your website and search listings to your social media accounts and customer reviews.
Together, these channels can help customers discover your business, learn what you offer and decide whether to buy from you. They can also open up new opportunities to reach customers beyond your physical location or existing network.
Your website is particularly valuable because you control its content and how your business is presented. Other channels can help people discover your business and direct them back to your site.
Step 1: Set up your home base
So where do you begin? As you build or enhance your digital presence, your website is a great place to start. It’s where customers can learn about your business, explore your products or services and, if you choose, make purchases or bookings.
There are several ways to build a website, depending on your budget, goals and how much of the work you want to do yourself.
Website builders: These online tools let you create your own website using ready-made templates and simple drag-and-drop features, without needing coding or technical skills. Many include hosting, domain name options and mobile-friendly designs.
All-in-one e-commerce platforms: These combine a website with tools for online sales, such as shopping carts, payment processing and inventory management.
Web designers and agencies: If you need a more customized site or prefer to leave the work to someone else, a professional can handle the design and development.
Many website builders now offer AI tools to help create page layouts, draft content and edit images. These features can save time, but be sure to review the results for accuracy and make sure the content reflects your business.
How much should you spend?
Consider what you need your website to accomplish and what you can reasonably invest. A simple site that helps customers find you may be all you need to start. If online sales will be a major part of your business, it may be worth considering more advanced features.
Already have a website? You may be better off updating it than starting from scratch, particularly if it already attracts visitors through search engines.
What should your website tell your customers?
Think about what someone visiting your website for the first time would want to know. Make it easy for them to find answers to these questions:
Who are you? Clearly display your business name and explain what you do.
What do you offer? Describe your products or services and what makes them different.
Where can customers find you? Include your address, contact information and service area, where applicable.
When are you open? Keep your hours current, including holiday hours.
Why should customers choose you? Highlight your experience, values, customer reviews or other strengths.
How can customers buy from you? Explain how to shop, order, book or get in touch, whether online, in person or by phone.
Step 2: Make your business easy to find online
When someone searches for a business like yours, your listing on Google Maps or another search platform may be one of the first things they see.
These listings are free and can display your location, hours, phone number, photos and customer reviews. They also make it easy for people to call you or get directions right from their phones.
Platforms like Google Business Profile, Apple Business Connect and Bing Places for Business let you manage how your business appears in online searches and maps, helping more customers find you.
To get the most from your listings
Keep your business name, address and phone number consistent across platforms
Add current photos of your business, products or work
Update your hours whenever they change
Respond to customer reviews, including negative ones
Step 3: Make sure your website is mobile-ready
Customers may discover your business while searching on their phones, whether they’re at home, at work or out running errands. If your site is difficult to navigate on a small screen, they may move on.
Most modern website builders offer mobile-friendly designs that automatically adjust to different screen sizes. Still, it’s a good idea to test your site yourself.
Try visiting your website on your phone and checking:
Can you easily find contact information, call the business or get directions?
Do pages load quickly?
Is the text easy to read and are buttons easy to tap?
Can you complete a purchase or booking without too many steps?
Step 4: Start selling or taking bookings online
Giving customers a way to buy or book online adds convenience and can create new opportunities for revenue. For instance, a retailer might add an online store, a restaurant could offer online ordering, and a salon or contractor might let customers book appointments through the website.
If you’re adding online sales or bookings, here are a few things to consider:
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Payment options: Offer convenient ways to pay, such as credit cards, debit and digital wallets, where supported. A simple checkout process can help reduce abandoned purchases. Learn more about making and receiving payments.
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Inventory management: If you sell both in store and online, consider a point-of-sale system that connects your sales channels so inventory levels update automatically.
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Shipping, pickup and returns: Clearly explain how customers will receive their orders and what happens if they need to return something.
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Customer support: Online chat tools can help answer questions while customers shop. Some use AI to handle common inquiries outside business hours and direct more complex questions to your team.
You can start with the features that make the most sense for your business and add more as your needs evolve.
Step 5: Protect your website and your customers
Customers who shop, book or share information through your website are trusting you to handle their information securely.
A few important safeguards can help protect your business and your customers:
Choose a reputable website platform and payment processor with built-in security features
Enable multi-factor authentication on your website, email, social media and payment accounts
Keep software, plugins and apps up to date
Back up your website regularly
Have a privacy policy that clearly explains how you collect, use and protect customer information
For more ways to safeguard your business, explore our Cyber Security for Business resources.
How to market your business online
Once you’ve established your online presence, the next step is helping customers find you.
