Planning & scope
Define the audience, pages, tasks, content owners and integrations before choosing a technology stack.
Plan the project →Canadian website guide
Build a website that works beyond launch day.
WebDesignCanada.org is an independent resource for Canadian small businesses, associations and organizations planning a new website or improving an existing one. The focus is practical: accessibility, performance, privacy, ownership, content, search and maintainability.
Canadian contextLinks to official federal guidance
Practical checksDesigned for real website decisions
Technology-neutralNo platform is automatically the answer
Independent resourceNot a government website
Core topics
What to evaluate before spending money on a website.
A good website should be understandable, maintainable and appropriate for the people using it. These guides cover the decisions that are easiest to miss when the discussion starts and ends with appearance.
Accessibility
Use semantic structure, keyboard-accessible controls, readable contrast and current WCAG guidance.
Accessibility guide →Performance
Control image weight, scripts, fonts, caching assumptions and page complexity from the start.
Performance guide →Privacy
Understand what personal information is collected through forms, analytics, accounts and advertising tools.
Privacy guide →SEO & content
Organize content around real questions and services instead of keyword repetition or thin location pages.
Content guide →Ownership & hosting
Keep control of the domain, hosting, source files, admin accounts and recovery methods.
Ownership checklist →A better standard
Professional does not mean complicated.
Many website problems come from unnecessary layers: duplicated plugins, oversized images, inaccessible controls, abandoned tracking scripts, vague ownership and content nobody maintains. Simpler architecture is often easier to audit and easier to keep healthy.
Use the website audit checklistUseful contentEvery page should answer a real visitor need.
Predictable navigationPeople should know where they are and what comes next.
Accessible interactionsMenus, forms and controls should work beyond mouse-only use.
Reasonable asset weightVisual polish should not require massive downloads.
Transparent data useCollect only what you can explain and manage responsibly.
Clear ownershipThe organization should control its critical accounts.
Case studies
Real websites as examples, not directory listings.
These examples are used to discuss architecture, content depth, performance and redesign choices. The live links let readers inspect the work directly.
WebsiteForLess.ca
Small-business web design site used as an example of service architecture, guides and portfolio organization.
Visit live example ↗Burnaby-Lawyers.com
Professional-services redesign example focused on hierarchy, readability and trust presentation.
Visit live example ↗Surrey-BC.ca
City-guide project showing how a thin site can become a deeper information resource with clearer navigation.
Visit live example ↗MyLimoRide.com
Application-style booking project showing how interface requirements change the website plan.
Visit live example ↗BlackCarServices.ca
Focused service architecture with route pages, airport content and commercial conversion paths.
Visit live example ↗WhiteRock-BC.ca
Destination guide demonstrating editorial depth, visitor planning and related-content navigation.
Visit live example ↗Official references
Start with primary sources when requirements matter.
Accessibility and privacy guidance can change. Use official sources for current requirements rather than relying on a blog post to make a legal or compliance decision.
Current W3C accessibility recommendation with testable success criteria.
Open W3C guidance ↗Canadian accessibility standards and technical guidance for ICT and web content.
Open Canadian standards ↗Privacy guidance for Canadian businesses, including PIPEDA compliance help.
Open privacy guidance ↗Use the site as a planning reference, not a sales funnel.
Start with the checklist that matches your project, then use the official sources linked throughout the site when a requirement needs verification.
Browse resources