Author: madewithlove

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Websites Made With Love has been honoured as the winner of the 12th Web Excellence Awards

PARKSVILLE, MAY 21, 2024 – Websites Made With Love Inc. is proud to announce that it has been honoured as a winner in the 12th Web Excellence Awards. The company’s entry, New Website for TCO Agromart Ltd, has been recognized for its excellence in the Website Design – Agriculture category, showcasing its commitment to innovation and superior performance in the digital space.

“We are thrilled to receive this prestigious award, which reflects our commitment to helping our agricultural clients with digital innovation and excellence,” stated Founder, Mark Beuerman. “This award is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our team, who consistently strive to build beautiful websites at an affordable price that also push the boundaries of what is possible in the digital space,” added Jamie Geche, Senior Web Designer.

The Web Excellence Awards, a pioneering platform that acknowledges and promotes excellence in web development and digital innovation, celebrated an impressive array of talent and innovation from around the globe, reinforcing its mission to recognize and celebrate extraordinary achievements by creative teams and individuals worldwide.

“Being recognized as a winner at the 12th Web Excellence Awards not only highlights our achievements but also motivates us to continue raising the bar for agricultural industry website standards,” concluded Beuerman.

Winning the Web Excellence Award is a significant accolade for Websites Made With Love, its team members and their families. This recognition underscores the company’s outstanding contributions to the digital realm and its dedication to pushing the envelope in web design and digital marketing innovation. The award also enhances the company’s reputation in the industry, solidifying its position as a leader and trendsetter.

About Websites Made With Love

Websites Made With Love began in 2018 and has grown from a one-man show into a team of 6 full and part-time team members. Their portfolio continues to grow (100+ websites), including many agriculture-related websites, which have a special place in our founder, Mark’s, heart.

Their main services include website design, search engine optimization (SEO), search engine marketing (SEM – mainly Google & Facebook Ads), website maintenance and security plans, and graphic and logo design. They love to help local small businesses and non-profit organizations by building new professional-looking websites that reflect their brand identities. And if they don’t have a brand identity yet, they love helping them from the ground up to develop an online presence.

Media Inquiries for the winner: Mark Beuerman, hello@websitesmadewithlove.com

About the Web Excellence Awards

The Web Excellence Awards is a leading international competition celebrating the best in web development and digital innovation. Established to recognize and promote excellence across the digital industry, the awards provide a platform for innovation and creativity to be acknowledged globally.

Contact: info@we-awards.com

Website: https://we-awards.com/

Funding for small businesses

Canadian grants for small businesses – do they exist? Of course, they do! At least for now. Starting a new business can be tough, and keeping it going past the first year can sometimes be the make-it-or-break-it point.

Sometimes, technology can zoom ahead at a pace that’s just a little too fast for some of us. While we may have the best intentions, getting your product out into the eCommerce world can feel overwhelming. It almost feels like on top of being an entrepreneur, you also need to be a computer whiz to have a chance against the competition. Improving your “digital adoption” is one of the new keys to success in today’s eCommerce world. We found a couple of grants that can help you get to where you need to be.

What is digital adoption?

Digital adoption is a new term that describes the ability to adapt to new technology and use it to its full potential. This means keeping on track with new technological releases and developments, then using them to improve your business’ ROI.

In other words, digital adoption uses new technology to make running a business easier and more efficient.

Examples of digital adoption

Examples can paint a better picture of what all this means. Here are some scenarios that digital adoption has had a role in improving:

• Automated reminder texts about upcoming appointments or bill payments. This means more contact with the customer but less work for the staff.
• Cloud storage allows for important information to be securely stored all in one place. No more basements filled with filing cabinets! Accessing information is seamless and takes no time at all.
• Chatbots have been used in medical settings to help screen patients and direct them to the appropriate next step, which eases up the workload for hospitals and medical staff.

What is the Canada Digital Adoption Program?

The Canada Digital Adoption Program (CDAP) is a government-funded program that helps small businesses grow online. Most commonly, grants help small businesses build websites to advertise and sell their products. The technology portion helps propel businesses into becoming more tech-savvy.

The Canadian Digital Adoption Program helps businesses connect with their customers, improve service, attract new customers, and get their business more in-tuned with current digital adoption technologies.

What grants are available under the Canada Digital Adoption Program?

The CDAP offers two fantastic grants to kickstart your business to the next level.

Grow Your Business Online Grant

The Grow Your Business Online Grant offers up to $2400 to kick up your virtual business to the next level.

You can use your grant in several areas. Some ideas include:

• Creating or updating your eCommerce website to improve functionality (cannot redesign just for fun, unfortunately)
• Contracting a digital marketer
• Improving your Search Engine Optimization (SEO) (this must be paired with an overall plan, and cannot be used as a stand-alone item)
• Maintain cybersecurity
• Maintain loyalty programs, discounts, and inventory

The purpose is to have an overall eCommerce plan, so utilizing a few items from the list instead of concentrating on one topic is required.

