Problem Established First
What is failing, evidenced rather than assumed from dissatisfaction.
Website Design Consultation
Website Design Consultation Before You Commit a Budget
Most website projects are scoped after the decision to rebuild has already been made, which means the first real question never gets asked. A website design consultation takes that question seriously: what is actually wrong, what would fix it, and whether that requires a new site or three changes to the existing one.
We Will Tell You Not to Rebuild
A rebuild is the most expensive answer, and it is frequently not the right one.
Options Compared
Fix, redesign or rebuild, with what each would cost you.
Risk Identified
What a rebuild would put at risk, particularly URLs and content.
Output You Can Use
A written recommendation you can take to any supplier.
No Obligation
The recommendation is the deliverable, not a route to a proposal.
Consultation, Explained
What Does a Consultation Answer?
Four questions, asked in this order.
Book a Consultation →- 1
What Is Actually Wrong?
Distinguishing a real problem from dissatisfaction with how it looks.
- 2
Would a Rebuild Fix It?
Frequently not. A site that is not found does not need new visuals.
- 3
What Would It Cost?
Including what a rebuild puts at risk, which is rarely in a proposal.
- 4
What Should Come First?
Sequencing, so the highest-value change is not last.
What a Consultation Covers
A review of what exists and a recommendation you can act on.
For a deeper examination of an existing site, see website design audit.
How a Consultation Works
Look at what exists, understand what it needs to do, recommend the smallest sufficient change.
Understand the Goal
What the site should produce for the business.
Review What Exists
Structure, speed, search position and conversion.
Diagnose
The gap between the two, with evidence.
Compare Options
Fix, redesign, rebuild — with honest costs.
Recommend
In writing, sequenced, yours to take anywhere.
Diagnosis
Why "The Site Looks Dated" Is Rarely the Problem
It is the most common reason given for a rebuild and it is usually a proxy for something else.
What is underneath that complaint?
Usually the site is not producing enquiries, and appearance is the visible thing to blame. It may be genuinely dated, and that may not be why it is failing.
A site nobody finds does not need new visuals. A site people find and leave might need faster pages, clearer service information, or a contact route that works on a phone.
Establishing which — through search data, analytics and a look at the actual funnel — takes a few hours and frequently redirects a large budget toward a much smaller change.
What does a rebuild put at risk?
Everything the current URLs have earned. A rebuild that changes paths without a complete redirect map loses search visibility that took years to accumulate.
Content is the other risk. Pages that do not fit new templates get trimmed, and it is frequently the substantial ones — the detailed service pages — that rank.
Neither risk is a reason not to rebuild. Both are reasons to know about them before committing, and they rarely appear in a design proposal.
Questions,answered.
A website design consultation establishes what is actually wrong with a site and what would fix it — including whether a rebuild is warranted — before any budget is committed.
Often not. "It looks dated" is usually a proxy for "it is not producing enquiries", and those have different causes. Establishing which takes a few hours and can redirect a large budget.
A written recommendation covering what is wrong, the options with honest costs, what a rebuild would risk, and what to do first. It is yours to use with any supplier.
The recommendation is the deliverable. If the answer is that you need three changes rather than a rebuild, that is what it will say.
A consultation decides what to do next. An audit examines an existing site in detail. The consultation often recommends the audit rather than replacing it.
Still deciding if website design consultation is right for you?
Talk to UsThe Decision Was Made Before the Brief
By the time a design agency is contacted, the decision to rebuild has usually been taken. The brief describes what the new site should be, and every proposal answers that brief.
Nobody in the process is incentivised to ask whether the rebuild is the right response, because everyone involved is there to deliver one. The question simply does not come up.
It is worth asking once, by someone with no stake in the answer. Sometimes a rebuild is correct. Frequently the same money spent on three specific problems would produce more, and nobody found out.
Free Consultation
Find Out What You Actually Need
Tell us what is not working. We will look at the site and tell you honestly whether a rebuild is the answer or whether something smaller would do more.
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Enhance Your Brand Potential At No Cost!
- Expect a response within 24 hours
- NDA available upon request
- Dedicated product specialists