The blog
What I learn building sites, written without the jargon.
Tips, tricks and thinking on web design, SEO and technology, written by Jean-François Gauthier, the studio’s founder.
77 articles
2026
9 articlesThe contact form people actually fill out
Every extra field is a client who gives up. Here’s how a shorter, more reassuring form brings you more messages.
Google Search Console: see your site through Google’s eyes
A free Google tool shows you exactly how it sees your site and which searches bring people in. Here’s how to use it without being a pro.
Building trust online: show the real people behind your business
On the web, people buy from someone they trust. Here are the simple signals that reassure a visitor, and the ones that scare them off.
The little video worth a thousand words
You don’t need a film crew or a big budget. Your phone and two minutes are enough to build trust with your future clients.
Visual hierarchy: guiding your visitor’s eye
On a page, everything can’t shout at once. Visual hierarchy decides where the eye lands first. Here’s how to use it.
Writing titles that make people want to click
A good title decides whether people read on or move along. The key isn’t clickbait: it’s clarity with just the right dash of curiosity.
Colors and readability: a site that’s pleasant to read
A beautiful site that tires the eyes is useless. Enough contrast, a big enough font, not too many colors. Here are the basics that make a site easy to read.
The About page that makes people want to trust you
People don’t just buy a service, they buy the person behind it. Here’s how to write an About page that makes you human and worth trusting.
Clear navigation: so no one gets lost on your site
A simple menu, a logical structure, and your visitor finds what they’re after in a few seconds. Here’s how to keep them from getting lost and leaving.
2025
17 articles
Collecting Google reviews (and what to do with a bad one)
The stars under your name reassure future clients and please Google. Here’s how to earn them, and stay calm facing a bad one.
Voice search: when your clients talk to their phone
More and more people ask their questions out loud. Writing the way you talk and answering real questions is what makes you findable by voice.
How to choose a domain name that works for you
Your domain name is your address on the web, and often the first impression you leave. Here’s how to pick a good one without getting burned.
Getting involved in your community (and showing it online)
Sponsoring the local soccer team or helping a local cause feels good, and it builds your reputation. You just have to tell the story where people look for you.
Image SEO: getting found through your photos too
Your photos can bring you clients, not just decorate your site. A few simple moves and Google Images becomes a doorway you’d forgotten.
I win when you win: my business model, no fluff
No inflated package, no contract that traps you. Here’s how I work, and why I built my pricing to be on the same team as you.
A 404 page that doesn’t lose your visitor
“Page not found.” That cold message scares off visitors every week. Turn your dead end into a friendly detour that guides them back to you.
You don’t need ten pages: often, one is enough
You think a “real” site takes dozens of pages? For many businesses, one well-made page converts better. Here’s when and how.
The technology behind your website: why I build on Next.js
A website isn’t just a picture: it’s code that decides whether it loads fast, climbs in Google and lasts ten years. Here’s why I build yours with Next.js and React.
Your website belongs to you, your Facebook page doesn’t
“I have a Facebook page, I don’t need a site.” I hear it a lot, and it’s a risky bet. Here’s why you want both.
Refreshing an old page beats writing a new one
Before writing a new article, look at what you already have. An old page brought up to date often climbs faster in Google than a brand-new one.
The title and description that show up in Google
Before they even visit your site, people read two little lines in Google. They’re your storefront. Let’s polish them.
Writing a blog that brings you traffic
Every client question you answer in writing becomes a doorway into Google, left open for years. Here’s how to go about it.
Google Ads: is it worth it for your business?
Paying to show up at the top of Google can be a client machine or a bottomless pit. The difference comes down to a few simple principles.
Testimonials that actually convince
“Great service, highly recommend” convinces no one. A specific testimonial, with a name, a photo and a concrete result, is worth gold. Here’s how to get them.
How much does a website cost in Quebec in 2026?
From $0 to $50,000, the range is absurd, and that’s on purpose. Here are the real costs, broken down, so nobody sells you hot air.
The newsletter: the only audience that’s truly yours
Your social media followers, you rent. Your email list, you own. Here’s how to start one, simply.
2024
16 articles
Law 25 and privacy: what a Québec small business should know
Law 25 scares a lot of people, but for a small site it’s simpler than you think. Here’s the essentials, in plain words, no panic.
One page per town you serve
Work in several towns? A genuine, distinct page per area helps you show up locally, as long as you do it honestly, not as a page factory.
One good idea, ten posts: repurposing your content
You don’t need a fresh idea every day. A single good idea can feed an article, several posts, an email and a video. Here’s how.
Write like you talk: the voice that sets you apart
“We put our expertise at the service of your needs.” Nobody talks like that, and nobody reads it. Here’s how to write a site that sounds like you.
Tell your story to stand out
People buy from people, not logos. Your story, why you do what you do, is the one weapon big, faceless competitors will never have.
The FAQ page that answers (and gets noticed by Google)
Answering your clients’ real questions removes their hesitation before buying, and can put you directly in Google’s answers.
The links that point to you: your reputation in Google’s eyes
When other sites talk about you and link to you, Google takes you more seriously. Here’s how to earn those links honestly, and why buying them backfires.
Structured data: earning Google’s rich results
The little stars, prices and hours that show up right in Google: that’s not magic, it’s structured data. Here’s the idea, without a single line of code.
Taking bookings online while you sleep
No more phone tag. An online calendar lets clients book whenever suits them, even at midnight, and fills your schedule on its own.
Getting found by AI search engines
ChatGPT, Perplexity, Google AI: more and more people ask an AI their questions instead of a search bar. Here’s how to stay visible.
Your Google profile: the most profitable local SEO (and it’s free)
Before your site even loads, it’s often your Google profile that decides whether a client picks you or the shop next door. And it costs nothing.
