Privacy, Security, and Accessibility: What Every Small Business Needs To Know

Privacy, Security, and Accessibility

Overview Meeting privacy, security, and accessibility standards is now a requirement—not a choice—for small businesses online. Falling short can lead to fines, legal action, and a loss of customer trust. This guide breaks down the core areas small business owners need to understand to operate safely and credibly online. It covers privacy laws in both the United States and Canada, Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) encryption, Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) accessibility, cookie policies, and practical steps to keep your website compliant. Highlights • Why Compliance and Security Should Be a Priority • Key Terms Every Business Owner Should Know • How Small Businesses Collect and Use Data • Major U.S. Privacy Laws and Associated Considerations • Canadian Privacy Laws and Accessibility Guidelines • Cookie Banners and Policy Requirements • ADA Compliance and Website Accessibility • What Happens if You Don’t Comply • How To Build a Compliant and Secure Website • Ongoing Compliance Is a Business Essential • LinkNow Security Bundle […]

Lindsey Barr

Author: Lindsey Barr

About Lindsey Barr

Lindsey is the editor in chief at LinkNow. She holds a BA in political science from McMaster University and an MA in conflict studies from the University of Ottawa, where she sharpened her skills in diplomacy, public relations, and knowing exactly when to hit "reply all." She leads a team of razor-sharp content creators, fiercely defends the Oxford comma, and believes in the power of words—especially the ones that get results and start conversations. Outside of work, she mentors young women breaking into the marketing field, dominates city bike lanes with suspicious confidence, and once ran the Brighton Marathon just to prove a point.

What Is UX and Why Does Building Your Web Platform Around It Matter?

What Is UX and Why Does It Matter

Overview By now, you’ve heard the word “user experience” or “UX” repeatedly, and you know websites that center around it are stepping ahead of their competitors in major search engine results pages (SERPs), like Google, for example. Now, you need to know what UX is, what it looks like, why it works, and how to put it into practice and apply it to your site. The UX developers and search engine optimization (SEO) specialists at LinkNow have our ears to the ground. We know you want a straightforward guide explaining the fundamentals of building a rewarding user experience into your web platform, so we’ve created the following blog. Don’t spend time wading through walls of information when we’ve broken it all down right here. Highlights •What Is UX Website Design? •How To Build a UX-Optimized Website •An Overview of SEO •How SEO and UX Principles Work Together? •How Do You […]

Sasha Peck

Author: Sasha Peck

About Sasha Peck

About Sasha Peck: Sasha is an Editor and Content Specialist who infuses more than a decade of digital marketing and on-page SEO experience into every word. She holds a Diploma in Business Administration with a concentration in Marketing from NSCC, where she received the highest recognition award for her marketing abilities. Sasha is constantly motivated to create streamlined user experiences and is a master of mining and selecting impactful keywords to boost engagement and generate leads and conversions. When she’s not innovating on her keyboard, she enjoys gardening, cooking, construction, and science documentaries.

The LinkNow Members Area: Unlocking Your Website’s Full Potential

The LinkNow Members Area: Unlocking Your Website’s Full Potential

  Overview This blog is your ultimate guide to leveraging the LinkNow Members Area to its full potential. Explore how it can transform the way you manage your digital marketing efforts. Introducing the LinkNow Members Area Managing your web design and digital marketing services shouldn’t feel like a hassle—it should empower you to focus on what truly matters: growing your business. That’s why LinkNow created the Members Area, a centralized, user-friendly platform designed to help you get the most out of your partnership with us. In this blog post, we’ll explore all the tools and benefits the Members Area offers, breaking down how each feature can help streamline your digital efforts, save you time, and maximize the value of your services. Whether you’re new to LinkNow or a long-time client looking to take advantage of everything the platform offers, this guide is here to make the most of your digital […]

Tyson Breen

Author: Tyson Breen

About Tyson Breen

Tyson is a content writer and SEO specialist with over half a decade of industry experience. He is an expert on digital marketing and is passionate about providing his clients with powerful content that boosts traffic and engagement. When away from his desk, Tyson enjoys home cooking, comic books, and live music.

What Questions Should You Ask Before Buying a Website?