Boost Your Business Technology Grant

The Boost Your Business Technology Grant offers up to $15 000 for obtaining advice and up to $100,000 in interest-free loans from the Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC) to apply to various technologies for your business.

What am I unable to claim under either grant?

The grants aren’t free money being thrown your way. There are exceptions to how you use it.

Some ineligible items that you cannot claim include (but are not limited to):

• Connection fees
• Domain renewals
• Logo redesign and rebranding
• Salaries
• Rent costs
• Staff lunches

Most of these are common sense, but you’d be surprised what some people try to claim!

The purpose of the program is to help your existing business grow from a technological standpoint. It doesn’t cover basic costs like hosting, your internet bill, or overhauling your website for a fresh redesign.

Do I qualify for a grant to help build my website?

For a quick response, you can try out the assessment tool to find out if you qualify. If you don’t want to sit through that, take a quick browse at these requirements below.

CDAP funding eligibility requirements (for Grow Your Business)

• Have a registered or incorporated for-profit business
• Consumer-facing with in-person services
• Last year’s annual revenue was at least $30 000 OR you have hired at least 1 employee (not including the owner!)
• Willing to apply a digital adoption strategy for the next 6 months
• Be open and willing to fill out surveys to follow up on your experience, including publicizing your name

CDAP funding eligibility requirements (for Boost Your Technology)

• Canadian owned
• Between 1 and 499 employees
• The business has had annual revenue of at least $500 000 in one of the last three years

CDAP Dealbreakers

• chain, franchise, or registered charity
• the multi-level marketing company (e.g. Avon, Scentsy, Young Living, Mary Kay, etc)
• Real estate brokerage
• A reselling store or business (liquidation), or one that relies on some other third party for products and services to resell
• Wholesale (some exceptions apply)

How do I apply for a digital adoption program?

You can apply for one of these grants by clicking the link and following the prompts.

Apply for the Grow Your Business Grant 

Apply for the Boost Your Business Technology Grant

More information about the Canadian Digital Adoption Program

If you are interested in reading more about the CDAP, please feel free to check out the following links:

Official page for the Canadian Digital Adoption Program

Grow Your Business Grant

Boost Your Business Technology Grant 

Become a Digital Advisor 

Upcoming Events and Webinars 

Even if you feel that you may not qualify for this program, a website refresh or maintenance plan can help keep your website updated and accessible for your users. Curious about what’s under the hood? Our team can help you understand what state your website is in and give suggestions on how to improve it for your visitors. Feel free to have a peek at our digital marketing services, or contact Mark at your convenience for more information.

As a small business owner, it’s important to be aware of the various scams that exist online. One such scam that is currently making the rounds is the “GVerified” scam, where scammers are posing as a verified service for Google Business Profiles. They offer to verify your profile for a fee, but the truth is that Google offers verification for free through their Google My Business program which usually we have helped our customers with.

It’s important to understand how these scammers operate so you can protect yourself and your business. They typically reach out to businesses through phone and in some instances, email or social media, offering their “verification” services. They may make a convincing case, even providing a fake verification badge or certificate to make their offer seem legitimate. But don’t be fooled! Google does not charge for verification and does not use third parties for the verification process.

If you’re ever unsure about the legitimacy of a service being offered, it’s always best to contact us here at Websites Made With Love by phone or by email. If you require assistance with the verification or optimization of your Google Business Profile, we can help with that, too. You can also check the Google My Business Help Center for more information on how to avoid scams and protect your business.

It’s also a good idea to be vigilant when giving out sensitive information online. Scammers may ask for personal information such as your business address, phone number, or financial information. in some cases, they may try to perform verification with you alongside them – do not do this and hand over control to “GVerified”. Always be wary of unsolicited requests for this type of information and never give out your information unless you’re certain of the legitimacy of the request.

In summary, always be cautious when receiving unsolicited offers for services, especially if they involve payment. Remember, if something seems too good to be true, it probably is. Google does not charge for verification and does not use third parties for the verification process. Verify the legitimacy of any service being offered and never give out sensitive information. By being vigilant and protecting your business, you can avoid falling victim to these scams and keep your business running smoothly.

Universal Analytics (UA), the common analytics platform provided by Google, will soon be retiring. Its successor, Google Analytics 4 (GA4 for short) will be taking over full time as we say goodbye to an old friend. 

As stated by Google:

“On July 1, 2023, standard Universal Analytics properties will no longer process data. You’ll be able to see your Universal Analytics reports for a period of time after July 1, 2023. However, new data will only flow into Google Analytics 4 properties.”

What Happens After July 1st, 2023?

