SMBCoach BLOG

27 September 2023

Law 25 in Quebec: How should your SME adapt?

Are you a business owner or marketing manager? You’ve probably heard of Law 25 in Quebec. But do you really know what it means for your website and your digital strategy?

We’ve prepared a brief guide to the implications and steps involved.

What is Law 25?

Law 25, officially called “An Act to modernize legislative provisions respecting the protection of personal information“, aims to strengthen the security of Quebecers’ data on the web. It establishes new responsibilities for businesses, particularly with regard to the collection, storage and use of personal information.

Why is this important to you?

Imagine your website as a physical store. Every visitor who enters leaves a footprint, whether it’s their name, age, e-mail address or shopping preferences. Law 25 ensures that these fingerprints are treated with the utmost care.

Summary of key steps to follow :

Appointing a manager: Just as you would have a manager in-store to deal with customer queries, you need to appoint a person in charge of data protection on your website.
Privacy policy: It’s like displaying your store’s rules at the entrance. Your visitors need to know how their data is used. And this policy needs to be clear and accessible on your website.
Informed consent: Before collecting data, ask permission. It’s like asking a customer if they’d like to sign up for your in-store newsletter. This collection includes a pop-up and documentation/trace of the consent obtained when visiting your website.
Right to be forgotten: If a customer no longer wishes to receive your newsletters, they must be able to unsubscribe easily. Similarly, visitors to your site should be able to remove their information from your web and internal databases.
Preparing for 2024: The law is changing, and new rules will come into force in September 2024. It’s like having new safety standards in place for your industry. Be prepared!

Specific procedure for your website:

Based on the implementation of similar policies in Europe and California, here are some of the key elements to consider for your website:

creating or updating your privacy policy on your site. It must be on a dedicated page and easily accessible and understandable by your users.
give your users the option of not setting cookies for tracking and enhanced functionality, thus installing a banner offering this choice of accepting or blocking them.
obtaining informed consent for the collection of information when submitting online forms such as contact forms or appointment forms.
implementation of secure software and communications protocols to protect data during transmission.
adopting strategies to minimize the risk of data leakage, such as firewalling and monitoring for malware associated with information leakage.
publication of the contact details of a person responsible for data protection in your SME.
the use of web forms to dictate the retention period for information collected by them.
give users the possibility of removing their information from your web databases, such as order information, payment information, contact information, or any other information provided during an interaction with your SME.

Next: September 2024

Twelve months goes by so quickly… plan your actions for September 2024. Some of them can easily be carried out in parallel with those to be implemented by September 2023.

Ensuring the right to data portability

Users of your website should be able to export any personal information collected about them.

To conclude:

Law 25 is there to protect consumers, but also to help you build a relationship of trust with them. By respecting these rules, you show that you care about your customers and their safety.

If all this sounds complex, please contact us or visit our page “Service Web25 -Fast conformity” – It takes time, and in many cases can be a complex process, requiring solid web knowledge, tracking tools like Google and security software.

Important notice: This article is for information purposes only. For a complete understanding and full compliance, consult a specialized attorney and refer to official sources such as the Quebec government website and Quebec Access to Information Commission.

30 April 2019

SSL Certificate Providing us with More Security

We have all noticed more and more websites that we visit today on Google Chrome and other browsers are marked as “unsecured”. Is this really the case? I pay to have a good referencing, a dedicated server, a webmaster who takes care of the updates to keep my website secure so what gives? Why do I see a message that the website is not secure?

Here is the easiest answer; There is no SSL certificate installed on the server where the website is hosted so Google indicates it is not secure.

The most extensive answer is what you need to know. Not having an SSL certificate does not mean that you have an unsecured website, it simply means that you are more vulnerable to hacking and phishing and that the connection between the server and your visitors’ browser is not secure. Huh? Let me explain.

All websites must be connected to a domain name to make them accessible via the Web. And all domain names use the default HTTP protocol. However, the URL link you visit does not always have a direct route and can cause hackers and scammers to steal information from the website you are visiting, unless the website in question has an SSL certificate.

What is an SSL certificate?

Good question! An SSL certificate makes a website accessible via the HTTPS protocol, which ensures that all website data that is exchanged between the Website server and the user’s browser is encrypted. It makes the course safer and that’s why the S is used in HTTPS and you see a small padlock in the navigation bar.

In the past, SSL was generally used to secure banking transactions, personal data collection and login information. Today, it has several advantages. Therefore, if you have a contact form, a dashboard login page, or an e-commerce, you should consider putting in an SSL certificate to improve the security of your website and inspire trust among your customers.

To find out if a website can be viewed safely, you can refer to the left of the URL link on your navigation bar:

What are the advantages of using an SSL certificate?

