What kinds of businesses does nanushi work with?

nanushi works with businesses of all sizes — from local cafes and retail shops to tech startups and established companies. If you need a website, web app, mobile app, or AI integration, nanushi can help.

How long does a project take?

A simple marketing website can be delivered in 1–2 weeks. A full web application or mobile app typically takes 4–12 weeks depending on scope.

Does nanushi build AI chatbots?

Yes. nanushi builds custom AI assistants and chatbots using Claude (Anthropic) and OpenAI. These can be integrated into websites, mobile apps, or internal business tools.

Where is nanushi based?

nanushi is based in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. The team works remotely and serves clients globally.

What is a nanushi mission?

A mission is a 6-week collaborative React Native app-building challenge. Teams of developers work together to ship a real, production-quality mobile app.

google ads vs seo for small businesses: where to spend your money

two ways to appear in google search results: pay for it (google ads) or earn it (seo). small businesses often approach this as an either/or choice when in reality they're tools for different jobs. here's how to think about it.

how google ads work

when you run a google search ad, you bid on keywords — specific search terms you want to appear for. when someone searches that term, a real-time auction happens, and if you win, your ad appears at the top of the results above the organic listings.

you pay when someone clicks your ad (pay-per-click or ppc). the cost per click varies wildly by industry: a click on "ottawa dentist" might cost $8–$15; a click on "personal injury lawyer ottawa" might cost $50–$100+. you set a daily budget and google spends up to that amount.

what ads are good at:

showing up immediately — ads go live within hours of setup
reaching people at the exact moment they're searching for your service
targeting very specific geographic areas (you can target ottawa's west end specifically if that's where you serve)
generating leads for high-value services where a single customer justifies a high cost per click
testing what search terms drive conversions before investing in long-term seo

what ads aren't good at:

building long-term visibility — the moment you stop paying, you disappear
businesses with thin margins where a $10+ cost per click makes the economics painful
brand building — ads have a transactional feel that organic results don't

how seo works

seo (search engine optimization) is the work of making your website rank higher in the organic (non-paid) results. it includes on-page optimization (page titles, content, structure), technical factors (speed, mobile-friendliness, site architecture), local signals (google business profile, citations), and links from other websites.

what seo is good at:

building visibility that compounds over time and doesn't disappear when you stop spending
local search visibility, particularly for service businesses in specific areas
reaching people at multiple stages of their research, not just the bottom of the funnel
high long-term roi once rankings are established

what seo isn't good at:

speed — meaningful seo results take 3–6 months minimum; new sites can take a year
certainty — google's algorithm changes, and rankings can shift
highly competitive keywords where established players dominate

the timing problem

this is the core tension for small businesses: seo is better long-term, but ads work immediately. if you need leads this month to survive, waiting 6 months for seo to kick in isn't an option.

for new businesses, the practical answer is often: run google ads while building seo. the ads generate immediate leads; the seo investment builds long-term organic visibility that eventually reduces your dependence on paid traffic.

the economics to check

before investing in either, run the basic math.

for ads: what's the average value of a new customer? how many clicks does it take to generate a lead (click-to-lead rate, typically 3–10%)? how many leads to close a customer (close rate)? what's the cost per click in your category?

example: average customer worth $5,000. close rate 20% (1 in 5 leads becomes a customer). lead rate 5% (1 in 20 clicks becomes a lead). cost per click $12.

to get one customer: 20 leads × $12 cpc × 20 clicks per lead = $4,800 in ad spend. for a $5,000 job, that barely breaks even. if the average customer stays for 3 years, it's worthwhile.

for seo: calculate the organic traffic value — how many visitors per month would reach you through organic search if you ranked on page one, and what's that worth if your conversion rate holds?

for most ottawa service businesses

local seo + a fully optimized google business profile is the highest-roi investment for service businesses with a geographic focus. it's slower to build than ads but sustainable. ads are a good supplement for new businesses or for targeting high-value services specifically.

for product businesses, google shopping ads often outperform standard search ads and deserve separate consideration.

a website that's fast, well-structured, and built with seo in mind is the foundation for both — without it, you're spending money on ads that lead people to a site that doesn't convert.

nanushi builds sites with seo foundations built in and can advise on digital marketing strategy alongside web projects.