FAQ
Common Questions
Web development
Yes — mobile-first is our default, not an afterthought. Every site we build at Emicode is tested on real devices and targets a Lighthouse performance score of 90+. Responsive design is also a confirmed Google ranking factor, so skipping it isn't an option if you care about search visibility.
We keep onboarding lightweight. After a short kickoff call, we'll ask for: your branding assets (logo, colours, fonts), any content you already have, examples of sites you like, and a clear description of your goals. We handle the technical brief — you'll receive a written scope and fixed quote before a single line of code is written. Most clients are ready to kick off within a week.
Every Emicode build includes solid SEO foundations: clean URL structure, proper heading hierarchy, image optimisation, meta tags, fast load times, and full mobile responsiveness. For deeper SEO — ongoing keyword strategy, content, link building, and technical audits — we offer a dedicated SEO & Managed Hosting service starting from $800 CAD/month.
Revision rounds are defined in your fixed-price quote before work begins — usually two structured rounds. Because we run weekly demos on a live staging environment, you see real progress every week and can steer early. This means there are virtually no surprises at handover. Scope changes beyond the agreed spec are estimated upfront and never added quietly to an invoice.
Absolutely. We regularly do code audits and redesigns on existing projects — including ones we didn't build. If it's a Laravel or Vue 3 project, we'll feel right at home. For other stacks, we'll audit the codebase first, identify risks, and give you an honest assessment before committing to anything. A redesign can range from a visual refresh to a full rebuild — we recommend the path that gets you the best ROI.
Speed is engineered in from the start, not bolted on at the end. Our stack — Laravel 13+, Vue 3, Vite, Cloudflare CDN, Redis caching, and Nginx — is chosen specifically for performance. We also compress and lazy-load images, minify assets, and benchmark against Google's Core Web Vitals.
Yes — e-commerce is one of our core services. We build custom stores from $12,000 CAD with secure Canadian payment gateways, real-time inventory, and the performance to handle Black Friday traffic without cart abandonment spikes. Unlike Shopify or WooCommerce templates, our stores are built to your exact business logic — product rules, multi-vendor setups, custom checkout flows, and integrations with your CRM or accounting tools.
SEO
SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) is the work that makes your site appear when potential customers search Google for what you offer. Without it, you're invisible to the 90%+ of buyers who start with a search query. At Emicode, SEO isn't a separate afterthought — it's baked into every build. For ongoing rankings and content strategy, we also offer a dedicated SEO service.
Realistically, 3–6 months before meaningful ranking improvements, and 6–12 months for significant organic traffic growth. Technical SEO fixes (speed, Core Web Vitals, indexation) can show results faster. Any provider promising first-page rankings in weeks is using tactics that risk Google penalties. We build rankings that last.
Google Ads delivers instant traffic that stops the moment you stop paying. SEO builds organic traffic that compounds over time. For most Canadian businesses, the smart play is both: ads for immediate leads while SEO builds your long-term foundation. After 12+ months of solid SEO, many clients reduce their ad spend significantly because organic fills the gap.
Local SEO puts your business in front of people searching nearby — "web developer Winnipeg" or "e-commerce agency Canada". It includes Google Business Profile optimisation, location-specific keyword targeting, and consistent NAP (Name, Address, Phone) data across the web. If you serve a specific city or region, local SEO is often the fastest-return SEO investment available.
A technical SEO audit examines the underlying health of your site: crawlability, indexation, broken links, duplicate content, page speed, Core Web Vitals, mobile-friendliness, schema markup, and redirect chains. We identify what's blocking Google from properly understanding and ranking your pages. Our audits have uncovered performance bottlenecks that, once fixed, delivered measurable ranking improvements within weeks.
Page speed is a direct Google ranking factor — especially on mobile. Google's Core Web Vitals (LCP, FID/INP, CLS) are part of the ranking algorithm. Slow sites also have higher bounce rates, which signals poor experience. We target sub-2.5s LCP on every project. Our tech stack — Vite-bundled Vue 3 frontend, Cloudflare CDN, Redis, and optimised Nginx — is purpose-built for this.
Keyword research maps out what your actual customers type into Google — not what you assume they search. Without it, you optimise pages for terms nobody uses, or miss high-intent queries that drive sales. We identify attainable, high-value keywords matched to your business goals before writing a single piece of content or building a single page.
Yes — backlinks (other sites linking to yours) remain one of Google's strongest ranking signals. A link from a reputable Canadian business directory or industry publication carries real authority. We pursue only white-hat link building: earned links through quality content, partnerships, and PR — never purchased links or link farms, which can result in Google penalties.
No — and any agency that does is misleading you. Google's algorithm weighs hundreds of factors, updates constantly, and no one outside Google controls it. What we guarantee: a transparent process, ethical (white-hat) tactics, documented work every month, and measurable progress tracked in Google Search Console and Analytics. Rankings we earn are built to last.
On-page SEO covers everything optimised directly on your pages: title tags, meta descriptions, H1–H3 heading structure, keyword placement, image alt text, internal linking, and URL structure. It's the foundation — and it's included in every Emicode build as standard. Deeper ongoing SEO layers on top of this foundation.
