Website consulting: A clear plan. Then the code.

• Comparing proposals for a new site that are hard to set side by side
• Deciding whether a rebuild is needed or cleaning up the current site is enough
• Choosing between WordPress, a custom build and an off-the-shelf platform
• A slow site where nobody knows the cause
• A plan for accessibility, security or a migration before it starts

For a business owner, a marketing lead or a team about to commission a new website or rebuild, without in-house technical capacity to judge the proposals.

• The address of the current website, if one exists
• Proposals from suppliers you already have
• The main goal and deadline, with the reason behind it
• A list of people who make the decision

The engagement can be one call based on materials you send, a technical review ending in a written note, or a larger audit ending in a plan. We agree the scope and the form of the output before work begins, so you know what you are paying for.

I review the materials first, then we talk, and you receive a note or report in the agreed form. If the question turns out to need a deeper look at code or data, I say so directly and propose a separate scope.

• Explicit risks and assumptions
• A comparison of viable options with the cost and consequences of each
• Decisions, dependencies and next steps
• Material that can be handed to a team or supplier

Taking over websites from other suppliers is one of the most common situations in my work. So I see how early decisions, such as a page builder, no backups or code with no repository, come back years later as cost.

I describe my position on the usual choices openly on the blog: WordPress or a custom build, how to choose a developer, what a website really costs. A consultation starts from the same criteria, applied to your situation.

The number of systems and people involved in the decision, available documentation, need for code or data analysis and expected output—a call, decision note or full report—determine scope.