A good chunk of the calls I get through the free thirty minute surgery start the same way. Someone's read a couple of pages on the site, maybe seen a case study, and they're not quite sure what actually happens if they book the slot. Is it a sales call? Do they need to have their whole project figured out first? Will I try to sell them something they don't need? So here's exactly what happens, no surprises.
What it actually is
Thirty minutes, on a video call or the phone if you'd rather, where you tell me what you're trying to do and I give you honest, specific answers. Not a scripted pitch, not a lead-generation form dressed up as a chat. If I think you need a full custom build, I'll say so. If I think a good WordPress site or even a page builder would do the job for less money, I'll say that instead, even though it means less work for me.
What I ask you
I'll usually start with what the site or app needs to actually do for your business, not what it should look like. Who's the customer, what do you want them to do when they land on it, and what's currently getting in the way. If you've got an existing site, I'll often have a quick look before the call so we're not spending half your thirty minutes on me reading your homepage out loud.
What you get out of it
A straight answer on whether your project needs a developer at all, or whether a simpler option gets you there.
A rough shape of what the work involves, brochure site, custom build, or proper web app, and roughly where that lands on cost.
At least one thing you can go and fix yourself today, whether or not you ever hire me.
No obligation and no follow-up pressure. If it's not a fit, I'll tell you that too.
That last point matters more than it sounds. I've had calls where the honest answer was 'you don't need me, here's what to Google instead.' Those are still good calls. I'd rather be the developer people trust to say that than the one who talks everyone into a build they didn't need.
What it isn't
It isn't a free spec-writing service, and it isn't me disappearing for a week to put together a full proposal off the back of a chat. If we're a good fit, the next step after the call is a proper quote based on what we discussed, not a hard sell during the call itself. And it isn't a technical support line for an existing site built by someone else, though if you're stuck with a slow or broken WordPress site, that's usually still worth a mention, since it might be a quick fix rather than a rebuild.
Who it's for
Mostly small Hull and East Yorkshire businesses trying to work out if they've outgrown their current site, or whether the quote they've had from somewhere else stacks up. A fair few callers already have three quotes in hand and want a second opinion from someone who isn't trying to win the job off the back of it. That's fine. I'll still give you a straight read.
How to get the most out of it
Bring whatever you've got, even if it's rough. A napkin sketch of what you want the site to do beats a polished brief with nothing behind it. If you know your budget range, say so early, it saves both of us guessing. And if you've had other quotes, tell me what they came back with. I'm not going to badmouth another developer's number, but I can tell you honestly whether it looks in the right ballpark for what you're asking for.
If that sounds useful, you can book a slot on the contact page. Have a look at how I approach websites first if you want more context before we talk, and if your project turns out to be a bigger ecommerce move than a website refresh, I'd point you to my other site, headless-digital.com, rather than pretend it's a quick job here.
Thirty minutes, no pitch, an honest answer either way. That's the whole idea.
Free 30-min surgery
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