These are the questions Vancouver owners ask us most, usually in the first five minutes of a call. The short answers are above. Below, we go a little deeper on the four topics that cause the most worry: money, contracts, trust and ownership. If your question isn't here, the contact page explains the quickest way to ask it.
Frequently asked questions
What does Vancouver Online Marketing actually do?
We plan and run online marketing for small businesses and trades serving the City of Vancouver: Google Business Profiles, neighbourhood SEO, websites, capped Google Ads and review routines. We also advise owners on pricing, service areas and growth.
Are you a contractor?
No. We don't install, repair, clean or service anything, and we don't take jobs or refer them out. Our role is marketing and business advice for the Vancouver firms whose crews do it.
How much does it cost?
The Growth plan costs $1,999 monthly, or $1,499 per month if billed for a year at once, with 5% GST added. Elite and Enterprise plans cost more and cover more. Ad spend is separate and paid straight to Google.
Do I have to sign a long contract?
No. Nothing runs longer than a month at a time, and 30 days' notice ends it. Annual billing is optional and simply lowers the monthly price.
How long before I see results?
Google Business Profile fixes and Google Ads can show results within weeks. Organic search usually takes three to six months to show clearly. We agree a 90-day checkpoint so you can judge on real numbers.
We tried an agency before and it didn't work. Why would this be different?
Ask what went wrong: unclear goals, no tracking, a junior team, or accounts you didn't control. We start from your numbers, report in plain language, keep accounts in your name and let you leave on 30 days' notice. If it isn't working, you'll know and so will we.
Who owns my website, Google profile and ad accounts?
You do. Domains, websites, Google Business Profiles, ad accounts and analytics are set up in your business's name. We are added as managers and can be removed whenever you choose.
What will you report to me, and how often?
A short monthly note: enquiries by source, calls from your profile, ad spend and cost per enquiry where relevant, what we did, and what we'll change. No jargon and no padding.
Can you promise I'll rank first on Google?
No one honestly can. Google decides rankings, and they shift with location and competition. We promise a clear plan, careful work within Google's rules, and honest reporting on what happens.
I run a shop, not a trade. Can you still help?
Yes. Our methods suit any local business that depends on nearby customers finding it, including shops, studios, cafés and service businesses. The trades focus simply reflects who calls us most.
Do you work outside the City of Vancouver?
This site is built for businesses serving Vancouver's 22 neighbourhoods. If you also work in Burnaby, Richmond or the North Shore, we include those areas in your plan.
Why are your case studies all from HVAC companies?
That is where the group's verifiable portfolio was built. We present them as results from our HVAC work, to show the method, and we don't claim them for other industries. This site does not market heating or cooling services.
How do I get started?
Call, text or email with your business name, your website or profile link, the areas you want more work in and your average job value. We usually reply within one business day.
Money: what you pay and what you get
The plain version: our plans start at $1,999 a month, or $1,499 on annual billing, plus GST, and the full breakdown is on the pricing page. Advertising money goes directly to Google, never through us, so there is no markup hidden in your ad spend.
What owners really want to know is whether it will pay for itself. The only honest answer is "it depends on your numbers", which is why we start every conversation by asking for your average job value and how many quotes you win. With those two figures we can tell you roughly how many extra customers a plan would need to produce, and whether that is realistic. If it isn't, we will say so.
Contracts: why there's no lock-in
We don't use long contracts because they protect the agency, not the client. If our work isn't helping, you should be able to leave. Plans run month to month with 30 days' notice. Annual billing exists for owners who are confident and want the lower price; it is a choice, not a trap.
Before you sign anything with any marketing company, check three things in writing:
- How much notice you need to give to cancel.
- Who owns the website, domain and ad accounts when you leave.
- Whether any setup fees are refundable or repeated.
Trust: if an agency let you down before
Many of the owners who contact us have been burned once. The common stories are a long contract with no results, reports full of numbers that never connected to actual jobs, or an agency that disappeared with the website.
We can't undo that, but we can be specific about how we work. Every plan starts with a written list of the first two or three things we will do and how we will measure them at 90 days. Reporting focuses on enquiries and cost per enquiry, not impressions. A senior person handles your account. And we will never write fake reviews, build spam pages or buy links, any of which can damage a business long after the agency is gone. More on our approach is on the about page.
Ownership: keeping control of your accounts
Every account we work in belongs to you. That includes your domain registration, website hosting, Google Business Profile, Google Ads, analytics and Search Console. We ask to be added as a manager or user; you stay the owner. If you ever end the relationship, there is nothing to hand back because you never handed it over.
If a previous agency or web designer still owns something of yours, sort it out now, while the relationship is still friendly. We are happy to explain what to ask for.
A quick self-check: try logging in to your domain registrar, your Google Business Profile and your Google Ads account today. If you can't, or you don't know which email address the account sits under, write that down and make recovering access your first marketing task this month. It costs nothing and protects everything else you build.
Still deciding?
You can learn a good deal without talking to us. The guides cover budgeting, Google Business Profiles for businesses without a storefront, and marketing to a city where most households rent. When you are ready, call, text or email. You will reach a senior strategist, and we usually reply within one business day.