Website Consulting
A second opinion before you build, fix, or hire
Some website decisions are expensive to get wrong, like which platform to build on, which proposal to sign, whether to fix the site you have or start over. Website consulting is time with me. You bring the question, and I give you a clear recommendation in plain words, with the reasons behind it. I’ve planned, written, designed, built, and looked after websites since 2011, so the advice comes from doing the work.
When you need advice before you build
Five questions that are expensive to get wrong.
Website consulting is for the decisions that come before the work, or in the middle of it, when a wrong turn costs months. Most of them come down to one of five questions.
Which platform should I build on?
A website builder like Wix or Squarespace, a more flexible platform that a designer sets up for you, or an online store platform like Shopify. Each one suits some businesses and holds others back. The right choice depends on how many pages you need, who will update the site, whether you sell online, and how much the site has to do for search. I lay out the tradeoffs for your business and recommend one, so any limits show up before launch.
Is this proposal a good one?
Two quotes for the same website can look nothing alike, and the price rarely explains why. I read the proposal with your business in mind and check what it covers, like who does the work, how many pages you get, who writes the words, whether search setup is included, what happens to your old page addresses, and what a change costs after launch. You come away knowing what's missing and which questions to ask before you sign.
Redesign, repair, or leave it alone?
An old website isn't always a broken one. Sometimes a redesign is overdue. Sometimes two repairs and one new page would do more for the business. And sometimes the site is fine, and your time is better spent on your Google Business Profile or your reviews. I look at what the site does now, what it brings in, and what's holding it back, then tell you which path fits and why.
What should the site include before I hire anyone?
A plan makes quotes easy to compare. Before you talk to designers, I can help you settle the pages the site needs, what each one has to do, the searches each should show up for, and the content you'll need to gather. Hand the same plan to three designers, and you'll get three quotes for the same job.
Why isn't my site bringing in work?
Sometimes a site looks fine and the phone stays quiet. The cause might be a form that stopped sending, pages Google can't match to a search, slow loading on phones, or a Business Profile that links to the wrong page. I go through the numbers your site already collects, including Search Console, where Google reports how your pages show up in search, and find where you're losing people.
Facing one of these?
Tell me the decision"There are a lot of agencies that claim to 'do' web design. In fact, selecting a designer can be a bit overwhelming. It took me weeks to go from looking at online portfolios, to selecting vendors for proposals, to ultimately working with Josh. And I couldn't be more pleased with either the process or the outcome. You'll discover in your first conversation that he not only knows what he's doing, but more importantly he understands the client's many challenges. That combination makes for a successful and rewarding project."
How a website consult runs
Send your question, set a time, and talk it through.
Every consult follows the same short order. Your part is the question and the conversation.
- 1
You send the question.
In the Start a project form, tell me what you're trying to decide, your web address if you have one, and any proposals or plans you're weighing.
- 2
I reply to set a time.
I read your question myself and reply to set a time to talk. My reply also gives you my hourly rate.
- 3
We talk it through.
I walk you through what I see and what I recommend, and you ask anything you like. For a bigger question, like weighing three proposals or finding out why a site has gone quiet, I can audit your site, read the proposals, and check the numbers your site already collects before we talk, so our time goes to answers.
Ready for step one?
Send your questionWhat you leave with
Answers you can act on, whoever does the work.
Every consult ends with something you can act on. Depending on your question, you leave with:
If it helps, I follow up with a short note of the recommendations from our conversation, so you can hand it to whoever does the work. If a project with me is the right next step, I say so and explain why.
Advice from someone who still does the work
Advice from building sites, and from looking after them for years.
I plan, write, design, and build websites myself, and I do the search work around them. When I recommend something, I know what it takes to carry out, how long it should take, and what it will change on the rest of the site.
I also see what happens years later. I still look after sites I built in my first years in the business, so I’ve watched what holds up and what wears out, like platforms that aged well and ones that fell behind, add-ons their makers stopped updating, and designs that still work long after launch. Most of what a consult offers comes from that long view.
The variety helps too. I’ve built websites for a lumber yard, a law firm, a volleyball club, a wedding studio, and a company that sells a product to electric utilities. A problem that’s new to your business is often one I’ve already worked through for a business in a different field.
