Field Notes · Guides

Straight answers for local business

Plain-language guides on websites, local SEO, social media, IT, and cybersecurity from SIGIL Technologies. Written for Northwest Indiana small businesses.

Marketing

How much does website design cost for a small business?

What actually determines the cost of a small business website: page count, custom design, copywriting, features, and upkeep, plus what to ask before you sign.

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Marketing

What is local SEO? A plain-language guide for Northwest Indiana businesses

Local SEO explained in plain language: the map pack, Google Business Profile, reviews, citations, and how NWI businesses win searches across town lines.

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Marketing

SEO vs Google Ads: which should your business fund first?

SEO and Google Ads compared honestly: speed versus compounding, cost dynamics, when each one wins, and what a small Northwest Indiana budget should do first.

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IT & Security

The small business cybersecurity checklist: what a 5-person office can actually do

A doable cybersecurity checklist for small offices: MFA, password managers, email protection, patching, tested backups, phishing training, and an incident plan.

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IT & Security

7 signs your business has outgrown do-it-yourself IT

Recurring downtime, one overloaded computer person, untested backups, hardware surprises, and all-emergency IT spending: the signs it is time for managed IT.

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