diy Website Consulting

Build your own Squarespace site with expert guidance—the right way from the start.

Not ready for a full custom website? I offer DIY consulting for businesses that want to build their own Squarespace site but need professional guidance to avoid common mistakes—especially accessibility compliance issues that create legal liability.

Why Squarespace for DIY: Unlike agency-focused platforms like Duda, Squarespace is designed for business owners to manage their own sites. It's the right choice if you're building your own site with expert guidance.

For a flat $1,000 fee, you get structured expert consulting to set up your site correctly from day one.

What's included:

Initial strategy session (90 minutes)

  • Platform setup guidance (Squarespace plan selection, domain configuration)

  • Site structure planning based on your business needs

  • Template selection and evaluation for your goals

  • Accessibility requirements overview specific to your industry

  • SEO foundation discussion

Accessibility compliance guidance

  • WCAG 2.1 AA requirements explained for your business type

  • Color contrast requirements and testing tools

  • Heading structure and navigation best practices

  • Alt text training for images

  • Custom CSS code snippets for common accessibility fixes

  • Checklist of accessibility requirements to verify before launch

Technical setup assistance

  • Custom code injection guidance (if needed for accessibility)

  • Form setup and configuration

  • Basic SEO optimization (page titles, meta descriptions, URL structure)

  • Analytics integration

  • SSL and security settings review

Two follow-up sessions (60 minutes each)

  • Review your work-in-progress

  • Answer technical questions

  • Troubleshoot issues you've encountered

  • Verify accessibility compliance

  • Pre-launch quality check

Documentation package

  • Accessibility checklist specific to your site

  • SEO best practices summary

  • Custom code snippets (if applicable)

  • Resources for ongoing management

Email support (30 days)

  • Quick questions via email during your build process

  • Limited to clarification on topics covered in sessions

  • 24-48 hour response time

What's NOT included:

I will not:

  • Build pages for you

  • Write your content

  • Create graphics or images

  • Provide unlimited revisions or feedback

  • Troubleshoot issues caused by third-party plugins or integrations I didn't recommend

  • Provide support beyond 30 days from the initial session

  • Fix problems on a launched site (that becomes a separate service)

Clear boundaries:

  • Three sessions total (one 90-min, two 60-min) - no additional calls included

  • Email support is limited to 30 days from the initial session

  • Focus is on teaching you to build it yourself, not building it for you

Who does this work for:

This service is ideal if you:

  • Have the time and willingness to build your own site

  • Want professional guidance to avoid costly mistakes

  • Need to meet accessibility requirements, but don't know how

  • Have a limited budget but understand the value of expert advice

  • Are comfortable learning new technical skills

This is NOT right for you if:

  • You don't have 10-20 hours to invest in building your site

  • You need content written for you

  • You want someone else to handle the technical details

  • You need ongoing support beyond 30 days

After the consulting period:

Once your 30-day consulting period ends, you have several options:

Option 1: Continue independently
You own your site and can manage it yourself with the knowledge you've gained.

Option 2: Ongoing support retainer
Purchase monthly support hours at $150/hour for continued technical assistance.

Option 3: Upgrade to a full custom build
If you realize DIY isn't working for you, I can complete the build. Your $1,000 consulting fee credits toward a custom website project.

Investment & Next Steps:

$1,000 flat fee - paid before initial strategy session

This fee covers all three sessions, 30 days of email support, and documentation. No hidden costs, no hourly billing surprises.

Ready to get started?

Contact me to schedule your initial strategy session. I'll send you a brief questionnaire to complete beforehand so we can make the most of our time together.

Important: I take on a limited number of DIY consulting clients each month to ensure I can provide quality guidance. If you're interested, reach out sooner rather than later.