For those that decide not to switch to GA4 before July 1st, 2023, their website will experience a break-in data collection. No new data will be collected after June 2023 into the UA property. It’s imperative that UA users switch as soon as possible to GA4 to keep a steady stream of data flowing into their analytical reports. One of the beneficial aspects of using analytical tracking software is to compare new data to historical data. Starting a GA4 account as soon as possible allows for more time to be built up in order to compare new results with the old. 

GA4 users will not experience disruptions in their services.

Will I Lose My Old Universal Analytics Data?

Old data will not be lost immediately, but it appears that Google isn’t going to hold onto it for very long. Currently, they are suggesting they will keep old data for about six months after July 1st,  2023, before sending out an official deletion date. So although you will not lose out right away, it will eventually happen. It’s only a matter of time before the data stream to UA gets cut, so it’s a good idea to take the initiative now and set up a new GA4 account. 

How Do I Continue To Track My Data?

Creating a new Google Analytics 4 account to start tracking data as soon as possible is the best option. Compared to Universal Analytics, GA4 offers more flexibility and measurement options. GA4 starts tracking as soon as it is installed, but it cannot go back in time. The sooner it is set up, the better. Now that UA has been announced to retire, it is a good indication that Google wants to put more of its time into the most current version of analytics, GA4. This may mean more useful features being implemented in the future. 

Can I Upgrade to GA4 from Universal Analytics?

At this time you cannot upgrade or transfer data from Universal Analytics into Google Analytics 4. The platforms record data differently and are not interchangeable. Starting a new GA4 property to track data immediately is the best option. 

How Do I Find Out if I Have GA4 or UA on My Website?

On your analytics account, you can identify which type you are using by looking at the property ID. Or, you can contact us and we can help you out!

I Haven’t Tracked Anything Before, can I Start With GA4?

Of course!

This is an exciting opportunity because you will be able to soon understand the powers of analytics and tracking techniques. Many businesses use analytics to help plan budgeting, marketing campaigns, social media strategies, and search engine optimization practices. It doesn’t hurt to track where users are coming from and what they are doing on your website.

As a business owner, you want to understand your customers. Website visitors are no different. Statistics can be boring, but the value behind them can be very important. We can look at all the boring technical stuff for you and just give you the highlights in an easy-to-understand report, focusing on what you care about the most. 

Let Us Help!

Does this seem a little too technical for you? No problem – we can help set you up fresh with a GA4 account and start collecting data as soon as possible to make the transition seamless. We offer analytics reporting, custom tag creation, SEO optimization, and more. Whether you are looking for a little bit of help (or a ton!), we’re confident that our services will be of benefit to you.

Give us a call or text us at (250) 240-5641 and let’s chat!

What Does UA and GA4 Mean and How are They Used?

Google has analytical software to help track how users are getting to your website, what they are doing while on there, and where they are going once they leave. The most recent “old” version is Universal Analytics (UA), which is now getting replaced with the upgraded Google Analytics 4 (GA4) platform. These tools take in data that can then be used in other platforms like Google Data Studio to visually display and interpret the results. In addition, tools like Google Tag Manager and Google Ads can help track specific behaviours unique to your website, then send the data into this statistical platform.

Why Do I Need Google Analytics 4?

Many people have websites for various reasons, but usually, it is part of a business that wants to make money. It is a smart business move to be able to understand your customers so you can cater to their needs. A happy customer is a paying customer, after all. You can’t get into the minds of every person that visits your website, but you can track their behaviour to see where they are coming from and where they are spending most of their time. This gives incredible insight into what areas of your website need to be promoted, adjusted, or removed completely.

Search engine optimization (SEO) is a branch of marketing that aims to increase relevant traffic to a website by making it more favourable by search engine algorithms. Basically, it means your page will show up higher on the list of search results so people are more likely to click it first and make a purchase. This relates to GA4 because you need some sort of way to measure user behaviour in order to determine if it needs improvement or not. Even things like how long it takes the page to load, how far down the page a user scrolls, and what pages are being visited or ignored make a difference.

GA4 can easily track all of that.

Not only will the data help you improve your search engine results page (SERP) ranking, but it will also help enhance the user’s experience making them more comfortable with your website. Let’s face it if a website is a pain to navigate, has broken pages, and is just a complete horror show, then the user is very likely to give up and try someone else’s page. They can still make that decision even when the negatives are subtle. GA4 tracking is a great tool to discover these subtle problems so you can fix them right away, and keep your visitors from bouncing.

Differences Between UA and GA4

In short, GA4 is the new and improved analytics platform provided by Google. They have changed some things around to streamline the process and enhance the importance of each measurement. How they measure and collect data is done differently, so you cannot transfer UA data into GA4. The systems just aren’t interchangeable at this time. In order to use GA4, you need to set it up and then start collecting data from that day forward.