SSL certification offers you a multitude of security benefits and more!

SEO Benefits & Better Rakings

Our famous Google has begun to focus on websites with SSL certificates in an effort to make web browsing more secure. Since the SSL certificate enhances a website’s credibility, Google rewards websites with an SSL certificate by improving their ranking on Google search results.

Encrypted Connection

By offering this an additional layer of protection, the connection between the server and the browser that consults it is secured. In addition, in some cases, when you click on the padlock, it will indicate how many “cookies” are used.

Less Piracy and Phishing

Some hackers create a website identical to yours. Later, they can imitate your web server and make a user believe that they are visiting your site while in reality, they are browsing the same website as yours to steal personal information, such as your credit card number. The SSL certificate validates the authentication of the website owner / business owner.

Security and Privacy

All information that is completed on a contact form or during an online purchase on a website that holds an SSL certificate remains 100% private and even if someone discovers this information, they will never be able to understand the communication exchanges.

In a nutshell, the SSL certificate inspires confidence among your website visitors, provides you with increased security and protects you and your customers from the many threats on the Web.

This small padlock helps a lot to prevent hacker attacks that are based on illegal listening, while improving your online positioning. And we all know that having a good quality rating on Google is a key factor when trying to be at the top of the results pages!

How do I get an SSL certificate for my website?

To ensure the safety of visitors to your Web, Chrome requires that sites use certificates from approved organizations. At smbCoach, we offer you the SSL certificate at a low cost.

30 April 2019

Google Scam: A Well-Established Trend Revealed

Google Phishing Process

Many of us have already received this famous call from a Google “Mike” informing us that our Google My Business listing is not complete and for $200, it will be able to update our business hours.

Although this “Mike” doesn’t speak a word in French, he also promises to put you on the front page on Google. This famous “Mike” and these types of companies try to make you believe that your current services (Local Listing Management, Search engine optimization, Adwords campaign, Facebook campaign, website, and/or Google My Business page) are not adequate and/or that your money is being misspent, among others.

People who make this kind of phishing attempt are very cunning, are often well informed about the companies to contact, and know how to be credible and insistent.

Learn to avoid these sharks

Unfortunately, it is absolutely impossible for Google or Facebook to contact you directly. In addition, Google never guarantees a first placement in search results or Adwords. So beware of any company that makes these kinds of promises!

Although we cannot guarantee you first page or first position on Google, we work in collaboration with reputable partners in the world of the Web to offer you Search Engine Optimization, Local Listing Management & Adwords services to better position you on the Web. CodeMountain and its partners are here to help SMBs like you, who want to have a notoriety on the Web and improve their positioning.

You may receive calls on certain occasions regarding your services with us. So here is the list of codeMountain partners who can call you:

RankingCoach – World leader in SEO (Search Engine Optimization)

Image Marketing – Certified Google AdWords Specialist

Google’s Identity Theft Guidelines

To make you even more aware of the phishing attempts currently present, I invite you to read the following 2 links to Google articles, from their official site, concerning all known phishing attempts and how to react to such a situation:

https://support.google.com/faqs/answer/2952493

https://www.google.com/safetycenter/everyone/start/report-robocall-scams/

In a nutshell, if this type of call occurs, we suggest that you:

Keep calm, let him know that you are aware that this is a phishing attempt and hang up immediately.
Please do not provide your password or credit card number.
Notify us of the situation by sending an email to support@codemountain.ca and giving as much detail as possible about the incident.
Report this incident to international consumer protection and network enforcement via this link: https://www.econsumer.gov/fr/FileAComplaint – crnt

It is by being collectively aware of the problem & having the right reactions that you can protect your company from cybercrime!

If you have any questions or require additional assistance, please do not hesitate to contact one of our digital experts at support@codemountain.ca or by phone at 1-855-810-5255.

13 August 2018

FAQ on the SEO service offered by smbCoach

Are you thinking of choosing our SEO service or have you already registered?

Here are some answers to your questions!

Which keywords should I choose?

Choose the most important keywords for your business and those that reflect your products and services. Ideally, these keywords should already be on your web page. Keywords that are too vague are often used by competitors and will therefore be more difficult to reference. The more precise the keyword, the more targeted your visitors will be.

Do I really have to create a subpage for each keyword?

Yes and no. Keyword groups or synonyms can be optimized on the same subpage. However, in general, there should be a subpage for each of your keywords. It is important that each keyword is naturally integrated into relevant content so that Google takes that page into consideration and offers it first in its search results.

Can I hide subpages?

No, each optimization must be done for the visitor and not for the search engine. Subpages must therefore be accessible to search engines as well as visitors. It is strongly recommended that these subpages are directly linked to the homepage and inserted in your navigation menu.

