Consulting - Make the expensive decisions before you write the expensive code
Platform migrations, architecture overhauls, and technology bets are hard to reverse once you're committed. We help you evaluate your options with the same rigor we apply to our own builds - so the first major decision isn't also your most expensive mistake.
What We Cover - Strategy grounded in implementation experience
We've built and maintained enough WordPress sites, Shopify stores, and custom platforms to know where each one breaks down. Our consulting draws on that hands-on experience, not abstract frameworks.
Technical Strategy & Architecture
Before writing any code, you need a plan that accounts for where your business is now and where it needs to be in two years. We map out technical architecture, define system boundaries, and document the decisions that will shape your platform.
- System architecture documentation
- Technology decision records
- Integration mapping
- Data flow design
- Scalability planning
- Technical debt assessment
Platform Selection
WordPress, Shopify, or something custom-built? Each has real tradeoffs in cost, flexibility, and maintenance burden. We evaluate your requirements against each platform honestly - including the ones we don't build on.
- Requirements gathering & scoring
- Total cost of ownership analysis
- Platform capability comparison
- Vendor lock-in assessment
- Team skill requirements
- Migration complexity evaluation
Technology Stack Evaluation
Your current stack may be holding you back, or it may be fine and just poorly configured. We audit what you have, identify genuine bottlenecks, and recommend changes only where they deliver measurable improvement.
- Current stack audit
- Plugin & dependency review
- Hosting infrastructure analysis
- Third-party service evaluation
- Security posture review
- Performance bottleneck identification
Migration Planning
Migrations fail when they're underestimated. We build detailed migration plans that account for data mapping, URL structures, SEO preservation, downtime windows, and rollback procedures.
- Data mapping & transformation plan
- URL redirect strategy
- SEO preservation checklist
- Downtime minimization plan
- Rollback procedures
- Post-migration validation
Ready to migrate? See our WordPress migration and Shopify migration services.
Assessments - Numbers over opinions
We don't guess at what's slowing you down. We measure it, document it, and give you a plan with specific actions ranked by impact.
Performance & Scalability
We load-test your current setup, identify where it breaks, and model what happens as traffic grows. You get specific numbers - not vague promises about "being ready to scale."
What you get
- Load testing results with breakpoints
- Database query analysis
- Caching strategy recommendations
- CDN and edge optimization plan
- Infrastructure scaling roadmap
E-commerce Growth Strategy
Technical decisions directly impact revenue. We analyze your checkout flow, page speed, search visibility, and integration architecture to find the friction points between your platform and your growth targets.
What you get
- Checkout funnel technical audit
- Page speed impact on conversion
- Search visibility gap analysis
- Integration bottleneck review
- Platform capability gap assessment
Process - Structured engagements, clear deliverables
Every consulting engagement follows the same structure: understand the problem, do the analysis, deliver actionable recommendations.
- Discovery & Scoping. We start with a detailed conversation about your goals, constraints, and timeline. This isn't a questionnaire - it's a working session where we challenge assumptions on both sides.
- Independent Analysis. We audit your current systems, research alternatives, build comparison matrices, and test assumptions. No shortcuts, no recycled templates from other clients.
- Written Recommendations. You receive a detailed report with specific recommendations, reasoning, cost estimates, risk assessments, and a prioritized implementation roadmap.
- Walkthrough & Q/A. We present findings in a dedicated session, answer questions, and adjust recommendations based on context we may have missed.
- Implementation Support. Need help executing the plan? We can handle the build, or advise your team through key milestones. Either way, the plan stands on its own.
- Follow-Up Review. Thirty days after delivery, we check in to see what's changed, what questions have come up, and whether the recommendations need adjustment based on new information.
Facing a technical decision?
Whether you're choosing between platforms, planning a migration, or trying to figure out why your current setup isn't keeping up - a few weeks of consulting can save months of building the wrong thing.
FAQ - Consulting questions
Common questions about how our consulting engagements work.
How is this different from a sales pitch for your development services?
Our consulting engagements produce recommendations we stand behind, even when the answer is "keep what you have" or "hire someone else for this part." We document our reasoning and the tradeoffs involved. If you decide to hire us for implementation afterward, great - but the consulting deliverable is valuable on its own.
What does a typical consulting engagement look like?
Most engagements run 2-4 weeks. We start with a kickoff call to understand your situation, then conduct our analysis independently. You receive a written report with specific recommendations, cost estimates, and a prioritized roadmap. We wrap up with a walkthrough call to discuss the findings and answer questions.
We already have a development team. Can you work with them?
Yes, and this is one of the most common scenarios. We provide the strategic assessment and technical recommendations, then your team handles implementation. We can also review their work at key milestones if you want a second set of eyes on critical decisions.
How much does a consulting engagement cost?
It depends on scope. A focused platform selection assessment might take a week, while a full technical strategy with migration planning could take a month. We scope every engagement upfront with a fixed price - no open-ended hourly billing.
Can you help if we've already started building and things aren't going well?
This is actually when consulting is most valuable. We can audit what exists, identify what's salvageable, and recommend the most pragmatic path forward. Sometimes that means course-correcting the current build. Sometimes it means cutting losses early. Either way, you get clarity.
Related Services - Explore more ways we can help
Let's build something together
Tell us about your project and we'll figure out how we can help.