Web Design in Vancouver, British Columbia

Doing business in Vancouver

Renters (54.5% of households) move more often than owners, and each move starts with a search for local services. A website with up-to-date contact details is how a Vancouver business gets found by people who are new to the street.

Working from home was common in Vancouver in May 2021 (34.3% of employed residents). People who work locally shop locally, and they look up businesses on their laptops between meetings.

Commuters who ride transit (22.9% in Vancouver) often search for businesses on their phone during the trip. A mobile-friendly site with your hours and the nearest stop or intersection makes the visit easy to plan.

The area your Vancouver website can cover

Within a short drive of Vancouver: North Vancouver (7.2 km), North Vancouver (Greater Vancouver) (7.2 km), West Vancouver (8.5 km) and Burnaby (10 km). It is part of the Vancouver census metropolitan area. A website can name each place you serve, from Burnaby to North Vancouver (Greater Vancouver).

Median household income was $123,000 in North Vancouver and $86,000 in North Vancouver (Greater Vancouver), compared with $82,000 in Vancouver. Next to Vancouver, North Vancouver counted 88,168 people in 2021, with a median household income of $123,000.

Customers in Vancouver: what the census shows

One-person and shared households are 47.0% of the total. Smaller households value delivery and quick service.

Young adults (20 to 34) make up 27.1% of Vancouver. A quick contact form without a phone call.

18.4% of commuters walk or cycle to work. Foot traffic matters, so show your street address and hours clearly.

25.4% of residents mostly speak a non-official language at home. Plain English and good photos make your site easier for everyone.

Recent arrivals (2016 to 2021) are 6.4% of the population. People who are new to the area build their list of local businesses online.

The 2021 Census picture of Vancouver

With a median age of 39.6 (British Columbia: 42.8), the population of Vancouver is younger than British Columbia overall. Spread over 115 square kilometres, Vancouver has a density of 5,749.9 residents per square kilometre. Household incomes in Vancouver are in line with British Columbia: a median of $82,000 against $85,000. Of the 305,336 households in Vancouver, 45.5% own and 54.5% rent.

A few more figures

• Households in row houses: 3.6%
• College or CEGEP diploma (ages 25 to 64): 14.8%
• Share of residents who are immigrants: 42.2%
• No fixed workplace (trades, delivery, sales): 11.0%
• Couples with children, share of households: 17.4%
• Total private dwellings (2021): 328,347

Vancouver against the provincial average

The share of residents aged 65 and over is 17.0% in Vancouver and 20.3% in British Columbia. On home ownership, Vancouver (45.5%) compares with 66.8% for the province as a whole. On local roots, Vancouver (34.4%) compares with 46.9% for the province as a whole.

Industries that stand out in Vancouver

In June 2026, Statistics Canada counted 36,879 businesses with employees in Vancouver. Compared with British Columbia as a whole, these sectors have a larger presence:

• Professional services such as accountants, lawyers and engineers, 6,558 in Vancouver: the site should show the services and who they are for and the team with qualifications.
• Photographers, designers and creative studios, 390 in Vancouver: the site should show how a project starts and packages and prices.
• Real estate agents and property managers, 2,345 in Vancouver: the site should show the areas they cover and current listings with photos.
• Clinics, dentists, physiotherapists and other health offices, 3,894 in Vancouver: the site should show hours and how to reach the clinic and the practitioners and their credentials.
• Hair salons, spas and other personal services, 888 in Vancouver: the site should show the price list and opening hours.

59.1% had between one and four employees, so this is a market of small firms. Whatever the sector, customers check the same things first: what you do, where, and how to reach you.

Among residents who work, the largest sectors are professional, scientific and technical services (15.4%), health care and social assistance (12.4%) and retail trade (10.0%).

How Vancouver is changing

The population went from 631,486 in 2016 to 662,248 in 2021, a gain of 4.9%. Over the same five years, British Columbia grew 7.6%.

Getting a Vancouver business online: the steps

Since 2008, Aria has been setting up websites, domains and business email for small companies. For a business in Vancouver, that means the same CA$119 plan as anywhere else in Canada, with your material and your questions going by email.

1. Fill in the sign-up form at cadastro.ariaserv.com; it takes about 5 minutes.
2. You get a temporary link within 3 business days, so you can click through every page and ask for changes by email.
3. When you are happy with it, you approve, the first CA$119 fee is issued, and the site is published on your domain.

After launch, you keep asking for changes by email: a new photo, an updated price, a new service. They are part of the monthly fee.

Before you publish: rules that apply in British Columbia

Some homework for Vancouver businesses before the website goes live:

• Consent is at the heart of Canada’s anti-spam legislation (CASL): express consent means someone has agreed, verbally or in writing, to receive a commercial electronic message from you, and senders should be ready to provide proof of that consent. Canada’s anti-spam legislation
• Under Canadian competition law, it is against the law to make materially false or misleading representations to promote a product, service or business interest, and the law also prohibits the unauthorized use or distortion of tests and testimonials. Competition Bureau

Every business is different, so treat this as general information, not legal advice, and check the official pages linked above.