Some other key/technical differences:

Universal Analytics (UA) 

• Measurements are based on pageviews and sessions
• Various types of “hits” with specific names (page views, social, etc)
• Uses categories, actions, and labels for each “hit”
• Paid integration with BigQuery
• Worked with “goals” to describe conversions
• Limited data

Google Analytics 4 (GA4)

• Measurements are based on events and parameters
• Data from apps and websites can be streamed in the same property
• Free integration with BigQuery
• Replaced “goals” with event conversions to match other platforms
• Any event can be recorded as a conversion if you want it to be
• Unlimited data
• Cross-platform tracking
• Additional new features

GA4 New Features

GA4 has some new features that really make it stand out from Universal Analytics. The new enhanced measurement feature automatically collects data about page scrolling, outbound clicks, search terms, and more. The developer no longer has to create a custom event label for each of these things – they are built-in. This feature can be turned on or off, depending on the needs and design of the website.

For those that like to break down events into steps, the new funnel feature may come in handy. The Google help page describes it nicely:

“Funnel exploration lets you visualize the steps your users take to complete a task and quickly see how well they are succeeding or failing at each step. For example, how do prospects become shoppers and then become buyers? How do one-time buyers become repeat buyers? With this information, you can improve inefficient or abandoned customer journeys.”

Similarly, the new path exploration feature can show what users are doing after they complete a step. We’ll take Google’s suggestions again this time for how it can be used:

• “Find the top pages that new users open after opening the home page.
• Discover what actions users take after an app exception.
• Uncover looping behaviour which may indicate users becoming stuck.
• Determining the effects of an event on subsequent users’ actions.”

Additionally, GA4 works well with other platforms like Google Ads. A heavily requested feature to track conversions from YouTube was implemented in GA4, for example.

Why You Should Switch to GA4

The first reason you should switch to GA4 from UA is that it’s the newest version. It has been out for a while, people are enjoying it, and it looks like it’s here to stay.

Now that it has been out for over a year, Google has worked out the initial bugs, added new features, and now has a respectable new version that we are comfortable utilizing. Google has so many different types of software that all integrate with each other. It will not be surprising if down the road when they decide to stick with just the newest version of analytics (which in this case is GA4) and retire Universal Analytics. It is much wiser to adapt to the times than to find yourself stuck and panicking at the last minute. Set yourself up for success and stay successful.

The second reason is that GA4 is similar to UA in a lot of ways, but has better features and enhanced measurements. Simply put, it can do more for you. This option to collect different types of data conveniently may help you spot holes in your marketing plan or website design. You can’t fix a problem if you don’t know you have a problem in the first place. Just having the data and being able to see different types of trends may help piece the puzzle together more clearly, allowing you to make better business decisions.

The third reason is you should switch now, so you can start collecting data now. Your old data from UA won’t be lost, but you cannot integrate old data into GA4. The data from GA4 starts the moment you create the account and put the tracking code on your website. This code is different from the one for UA. Since the types of data and events to track are a bit different, the data set is not interchangeable between the two systems. All the more reason to get up to speed and switch over as soon as possible!

Is it a Pain to Switch From UA to GA4?

Not at all! We’re here to help you.

Our team will look at what important pieces of information you are currently tracking, then create a GA4 platform with custom features to carry that information over to the new system. If there is a specific aspect of your website you want to track, then we can explore this with GA4’s enhanced features then implement it into the new data set. This new data can be used in reporting platforms like Data Studio, giving you a visual breakdown of what is going on.

The only (temporary) downside, is that any reports will only contain data from the GA4 property. This means that if you start up GA4 on a Monday, then on Wednesday you might not have enough useful data to really make much sense out of it. It starts tracking right away, but can’t go back in time even with old UA data. After a week or two, you will have enough data to get a more realistic picture of what users are doing on your website.

Example of a GA4 Report

This example uses the Google Merchandise Store as a data source, so we can share it with you quite easily. This small, one-page report shows information about the number of new users, sessions, views, and conversions. There are charts that compare recent sessions to a previous 30 day period, which countries contain the most web traffic, and a bar graph that shows how people are coming to the website. This is only a small piece of all the information that is available.

Our Reporting Services

At Websites Made With Love, we create custom reports on the statistics that matter to you and your business. Contact us to find out how we can help.

This could mean a simple one-page report, or it could mean several pages delivered to your inbox each month. The reports are meant to add meaning, so you can make smart business decisions and understand your target market better. Not sure what would be helpful on a report?

Let’s have a conversation to find out what your website goals are (i.e. Are you selling a product? Increasing brand awareness? etc) and we can provide you with a list of helpful suggestions. Once that is established, we will set you up with your own Google Analytics 4 account, start collecting data, then deliver a custom report right into your email inbox each month.

It’s as easy as that!