  Buying a website is a major investment, and it’s not a decision you want to rush into. Like buying a house or a car, you must do your due diligence. Asking questions is critical because it helps you uncover any hidden issues and assess the site’s true value. In this guide, we’ll delve into the key questions you should ask before taking the plunge into buying a new website. What Are Common Risks When Acquiring an Existing Website? The last thing you want is to invest your hard-earned money in a website, only to realize that it’s not what you thought. Below are some common risks associated with buying a website: •Overvaluation: The website may be priced higher than its actual worth, often due to inflated traffic or revenue claims. •Legal problems: You may run into intellectual property disputes, especially if the website uses unlicensed content or trademarks. •Revenue […]

Dillon Yang

Author: Dillon Yang

About Dillon Yang

About Dillon Yang: Dillon is a content writer with a deep passion for all things related to SEO and digital marketing. He is dedicated to creating engaging and informative content that not only captures his clients' unique brand voice but also helps them to improve their online presence. In his free time, Dillon enjoys staying active in the gym, gaming, and visiting coffee shops.

4 SEO Strategies That Still Work in 2024

4 SEO Strategies

  Of all the off-page, on-page, technical, local, video, and voice search engine optimization (SEO) strategies used in years past, there are some that can still give your site a lot of traction in 2024. In this blog, the digital marketing specialists at LinkNow help you explore the four pillars of SEO that still generate the best return on investment—even after all this time. We examine how user experience (UX), technical SEO, impactful content, and authority work to bring more of your preferred visitors to your site and explain how understanding search intent can help you make sure search engines serve up your site in the right place at the right time. 1. Focus on Creating the Best User Experience Your focus on creating the ideal user experience for your site visitors will pay off when your readers remain on your page instead of bouncing away out of sheer frustration […]

Sasha Peck

Author: Sasha Peck

About Sasha Peck

About Sasha Peck: Sasha is an Editor and Content Specialist who infuses more than a decade of digital marketing and on-page SEO experience into every word. She holds a Diploma in Business Administration with a concentration in Marketing from NSCC, where she received the highest recognition award for her marketing abilities. Sasha is constantly motivated to create streamlined user experiences and is a master of mining and selecting impactful keywords to boost engagement and generate leads and conversions. When she’s not innovating on her keyboard, she enjoys gardening, cooking, construction, and science documentaries.

The Power of Personalization: Ryan Macdonald, Elite Account Executive

The Power of Personalization

  Digital marketing is a complex landscape, with many factors influencing success and many fields of technical expertise. The role of an Account Executive (AE) is to be your guide, walking you through all the terrain, explaining what you’re seeing, and ultimately getting you where you want to be. Ryan MacDonald has been at LinkNow for seven years. Having started in the Marketing Department, he has spent the last couple of years as the AE for Elite clients, those clients who have reached a certain monthly investment threshold. He acts as their primary point of contact, listening to their concerns, explaining their results, and working on strategies to improve. The idea behind the AE role, Ryan explains, is to provide a solution for clients to “the challenge of speaking to three different people.” You’ve likely had the experience before of being transferred between different departments, trying to get an answer […]

Noah Stevens

Author: Noah Stevens

About Noah Stevens

Noah is a content editor who began writing website content in 2015 and has since written and edited content for a wide variety of platforms and purposes. With a Master’s in English Literature, he relies on his academic training and love of language to create natural yet strategic SEO-driven content. Noah’s spare time is mostly consumed by all things books and soccer—he’s a passionate Arsenal fan who frequently walks around the house dribbling a small ball as he thinks.

Is Your Website Secure?

