Independent CMS Consulting
For organizations navigating a web infrastructure decision and wanting a clear, honest perspective before committing to a direction.
What this is
Most organizations come to a CMS decision the hard way. Something breaks, a project stalls, a developer leaves, or a new marketing hire realizes the site can't do what the business actually needs. By the time a vendor is being evaluated, there's already pressure to just pick something and move.
A consulting engagement is a different kind of first step. Before any build starts, before any vendor is selected, you get a clear picture of what you actually have, what your team actually needs, and what the right move is. That includes whether now is even the right time.
What's included
A consulting engagement covers three things:
A site and systems audit. I'll look at what you're currently running, how your team is using it, and where the friction is actually coming from. Not a technical teardown. A practical read on what's working and what isn't.
A written recommendation. You'll get a clear document that explains what I found, what I'd suggest, and why. Something you can share with your team or use to brief a vendor.
A strategy call. We'll walk through the recommendation together, answer your questions, and talk through next steps. That might be moving forward with a build, waiting, or something else entirely.
Investment: $4,500, fixed. Paid upfront, delivered within two weeks of our kickoff call.
Scope is defined before we start, so there are no surprises.
Who this is for
This engagement works well for:
- Marketing directors and CMOs who are evaluating a CMS change and want an independent read before talking to vendors.
- IT leads who need to make the case to leadership and want a credible outside perspective.
- Organizations that have been burned by a previous build and want to approach the next one more carefully.
It's not the right fit for teams that have already made their decision and just need someone to execute. For that, Cascadia Digital is the right place to start.
Let's talk
If this sounds like what you need, the right first step is a short call to see if it's a good fit. No commitment, no sales pitch. Just a conversation about where you're at and whether I can help.
Book a strategy callWhat comes next
Some organizations find that a single engagement answers the question cleanly. Others find it useful to have someone to call as decisions keep coming up... new initiatives, vendor proposals, team changes. If that's where things go, we can talk about what an ongoing advisory relationship looks like. It's not something I offer upfront, but it's a natural next step for the right fit.
That's how it worked with deepset. I came alongside them when their Prismic/Next.js site needed significant upgrades and ongoing work. I documented where things stood, built a plan, and executed on it. What started as a one-time assessment became an ongoing relationship: I help their marketing team make edits and add new pages as their objectives evolve.
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What clients say
I'd highly recommend working with Michael. It's rare to find someone who acts as a bridge for so many areas, but specifically because of his ability to communicate and lead digital projects well. I deeply appreciate his ability to find the optimal solution considering the bigger picture.
Zach Bulick, Domain7
Michael is one of those developers with a really high "get it" factor. He just intuitively gets business goals that are tied to the development work he's doing, which allows him to create better solutions. Highly recommend you chat with Michael.
Paul Zalewski, SVP Marketing, Verblio
Michael's help with our website tech stack has been instrumental in achieving our team's objectives. His expertise has made life considerably easier for our compact marketing team, allowing us to focus on our core marketing strategies without much of a website-related headache.
Andrey, deepset