We set up Google Analytics and Google Search Console on every project at launch. Monthly SEO reporting covers: organic traffic trends, keyword ranking movements, new backlinks acquired, Core Web Vitals scores, technical issues found and resolved, and most importantly — leads or conversions attributed to organic traffic. Numbers with context, not vanity metrics.
Google Business Profile (formerly Google My Business) controls what appears in Google Maps and local search results when someone searches for your business or service nearby. A fully optimised profile — with up-to-date hours, photos, services, and genuine reviews — can outperform your website for local searches. We include GBP optimisation as part of our local SEO service.
Yes. Ads stop the moment your budget runs out. SEO builds lasting visibility that keeps working. Many Emicode clients use both — ads for immediate pipeline while SEO compounds in the background. Over 12–18 months, strong SEO often reduces the paid traffic budget needed to hit the same lead volume.
Schema markup is structured data embedded in your site's code that helps Google understand your content — services, FAQs, reviews, prices. It can unlock rich snippets in search results (star ratings, FAQ dropdowns, breadcrumbs) that significantly increase click-through rates even without moving up in rankings. We implement it on all relevant page types.
White-hat SEO follows Google's guidelines: quality content, legitimate link building, good user experience, and technical best practices. Black-hat SEO uses shortcuts — purchased links, keyword stuffing, cloaking — for quick wins that risk permanent penalties. At Emicode, we only do white-hat. We build rankings sustainably because we care about your long-term business, not just a short-term report.
Pricing
At Emicode, all prices are fixed in CAD — no hourly surprises. Our services start at: Landing Pages from $3,500 · Corporate Websites from $7,500 · E-Commerce from $12,000 · Web APIs & Integrations from $6,000 · AI Chatbots from $4,500 · Real-time Web Apps from $15,000 · SEO & Managed Hosting from $800/month. You receive a detailed breakdown after the discovery call, before any commitment.
Our SEO & Managed Hosting service starts at $800 CAD/month. This covers technical SEO, on-page optimisation, managed Canadian hosting, and monthly reporting. We're transparent about exactly what work is performed each month — you'll never receive a report full of vanity metrics and vague activity.
At Emicode, we quote fixed prices — and we stick to them. After the discovery phase, you receive a written scope and a firm CAD figure. If the project scope grows, we estimate changes upfront before doing the work. You'll never open an invoice and be surprised. For exploratory or evolving projects, we also offer time-and-materials engagements — but we'll tell you clearly which model fits your project best.
A project engagement is a one-time, fixed-scope delivery with a defined end — like building a new website or integration. A retainer is an ongoing monthly arrangement for continued development, feature additions, SEO, hosting management, and security patches. Many Emicode clients start with a project and continue on a retainer for iterative growth. We'll recommend whichever model makes sense for your stage.
Process & Support
At handover you receive full ownership of everything: admin access to the website CMS, hosting control panel, domain registrar, all source code, design files, and third-party accounts. We also include documentation or a walkthrough session so your team can manage content confidently. This isn't just a handover — it's the start of a 30-day post-launch support period included in every project at no charge.
Yes. SEO is not a one-time task. Google's algorithm updates regularly, competitors keep publishing content and building links, and your site needs fresh signals to maintain and grow rankings. Ongoing monthly SEO is the difference between sustaining top positions and gradually slipping. We offer SEO & Managed Hosting from $800 CAD/month for exactly this reason.
Monthly reports include: organic traffic trends (Google Analytics), keyword ranking changes tracked weekly (Search Console + third-party tools), new backlinks acquired, technical issues found and resolved, content published, and month-over-month conversion data. Each report comes with written commentary explaining what changed, why it changed, and what we're doing next — not just a spreadsheet.
At minimum: a detailed scope of work, milestone-based payment schedule, fixed or capped price, revision policy, IP and ownership clauses (you own everything), confidentiality, cancellation terms, and post-launch support commitments. Every Emicode engagement includes a formal contract with all of these — you'll review and sign it before work begins. Never start a project without one.
Good ones to ask any studio, including us — Who exactly writes my code? (At Emicode: a senior co-founder with 10+ years on the stack.) Is the price fixed? (Ours is.) Do I own everything at the end? (You do.) How do you communicate? (Weekly demos on staging, same-day response SLA.) Can I see past work and speak to clients? (Yes, on both counts.) We're happy to answer all of these on a 15-minute call.
Before every Emicode site goes live: cross-browser and device QA, Lighthouse performance audit (90+ target), broken link check, form and payment testing, SSL certificate active (HTTPS), Google Analytics and Search Console connected, XML sitemap submitted to Google, all meta tags reviewed, 301 redirects from old URLs configured, monitoring and alerting enabled, and a verified backup created. Then — and only then — we flip the switch.
No ethical professional makes guarantees on Google rankings, traffic numbers, or revenue — too many variables are outside any studio's control. What we do commit to in writing: a fixed price, a defined timeline, weekly progress demos, full asset ownership at handover, 30 days of post-launch support, and documented, ethical work. Results-guaranteed claims are nearly always a sales tactic. Transparency and track record are the real signals.