  When you run a business, your website is an extension of your identity. Maintaining a strong digital presence is crucial for commercial operations looking to get ahead in today’s competitive marketplace. However, just as your brick-and-mortar location needs to be secured against potential threats, so does your website. Cyber crimes are an unfortunate reality of digital spaces, and when your website is compromised, it can jeopardize your and your clients’ data. Asking the question, “Is your website secure?” is a complicated query. Knowing the answer can make the difference between thriving, impressive commercial growth and a potentially harmful breach. In this blog, we’ll discuss the complex terrain of cybersecurity and explore some tips for bolstering your own website’s security. What Is Website Security? Before exploring some tips for improving your website’s security, it’s important to clarify what it is and why it matters. As a concept, website security refers […]

Josh Wilson

Author: Josh Wilson

About Josh Wilson

About Josh Wilson: Josh is a content writer who strives to create SEO-optimized copy that excites readers. With experience as a freelancer and editor and a background in creative writing, he specializes in long-form and custom content. Josh is always looking to push the limits of language and provide clients with personalized content that helps drive traffic and customers to their business. With a Master’s in Information Studies, Josh is also an archivist and research specialist passionate about satisfying diverse information-seeking needs. As part of LinkNow’s Content team, he leverages his academic background and research expertise to support clients and write powerful copy. In his spare time, Josh is an avid reader, home cook, and Leeds United supporter.

The Mobile-First Future: How LinkNow’s Designs Are Leading the SEO Charge

  Google has made it very clear that mobile browsing is the future of its search platform. Recently, the search giant completed its years-long effort to migrate to mobile-first indexing for all websites, which means having an adaptable, responsive design is more important than ever. Here at LinkNow, we’ve seen this writing on the wall for quite some time now, which is why we have long since transitioned our websites to reflect the market trends and larger industry focus on mobile browsing. In this blog post, we will be examining why all our websites are adapted for mobile phones, as well as the reasoning behind our constant adjustment in the SEO industry. The Rising Need for Mobile-Friendly Search Before we can look at LinkNow’s solution to mobile SEO, we first need to understand the problem that our company—and all other website developers—was facing. All the way back in 2016, Google […]

Tyson Breen

Author: Tyson Breen

About Tyson Breen

Tyson is a content writer and SEO specialist with over half a decade of industry experience. He is an expert on digital marketing and is passionate about providing his clients with powerful content that boosts traffic and engagement. When away from his desk, Tyson enjoys home cooking, comic books, and live music.

5 Tips For Creating Google Business Posts

Man jumping in the air while smiling. Text says: Drive sales with these 5 tips to Google Business Posts.

Your Google Business Profile (formerly Google My Business, GMB) is one of the most powerful marketing tools at your disposal. And Google Business Posts are one of the best ways to leverage it. If you already have a Google Business Profile but aren’t sure how to make the most of it, this post is for you. Here are 5 tips to create Google Posts that not only generate clicks but also turn visitors into customers. These are quick, measurable, and easy-to-use tips to power your web presence and grow your ranking on Google. Best of all, they’re completely free. Let’s dive in. 1. Professional Images The first thing anyone will notice about your Google Posts is your chosen image. This can be in the form of a photo or video, and for both, make sure you’re using high-quality, eye-catching visuals that send a message about your business. Original images are […]

John Wickham

Author: John Wickham

About John Wickham

John Wickham is Senior Content Writer and Strategist at LinkNow Media. An SEO expert, he writes to empower small-business owners by giving them the information they need to market themselves. His love of the written word is matched only by his love of ancient history, as well as the semi-colon.

Revolutionizing the World of Web Design

A painter smiling with text overlaid: "Making the small-business life easier."

There was a time when websites cost a fortune, or took an eternity to set up. But LinkNow’s put a stop to that. Since 2009, LinkNow’s been changing the name of the web-design game. Our cost-effective marketing solutions have helped businesses across North America get seen, boost profits, and maximize growth. With over 10,000 active clients, LinkNow is leading the way in affordable, value-driven web design. Join us as we look at LinkNow’s journey and how we continue to make waves across the industry. Making the Small-Business Life Easier—One Website at a Time LinkNow began not with a service but with a mission: To make the small-business life easier. Co-founders Wesley Mendelovitch and Sonny Bettan realized that one of the biggest hurdles for small business owners was getting a website. Back in 2009, hiring a web design and digital marketing company was a massive investment. It cost a small fortune […]

John Wickham

Author: John Wickham

About John Wickham

John Wickham is Senior Content Writer and Strategist at LinkNow Media. An SEO expert, he writes to empower small-business owners by giving them the information they need to market themselves. His love of the written word is matched only by his love of ancient history, as well as the semi-colon.