Answering comments and messages without losing your evenings
Between private messages, comments and reviews, it’s easy to feel swamped. A small routine and the right tone are enough to stay human without giving up your evenings.
Which social network for your kind of business?
You don’t have to be everywhere. Pick the one network where your clients actually are, and do it well. Here’s how to find it.
Staying in the minds of visitors who didn’t buy yet
Most people who visit your site aren’t ready to buy today. Here’s how to stay present, honestly, so they think of you when the moment comes.
The little words that reassure: your site’s microcopy
A button’s label, the hint under a field, the message after you send… These little words guide and reassure your visitor. Here’s how to get them right.
The button that turns a visitor into a client
Your site looks great, but nobody writes to you? Often the problem isn’t the design: it’s that you never clearly say what to do next.
2023
17 articles
Guest blogging: borrowing other people’s audience
Writing a genuinely useful article on another business’s site introduces you to its readers without starting from scratch. Here’s how to do it well.
Local SEO in Québec: where to start
Want to show up in Google when a customer in your neighbourhood searches for your services? Here are the first steps of local SEO, explained without the jargon.
Security: protecting your logins and passwords
The little HTTPS padlock is a start, not a finish. Your site’s real security comes mostly down to your passwords and who holds the keys.
A site accessible to everyone: good for people, good for business
A site anyone can use, even with low vision or no mouse, is also a site Google likes. Here are the basics, no jargon.
Custom, WordPress or website builder: which one for you?
Three ways to build a site, three different trade-offs. Here’s an honest comparison to choose based on your budget, your needs and the time you want to spend.
Who really owns your website?
You pay for your site every month, but is it really yours? Three things must be in your name, or you’re just renting your own online presence.
Accepting online payments, simply
Letting clients pay directly on your site scares a lot of people. Yet it’s simpler and safer than you think. Let’s untangle it together.
The lead magnet: a useful gift in exchange for an email
Most visitors aren’t ready to buy today. A small useful gift gives them a reason to leave you their email, and to stay in touch.
Local partnerships: growing together
You don’t have to grow alone. By teaming up with other businesses in your area, you reach their clients and they reach yours. Everyone wins.
Using AI to write your website content (without sounding like a robot)
The blank page is over. AI can help you fill your site in one evening, as long as you treat it like an assistant, not an autopilot.
The QR code that links your storefront to your site
That little black-and-white square is a free bridge between the real world and your website. Here’s how to use it without it feeling like a gimmick.
Put your site online: hosting and connecting your domain
Your site is ready on your computer. Now make it visible to the world. Here are the steps, plainly, no jargon.
Five simple ways to make your website faster
You don’t need a full rebuild to gain speed. Here are five concrete changes you, or your team, can apply this week.
A professional email with your domain name
[email protected] inspires ten times more trust than [email protected]. Here’s why, and how to get it.
Internal linking: connecting your pages to help visitors (and Google)
Linking your own pages together is like putting up signs in your shop. Visitors find their way, and Google understands your site better.
Answering fast: why the first minutes matter
A lead goes cold fast. Here are simple ways to reply quickly and win the job instead of letting it slip away.
Show your prices or not? The honest pros and cons
Showing your prices scares off tire-kickers and draws real clients. But not always. An honest look at when it’s worth it.
2022
17 articles
Getting listed in Québec’s directories
The more your name, address, and phone appear identical all over the web, the more Google trusts you. Here’s where and how.
Find the right keywords: speak the way your clients search
Google doesn’t know your trade by heart. It knows the words people type. Here’s how to guess your clients’ words.
Backups and hosting: never lose your site
A site can crash, get hacked, or vanish with a provider. With good backups and reliable hosting, you sleep easy.
A content calendar without the headache
Publishing regularly shouldn’t stress you out every morning. A dead-simple plan frees your mind and keeps you present online all year.
The little padlock: why your site needs HTTPS
That padlock in the address bar isn’t decoration. Without it, browsers flag your site “Not secure,” and clients run.
A business name that’s easy to find online
A great name that can’t be found on Google costs you clients. Here’s how to choose, or handle, a name that’s truly findable online.
Stop depending on your “web guy”
Waiting three weeks to change a phone number on your site is a sign. Here’s how to take back control of your online presence.
Your site on a phone: the real first impression
Most of your visitors find you on a small screen. Here’s what “mobile-friendly” really means, and how to check yours.
Five mistakes that drive visitors off your site
A visitor decides in seconds whether to stay or leave. Here are five common mistakes that drive them away, and how to fix them.
Your website photos: what changes everything (with your phone)
A good photo sells, a bad one drives people away. And no, you don’t need a pro photographer to look great. Here’s how.
One happy client is three new ones
Word of mouth is your best advertising, and it’s free. Here’s how to spark it without sounding like you’re begging for favours.
Why I made my site builder completely free
A tool to build your site, no account, no card, and you leave with your code. No catch. Here’s the real reason behind it.
Build your first site with CJFG Studio in 20 minutes
No account, no credit card, no code to write. Here’s how to build a real website, and export it, with CJFG Studio, step by step.
The footer: the zone we forget but people check
At the very bottom of your site sits a zone you stopped noticing but your visitors go looking for: the footer. Here’s what to put in it so it works for you.
A bilingual site: when it’s worth it
Translating your site into English isn’t a must for everyone. Here’s how to know if it’s worth it for you, and how to keep it simple.
The perfect-site myth: launch first, polish later
Your site has been coming for two years because it’s “not ready yet”? That perfectionism costs you clients every day. Here’s how to break out.
The case study: telling a client project that sells for you
A real client story, told simply, convinces far better than a list of services. Here’s how to build a case study that works for you.
Read enough? Let’s get to your site.
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