Industries I've built websites for50+
- Auctions
- Cabinetry
- Churches
- Coaching
- Compounding pharmacy
- Construction
- Consulting
- Countertops
- Dermatology
- Design-build
- Disinfection services
- Electrical utility supplies
- Fashion
- Financial advisors
- Flooring
- Functional medicine
- Grocery stores
- Home care
- Home fixtures
- Inns
- Insurance
- Jewelry
- Law
- Lending
- Lumber
- Magazines
- Marketing agencies
- Med spas
- Medical supplies
- Motorcycle tours
- Music
- Ophthalmology
- Outdoor furniture
- Picture framing
- Publishing
- Radiology
- Recruiting
- Salons
- Spine care
- Telecom and cloud
- TV and home design
- Vending machines
- Veterinary medicine
- Wedding beauty
- Wellness
- Wellness travel
- Youth sports
"Josh Miller is one of the most creative, energetic and hard-working people I've met in a long time. In addition to his web design and 'metrics' skills, he has an entrepreneurial spirit, which I admire a great deal. I've worked with him on several projects, and would gladly recommend him to anyone who is looking for a web-guru type who doesn't drown you in geek-speak!"
Questions about website consulting
Still have a question?
Ask me directlyWhat is website consulting?
Website consulting is paid time with an experienced web professional who helps you make a website decision, like which platform to build on, which proposal to sign, whether to fix your site or start over, or who to hire. You bring the question, and I give you a clear recommendation in plain words, with the reasons behind it. Consulting is billed by the hour.
What does a website consultant do?
A website consultant helps you make decisions about your website, such as what to build, what to fix, which platform to use, and who to hire. The consultant looks at your business, your current site, and the options in front of you, then recommends a path and explains why. Some consultants only advise. I also plan, design, write, and build websites, so my advice comes from the same work I do for clients.
How much does website consulting cost?
Website consulting is billed by the hour, and you get my rate when you reach out. How many hours it takes depends on the question and how much there is to look at. Choosing a platform for a new site takes less time than weighing three proposals against a site with years of history behind it.
How do I choose a website designer?
Choose a website designer whose live sites still work years later, who explains recommendations in plain words, and whose proposal says who writes the words, who handles search, and who looks after the site after launch. Open their sites on your phone. If you're replacing a site, ask what happens to its old page addresses. If you're weighing proposals, I can review them with you before you sign.
Do I need a website consultant, or should I hire a designer?
Hire a designer if you know what you need and trust the person you're hiring. A consult pays off when you're stuck between options, unsure about a proposal, or close to a decision that's expensive to undo. If you start a website project with me, it begins with discovery, where I learn your business in depth, so the planning a consult covers is already part of it.
Can you review a proposal from another designer or agency?
Yes, I can review a proposal from another designer or agency. Include it with your request. I check what it covers, what it leaves out, and how well it fits what your business needs, then give you the questions to ask before you sign. The goal is a better decision, whoever you hire.
Will you just tell me to hire you?
I'll recommend hiring me only when that's the best fit. A consult can end with advice to keep your current site and fix a few things, to stay with the web person you have, or to hire someone who specializes in what you need. When a project with me is the right next step, I'll say so and explain why.
I already have a web person. Can you still help?
Yes, I can still help if you already have a web person. A second opinion can settle a question you and your web person see differently, or confirm a plan before you spend money on it. Any note I send after our conversation is written so your web person can act on it.
Can you advise on SEO and AI search?
Yes, I can advise on SEO and AI search, because search shapes which pages a site needs and what each one says. I can show you how your site appears on Google, on Google Maps, and in AI tools like ChatGPT, and which changes would help most. Ongoing search work is a separate service.
Can you help if I'm working against a deadline?
Yes, if you're working against a deadline, like a proposal that expires or a launch you've already announced, include the date in your request. Then we can find a time to talk before it. I read every request myself, and the date tells me which questions to take first.
Get a second opinion before you decide.
Tell me the decision you’re facing, your web address if you have one, and any proposals or plans you’re weighing. You’ll hear back from me to set a time to talk, along with my hourly rate. A second opinion starts with the form.