Do I need to visibly insert keywords on my page or can I hide them?

Keywords must be inserted directly into the texts of your pages. This is the only way the search engine can display your content when someone searches one of your keywords. They are and must therefore be visible. If the search engine does not find the keyword on your site, it will then choose another site. Furthermore, hiding keywords is contrary to Google guidelines, which can bring you more disadvantages than advantages.

How can I delete or modify keywords?

You can remove or change your keywords by contacting a smbCoach agent at support@codemountain.ca. You can also change their assigned importance, and add new ones (only if you have space left).

Please take into consideration that each change related to the keywords will lead to new tasks to perform! You will also lose the evaluation of all deleted keywords.

Why don’t I have any rankings in my evaluation?

If you have just started optimizing your website, your data is still being collected. You should see your data in two to three days.

If this is not the case, don’t worry, search engines only need time to consider the changes we have made to your website before sending you the results.

You will have to wait on average between 3 to 6 months before seeing the full impact of your changes in your rankings and then modify your data if necessary. If a keyword is still not classified, you should check if the keyword is too general.

How long does it take for me to appear in the rankings?

It depends on a lot of factors, so it’s difficult for us to answer that question. However, overall, SEO is a long-term process that requires time and patience.

Why is my ranking going down?

It is quite normal to see your rankings go up and down, especially at the beginning of an SEO optimization. Indeed, the search engine performs constant evaluations of your webpage, so it takes a little time before your rankings stabilize. You will have to wait between 3 to 6 months before seeing the real impact of your keywords and their rankings, before taking other measures.

Am I likely to encounter problems with search engines if I optimize my site myself?

Yes, by choosing to optimize your website yourself you risk affecting the natural SEO of your website since different resources will indicate to follow different instructions, leaving you in a whirlwind of steps to go through. With smbCoach, you will have a dedicated team that uses the tools of rankingCoach, and all tasks proposed respect the guidelines of search engines.

What makes rankingCoach different from other SEO tools?

rankingCoach is an SEO strategy, customized for your website. Unlike other tools, you will receive a program tailored to your business and SEO goals. By analyzing your site, keywords, industry data and competitors, rankingCoach will determine a customized SEO strategy for your business that the smbCoach team will apply to your website.

Want to know more? Contact us!

Source: This coach’s kitchen article of interest is brought to you in collaboration with rankingCoach™

3 August 2017

5 Reasons why CMS updates are so important

You have all probably noticed that your CMS (Content Management System) gets regularly updated. But have you ever asked yourself why that is and why you need that?

Without getting into detail about the different types of CMS updates (security updates vs functional updates), we have 5 reasons for you, why you should keep your CMS updated.

1. Protection against hacker attempts

The usage of any digital product is something that always begs the question of how to safely use said product. It doesn’t matter how good and developed a product wants to be, it can never be 100% secure. It’s just a product of the times we live in. There are also people who devote themselves to finding weak points in digital products and possibly using these weak points to carry out ill-intentioned attacks and manipulation. The responsibility to close any security holes falls on the CMS developer. As soon as a problem is identified and fixed, a new version (security update) will be implemented. When you keep your CMS up to date, you are patching any potential security holes. If you don’t update your CMS, then you are potentially leaving your outdated system open to attacks.

2. A CMS is never perfect

Just like how people aren’t perfect, there is also no flawless product and no perfect CMS. Every CMS has different elements to it, and they are optimized and changed over time. Digital products are a constantly evolving thing that are always incorporating new features. If a new standard is developed, then a new solution must accompany it. It is part of the continuous process and development can never cease because of it.

“A product is never perfect” also means manufacturers must continuously work on their product so that it is as good and safe for the customer as possible.

3. Technical issues / Bugs

Even experienced programmers and developers can make mistakes that aren’t immediately discovered, or they may not be compatible with other plugins. Such coding errors, bugs and compatibility issues must be fixed and released in the form of updates.

4. Ever product must be developed further

This point goes together with our second point. There are always newly created standards and sometimes developers want to develop their product further in order to give their customers or users more functions and features.

5. Cost

It is normally much easier and cheaper to regularly keep your CMS updated than to deal with the fallout that would happen in the event of successful hack on your website, which could lead to you needing to completely remake your website or online shop.

What happens when I never install updates?

If you have never installed an update, and you are convinced that you don’t need to do so because you are satisfied with your “old” CMS, please consider the security issue for you and your customers. You are not only risking the functionality of your website, but also your online credibility from your customers.

What do I need to pay attention to while updating?

Since a CMS is not only the design of your website, but the complete system, you should always be careful when updating your CMS. Backup all important data before installing an update. If you don’t know what that is and how to do it, it would be best to ask someone who would know. Once you have seen someone do it once, you should be able to do it again by yourself.