QHIKEBlog

Practical notes. Plain answers.

Guides to better websites, online bookings and getting found online. Written for people running a business, not a website.

Software · Websites · Connected toolsCanada · USA · Europe

Websites6 min read · August 6, 2026
Do you actually need a website?
Some local businesses genuinely do not need one. Here is how to tell which kind you are, from a company that builds them.
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Websites7 min read · July 30, 2026
The website nobody has the login for
If the person who built your site has moved on, you may not control your own domain. Here is how to find out who does, and how to get it back.
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Custom work7 min read · July 23, 2026
Work out what no-shows cost you before you decide they are just part of the job
Most appointment businesses have never calculated what missed appointments cost them in a year. Here is the arithmetic, and what actually reduces them.
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Reviews7 min read · July 16, 2026
What to say when someone leaves you a bad review
A one star review is not the end of it. What you write underneath is read by everyone who comes next. Four reply templates for the situations that actually come up.
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Websites7 min read · July 9, 2026
What website maintenance actually is, and when you do not need it
Most articles about website maintenance are written to sell you a plan. Here is what the work actually involves, and the cases where the honest answer is that you do not need one.
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Google6 min read · July 2, 2026
Your Google listing might not actually be yours
If your Google Business Profile is unclaimed, anyone can change your hours and you cannot reply to reviews. Here is how to check and how to fix it.
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Websites6 min read · June 25, 2026
The contact form that stopped working eight months ago
A broken contact form does not look broken. It submits, it says thank you, and the message goes nowhere. Here is how to test yours properly.
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Google6 min read · June 18, 2026
What Google can tell you about your own business, that you have probably never looked at
Your Google profile records how people find you, how many call, and how many ask for directions. Here is where to find it and what the numbers actually mean.
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Google6 min read · June 11, 2026
Why your business disappears from searches at seven in the evening
Google filters local results by whether you are open. If your hours are missing or unconfirmed, you are invisible in the searches where people need you most.
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Google5 min read · June 4, 2026
Two listings, half the reviews
Duplicate Google listings split your reviews and your ranking between two profiles. Here is how to find yours and get them merged.
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Google7 min read · May 28, 2026
Google will not verify your business. What now?
The postcard never arrived, the video got rejected, or you work from home with no storefront. What each verification method actually wants, and what to do when it fails.
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Custom work7 min read · May 21, 2026
Should you buy booking software or have it built?
Most businesses should buy off the shelf. Here is the honest case for that, and the specific situations where it does not work.
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Websites6 min read · May 14, 2026
It still loads, so it must be fine
A website that has not been touched in three years usually is not broken. It is just quietly wrong, and that costs more than downtime.
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Custom work7 min read · May 7, 2026
What custom software costs a small business, and how to tell if it is worth it
Nobody can quote custom software without a conversation. Here is how the pricing actually works, and how to calculate your own break-even before you talk to anyone.
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Custom work6 min read · April 30, 2026
The software your business runs on, and the person who built it
If your booking or job tracking system has no maintainer, you are running the business on something nobody understands. Here is what to gather before it becomes urgent.
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Websites7 min read · April 23, 2026
What it actually costs to get a small business online in New Brunswick
Real ranges for websites, Google profile work and ongoing maintenance, including the costs that do not appear in the quote.
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Websites6 min read · April 16, 2026
What happens to your website and Google listing when you sell or close
Your domain, your reviews and your listing are worth something to whoever comes next. Here is how to hand them over properly, or close them down without leaving a mess.
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Google6 min read · April 9, 2026
Bilingual businesses in New Brunswick and how Google handles it
New Brunswick is the only officially bilingual province in Canada. Here is how Google Business Profiles and websites actually handle two languages, and who genuinely needs it.
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Practical notes. Plain answers.

Do you actually need a website?

The website nobody has the login for

Work out what no-shows cost you before you decide they are just part of the job

What to say when someone leaves you a bad review

What website maintenance actually is, and when you do not need it

Your Google listing might not actually be yours

The contact form that stopped working eight months ago

What Google can tell you about your own business, that you have probably never looked at

Why your business disappears from searches at seven in the evening

Two listings, half the reviews

Google will not verify your business. What now?

Should you buy booking software or have it built?

It still loads, so it must be fine

What custom software costs a small business, and how to tell if it is worth it

The software your business runs on, and the person who built it

What it actually costs to get a small business online in New Brunswick

What happens to your website and Google listing when you sell or close

Bilingual businesses in New Brunswick and how Google handles it