Plain-language guides for local business owners
Short, practical reads on the things that actually move the needle for a coastal small business: getting found, keeping your website working, following up, and using AI without the hype. No jargon, no fluff — most include a checklist you can run yourself this week.
-
Local SEO
A practical 10-point checklist for local business owners: find out whether your Google Business Profile is sending customers to you — or quietly sending them somewhere else.
-
Web design
The five things a local business website must do: pass the 5-second test, work on a phone, make contact effortless, show proof you're real, and stay current.
-
Practical AI
What AI can actually do for a small local business — answering repeat questions, drafting review responses, organizing inquiries — and what to ignore. No jargon.
-
Follow-up
Most local businesses don't need more leads — they need to stop losing the ones they get. Four simple follow-up fixes: missed calls, slow replies, no reminders, no review asks.
-
Pricing
A plain-language breakdown of what a small business website actually costs in 2026, what you're paying for at each price, and how to avoid overpaying — or paying too little and getting burned.
-
Reviews
A practical guide for local business owners: why Google reviews drive both search ranking and walk-in trust, how to get more of them without breaking the rules, and how to respond to the good and the bad.
-
Seasonal business
A twice-a-year checklist for coastal businesses whose hours, menus, and bookings change with the seasons: keep Google and your website telling customers the truth, take bookings when you're closed, and stay findable in the off-season.
-
Custom software
Most small businesses never need custom software. Some quietly run on spreadsheets, text threads, and memory until it costs them. Here's how to tell which one you are, and how to start small.
-
Custom software
Lovable, Bolt, Replit, and v0 can get a working app on screen in an afternoon. Before real customers sign in, check who can see what, the database rules, secrets in the code, backups, hosting costs, and who can fix it.
Have a question these don't answer? Ask Compass — the chat bubble in the corner — or send us a note.
Prefer answers about your business, not businesses in general?
The free check-up looks at your website, Google presence, and follow-up — and gives you specific recommendations right away.
Prefer to talk it through first? Call or text Riley at (360) 214‑6549, or book a free 15-minute call.