What "the West Island" means when people search
The West Island is not a city. It is the unofficial name for the towns and boroughs at the western end of the Island of Montreal: Dorval, Pointe-Claire and Beaconsfield along the Lakeshore, then Kirkland, Dollard-des-Ormeaux, Baie-D'Urfé, Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue and Senneville, plus the Montreal boroughs of Pierrefonds-Roxboro and L'Île-Bizard. About 238,000 people lived there in 2021. Most of these towns were merged into Montreal in 2002 and became independent again on January 1, 2006, while staying part of the Montreal agglomeration.
That history shows up in how people search. Some type "West Island plumber" or "physio West Island". Others type the town: "dentist Pointe-Claire", "salon DDO", "landscaper Kirkland". Your website has to answer both, which means naming the towns you actually serve, in plain sentences, on the pages that matter.
A bilingual market where French is still the rule
Language is the first thing to get right here. The West Island article notes that most residents are bilingual if not multilingual, and that anglophones are still the largest group. Pointe-Claire is a good example: in the 2021 census, 47% of residents had English as their mother tongue and 21% French, and 63% spoke mostly English at home.
None of that changes the law. Under Quebec's Charter of the French Language, a business website must be available in French, and an English version is allowed only if a French version of comparable quality exists and is accessible. Éducaloi notes that after a complaint or inspection, the OQLF can order a business to comply, and fines for businesses range from $3,000 to $30,000 if the order is ignored.
The practical answer for a West Island business:
- English and French pages with the same content and the same prices.
- A visible language switch on every page, not a French link hidden in the footer.
- Copy written natively in each language, not run through a translator.
All of this is included in the $1,500 price. You check the facts; you do not need to hire a translator.
Google Maps from Dorval to Senneville
Google says local results are based mainly on relevance, distance and prominence. Distance matters a lot in the West Island, because it stretches from Dorval to Senneville. A clinic verified in Dollard-des-Ormeaux has a real chance in the map for someone searching in DDO or Kirkland, and a weaker one for someone in Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue.
If you travel to your customers, Google lets you list up to 20 service areas by town or postal code, within about 2 hours of driving. Those areas outline where you work, but they do not replace your website. When the map does not show you, a clear service page can still rank for "gutter cleaning Beaconsfield" or "bathroom renovation Pierrefonds".
The same rule applies to me. My Google profile is in Laval, so you will not see Always Booked in the map when you search "web design West Island". If you found this page, the website did its job. That is exactly what I build for my clients. If your profile needs work first, see my Google Business Profile service.
What a West Island website needs
| If you are | The site has to |
|---|---|
| A clinic on the Lakeshore (dental, physio, chiro, aesthetics) | Make booking one tap away, in both languages |
| A trade serving several towns (plumbing, renovation, landscaping, pools) | Name the towns you cover and bring in complete quote requests |
| A salon, barber or spa | Show prices, hours, real photos and a booking link |
| A fitness studio | Show the class schedule, prices and a trial offer |
| A restaurant | Keep the menu and hours current, take reservations |
If you are starting out or growing, PME MTL West Island serves businesses in the eight West Island towns and the boroughs of Lachine, L'Île-Bizard and Pierrefonds-Roxboro, with coaching, loans and grants. Its page does not mention website grants, so talk to an advisor before counting on one.
What you get and what it costs
| Item | Always Booked |
|---|---|
| Website, up to 5 custom pages | $1,500, one time |
| Languages | English and French, copy written for you |
| Booking or quote requests | Included, with an instant alert for every lead |
| Google reviews on the site | Included |
| Local SEO foundations | Page titles, structured data, link to your Google profile |
| Timeline | About 3 weeks |
| Your time | About 2 hours in total |
| Payment | 50% to start, 50% at launch, or 4 payments of $375 |
| Care plan | $150 a month, optional, month to month |
The domain is registered in your name. If we part ways, you keep everything. To compare with other published prices in Quebec, read my guide on what a website costs in Quebec.
A Laval studio that knows the West Island
Always Booked is run by one person, Fahad Rahman, a software developer with a Computer Engineering degree from Concordia University. The West Island is a short drive from Laval, so meeting in person is possible when it helps. Every conversation can happen in English or in French, with no account managers and no hand-offs. It starts with a 15-minute call, then the site plan and copy in 3 days, the build with two rounds of revisions, and launch around day 21. The full scope is on the websites page, and if you also serve Laval, see my page on web design in Laval.
Questions
Most of my customers in Pointe-Claire speak English. Can my site be English only?
No. A Quebec business website has to be available in French, and the French version must be of comparable quality and easy to reach. English pages are welcome alongside it, and both languages are included in the price.
I serve Kirkland, Beaconsfield and Dorval. Do I need a page for each town?
Not to start. One page per service that names the towns you cover, plus a single service-area page, handles most searches. A town page is worth it only if you have something specific to say there, like past jobs or different travel times.
You're in Laval. Will that be a problem for a West Island business?
No. The work happens by video or phone, in English or French, from the first call to launch. A 2-hour on-site photo session is available for $350 if you want real photos of your shop or your work.
Can I see what my site would look like before I pay?
Yes. Always Booked builds a free concept website for businesses considering working with me, so you see the direction before you commit.
Want this done for you?
Websites: $1,500. A 15-minute call to see if it is a good fit.