Navigating the Digital Shift: A Conversation with Kira Taylor On Empowering Canadian SMEs Online

In our latest feature, we sat down with Kira Taylor of the Canadian Internet Registration Authority (CIRA) to discuss the digital frontier for Canadian SMEs. With a focus on the importance of a dedicated website over social media reliance, Kira offers actionable advice for businesses looking to solidify their online presence. Her insights into the .CA domain’s role in enhancing credibility and visibility online are invaluable for entrepreneurs navigating the digital landscape. Join us for a deep dive into making strategic domain choices and the impact of digital decisions on business success in Canada.

Kira Taylor is the Digital Marketing and Channel Specialist at CIRA – The Canadian Internet Registration Authority. She oversees content, digital marketing and channel strategies to help Canadian business owners make the right domain choice for their business website so they can find success online.

How has working at CIRA influenced your perspectives on Canada’s digital landscape?

During my time at CIRA, I have witnessed tremendous growth in Canada’s domain industry. What started as a small country code top-level domain (ccTLD) operator, CIRA now has over 3.3 million .CA domains under management. I saw first-hand how many small businesses shifted online during the pandemic to reach their customers.

And yet, a quarter of Canadian SME’s still don’t have a website today, according to research from the Strategic Counsel. There is still a need to support small business owners who are navigating the process of launching their business and its online presence. At CIRA, we are here to help Canadian business owners make the right domain choice for their business website so they can find success online.

In your experience, why do many businesses initially focus on building social media profiles rather than developing their own website?

It’s easy to understand the appeal of social media for small businesses and entrepreneurs as its free and easy to use… and the allure of going viral is tempting for most. However, it’s important that social media isn’t your business’s only online presence. When establishing your business, a website is essential to your digital success and should be one of the first steps you take.

Can you discuss why businesses should not rely exclusively on social media platforms for their online presence?

Here are just a few of the reasons why it’s not recommended for businesses to solely rely on social media.

You don’t control or own the platform

Not owning a platform means that you are at the whims of social media giants. If your only digital presence is on social, it becomes difficult to pivot when things like new community rules pop up. Having your own website with a custom domain, like .CA, gives you the control and flexibility that you need to run your business, your way.

It’s harder for customers to find your business

If your web presence is limited to social platforms, your business’ digital reach is restricted only to those who are on social media. It’s also harder for customers to find your business when searching on Google. Owning a website makes your business accessible to the entire world with no restrictions.

It’s a single point of failure

If your social media platform experiences an outage, then your business will go offline indefinitely. Additionally, only having your business on one type of platform puts it at certain security risks. Your account could get hacked and you could get locked out. Having a website, alongside other platforms, means that even if your website is down, your business is never offline.

In your opinion, how crucial is it for small businesses or startup’s to establish a website from the outset?

Business owners should build a website for the credibility factor it signals to your customers. According to CIRA’s recent Factbook survey, 60% of Canadian internet users agree that a website makes a business look more credible. Overall, a website is a great way to make a good first impression on your customers.

As well, having a website and the right top-level domain (TLD) will help your business be discoverable online. Search engines are where most of your customers are doing their research. If one of your potential customers tries to look up your business or product online and you’re not there, they will find your competition. So, it is very important to go where your customers are.

With the substantial number of .CA domains under CIRA’s management, what impact do you believe this has had on the digital landscape and economy in Canada?

CIRA plays a crucial role in managing .CA as a key public resource, ensuring a secure, stable and accessible digital presence nationwide. Over the years, .CA has also become well-known by Canadians as the online symbol for Canada. Canadians know that when they see a .CA website, it is owned by a Canadian individual or business. 85% of Canadians prefer to be on a .CA domain rather than a .com when supporting local businesses, so the value of branding your website Canadian has never been higher.

The growth of .CA has also had a massive impact on the digital landscape in Canada. .CA gives back more than $1 million every year through the Net Good by CIRA program to support Canada’s internet. This program funds projects, communities and polices that make the internet better for all Canadians.?

What key advice would you offer to entrepreneurs who are considering launching a website for their business?

A common misconception about launching a business is that you need a fancy website. My advice: a website doesn’t need to be fancy or expensive for it to serve your business. Sometimes having a simply designed website that features all the key information about your business, like a contact us page, is all you need. Sure, having an appealing website is great, but it’s useless if it doesn’t include the information your customers need. Focus on the quality of the website content first and worry about the design later. Just ensure the content your customers need is easy to find and read on your website.

And remember, even if you are not ready to build a website, you should still register your domain name. Think of it as protection for your brand, it prevents others and competitors from scooping up your name. .CA domains on average cost about $20 a year, so it’s a relatively small investment to make to protect your brand. To learn more about what you can do with a .CA domain and its benefits for your business website, check out CIRA’s helpful resources. Want to see if your domain name is available? Use our domain search tool today at choose.ca!