Website planning session
Website consultation for small business owners in the US and Canada
One hour on the phone or on video, and you know what to do with your website, in what order, and what your budget really buys. There is no obligation to hire me afterward. Prices are in US dollars.
Who this session is for
It is not for everyone. These are the situations where one hour can save you weeks of guessing and a few hundred dollars of wrong turns.
You are starting from nothing
Maybe you just got your contractor license, opened a practice or signed a lease for a shop. You do not know where to begin: domain, platform, who writes the text, what year one costs.
The budget will not cover everything
You need a site now but cannot fund a full build. We sort out what has to exist on day one and what can safely wait for next season.
You plan to build it yourself
You have the time and the curiosity. You leave with a plan and a list of the spots where DIY sites usually go wrong.
A quote is sitting in your inbox
You want a second opinion: is the price fair, what is padding, what is missing, and what will they bill you for after launch.
The site exists but you are unsure
Refresh it, move it, rebuild it or leave it alone. The answer depends on its real condition, not on how old it looks.
You have to pick a platform
WordPress, Wix, Squarespace, Shopify or something ready-made. That choice shapes what you pay for years, so it is worth an hour.
What we settle in sixty minutes
- Which platform suits your business, and the reason
- What your site needs at launch and what can wait
- What year one really costs: domain, hosting, build, upkeep
- What you can do yourself and what is cheaper to hand off
- The order of steps, beginning this week
- Where you are likely to get stuck if you go alone
- For Canadian businesses, whether you need an English and French version
I am not selling secret knowledge
Nobody pays me because I know something you do not. They pay because I save them time, and because I help them avoid decisions they would have to undo six months later.
That is why the call has no mystery in it. If you would like to do part of the work yourself, I will show you how. Many owners handle the first part alone and call me when the technical side begins.
And to be fair: if you have the hours, the interest and a tight budget, doing it yourself is a perfectly sound choice. Most people are better off spending their time on their own trade, but wanting to try it is fine too.
What you walk away with
A conversation that nobody writes down is forgotten by Friday, so the outcome goes on paper.
A written summary
After the call I email a short document: the approach we chose, the order of steps and budget ranges for the first year. You can hand it to any provider, not just me.
Your homework list
What you should prepare yourself: text, photos, services, prices, policy pages. This is where most of the savings in any project come from.
Three budget paths
Build it yourself with the plan, hire me to build it, or rent a site and spread the cost over monthly payments. Each comes with its upsides and its limits.
A quote, only if you ask
If you want to work together, I price a clearly defined scope. The consultation fee is credited if you order work within seven days.
How a session runs
From first message to written summary usually takes two or three business days.
Tell me the situation
Write two or three sentences about your business and your site. I send my questions by email so the hour is not spent collecting basic facts.
Invoice and time slot
I send the invoice and we pick a time that works across time zones, whether you are on the East Coast or the West. Phone, video call or messenger, your choice.
One hour together
We go through the project, the options and the numbers. If your case turns out simpler than you feared, I will say so.
Summary in your inbox
Within a day you receive the document with the decision, the steps and the cost ranges. Then it is up to you: build it or hand it over.
The price
You know it before we start, and it does not change with the conclusion we reach.
From $49 for one hour, written summary included.
If you order work within seven days afterward, that amount comes off the invoice. So if you go ahead, the consultation effectively costs you nothing.
If you already have a site and mainly want to know what shape it is in, start with the free site audit. It answers part of the questions at no charge.
Questions small business owners ask
Do I have to hire you afterward?
No. The summary is written so that any developer or agency can work from it. It is your document.
How is this different from the free audit?
The audit is for an existing site: I look at its condition. The consultation is for deciding what to do in the first place, and in what order.
My budget is really small. Is this still worth it?
Probably more so. The goal is not to inflate a quote but to show where you can skip spending for now and launch for less.
I want to build the site myself
Good, and I will not talk you out of it. You get a plan and a list of the usual trouble spots, so you do not walk into them blind.
Can you advise on sales tax, privacy rules or contracts?
No. I am not a lawyer or an accountant. I cover the website itself: platform, domain, hosting, content, launch and upkeep. If a question touches California privacy law, PIPEDA in Canada or sales tax, I will point out where to check, and you confirm with a professional.
What if we do not need the full hour?
Then we finish early and you still get the same written summary. I do not pad calls to fill the minutes.
Can we go over a quote from another company?
Yes, and it is a common request. We look at what the proposal includes, what it leaves out, and which costs show up after launch. My article on how to read a website quote covers the basics.
Which language do we speak?
English, Українська, Русский or Français, which helps for Canadian clients who prefer French. Documents and emails are in English unless you ask otherwise.
Does this work for a business outside my home city?
Yes. Everything happens by phone or video, so it makes no difference whether you are a contractor in Texas, a clinic in Ontario or a shop in British Columbia.