Digital marketing can include everything from showing up in online searches to sharing content on social media, sending emails and running ads. You don’t need to use every marketing channel – the goal is to find the ones that reach your customers and make the best use of your time and budget.
Help customers find you through search
Customers are increasingly using AI-powered tools alongside traditional search engines to find businesses, products and services. While search engine optimization (SEO) helps improve your website’s visibility in search results, clear, relevant and well-organized content can also help AI tools find and understand information about your business.
The good news is that many of the same practices can support both. Here are a few ways to make your website content easier to find and more useful to customers:
Use the words your customers use. Think about what someone might type into a search engine when looking for your products or services. Include those terms naturally in your page titles, headings and descriptions. For example, if you sell running shoes, make sure “running shoes” appears in relevant places on your site.
Answer common customer questions. Include clear, helpful information about your products, services, pricing and other details customers may be looking for. A frequently asked questions (FAQ) section can be a great addition, too.
Make your content easy to navigate. Use descriptive headings, short paragraphs and clear page titles so visitors and search engines can quickly understand what each page covers.
Keep your information current. Review your website and business listings regularly to make sure details are accurate and up to date. This gives search engines and AI-powered tools more reliable information to draw from.
Choose social media channels that fit your customers
Social media can help you introduce your business, showcase your products, promote offers and connect with customers. It can also bring visitors back to your website to learn more or make a purchase. The key is choosing platforms your customers use.
According to the same CFIB survey, Facebook (59 per cent) and Instagram (41 per cent) are among the most widely used social channels for small businesses, particularly for consumer-facing businesses. Business-to-business firms, meanwhile, tend to lean more toward LinkedIn.
Starting with one or two channels and posting regularly may be more effective than trying to maintain a presence everywhere. And AI tools can help with routine tasks, such as generating post ideas, drafting captions or resizing images for different platforms.
Stay connected through email
Email is another way to build relationships with customers who have already shown an interest in your business. You can use a newsletter to share updates, introduce new products, promote offers or provide useful information.
Make it easy for people to subscribe through your website or in store. Remember that Canada’s anti-spam legislation generally requires consent before sending commercial emails, so be sure to understand the rules before building your list.
Encourage customer reviews
Online reviews can help people decide whether to try your business and may improve your visibility in local search results. Encourage satisfied customers to leave a review, perhaps through a follow-up email or a sign at your checkout.
Make time to respond, too. Thanking customers for positive feedback and addressing concerns thoughtfully shows that you’re paying attention to their experience.
Consider paid advertising
Paid ads on search engines and social media can help you reach people based on factors such as their location or interests.
You can set a daily or monthly budget, start small and adjust your spending based on the results. This gives you an opportunity to test what resonates before committing more money.
Track what’s working
Most website platforms, search listings and social media accounts offer analytics that show how people interact with your business online.
You can see how many people visit your website, where they come from, which content attracts attention and, in some cases, how many people call or request directions.
Reviewing these results can help you decide where to focus your marketing efforts and where you might want to make changes.
Keeping your online presence current
Once you’re online, keeping your information and content up to date is an ongoing task. The good news is that it doesn’t have to take over your week. After all, you’re busy enough as it is!
A few simple habits can make managing your online presence easier:
Set a monthly check-in. Review your website and listings for outdated hours, pricing, photos or contact details.
Plan ahead. Keep a simple calendar of promotions, seasonal events and other updates you’d like to share.
Schedule social posts. Create several posts at once and use scheduling tools to publish them over time.
Decide who’s responsible. Whether it’s you, an employee or a freelancer, make sure someone is looking after each channel.
Automate where it makes sense. Look for opportunities to automate tasks such as order confirmations, appointment reminders and inventory alerts.
Your online presence can grow with your business
You don’t have to tackle everything at once. A website and complete business listings can give customers the information they need to find you and learn about what you offer.
From there, you can explore online sales, expand your marketing and introduce new tools as your business grows. Pay attention to what works for your customers and build on it over time. The important thing is to get started – and make it easier for customers to connect with your business, wherever they happen to be.
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This article is intended as general information only and is not to be relied upon as constituting legal, financial or other professional advice. A professional advisor should be consulted regarding your specific situation. Information presented is believed to be factual and up-to-date but we do not guarantee its accuracy and it should not be regarded as a complete analysis of the subjects discussed. All expressions of opinion reflect the judgment of the authors as of the date of publication and are subject to change. No endorsement of any third parties or their advice, opinions, information, products or services is expressly given or implied by Royal Bank of Canada or any of its affiliates.
