Ben's Web Service

Ben's Web service: Web Strategists
Menu
Menu
< blog

Hiring a Consultant Instead of an Agency

  • 9:31 am

Estimated reading time: 6 minutes

Table Of Contents

Introduction

When you’re investing in your website or digital strategy, one of the first decisions you’ll face is whether to work with a large agency or a consultant. Ben’s Web Service operates as a consultancy, working directly with businesses rather than through layers of agency process. That’s why it’s important to understand what this model means in practice. While agencies have their place, many small and growing businesses find that working with a consultant offers clearer communication, faster delivery, and better value, provided it’s the right fit for their goals, scale, and internal capabilities.

1. Lower Costs Without Cutting Corners

Hiring a solo consultant typically costs less than working with an agency because there are no large overheads to cover. Instead of paying for layers of management and internal processes, your budget goes directly into strategy, implementation, and measurable improvements:
  • No agency overheads or account management fees
  • More budget allocated to actual website and strategy work
  • Better value for small and growing businesses
  • Flexible pricing aligned to real needs, not fixed packages

2. Faster Projects and Quicker Turnaround

Without multiple approval layers, projects move faster. Working directly with the person doing the work means decisions are made quickly and changes are implemented without unnecessary delays.
  • Direct access to the consultant building your website
  • Faster feedback loops and implementation
  • Less time waiting for internal sign off
  • Easier to test, measure, and iterate

3. Clear, Direct Communication

Agencies often involve multiple people, which can lead to miscommunication or lost context. A solo consultant removes that barrier, keeping conversations clear, focused, and efficient.
  • One point of contact throughout the project
  • No information lost between teams
  • Clear explanations of what’s happening and why
  • More productive and transparent conversations

4. A True Partnership Approach

Rather than operating as a detached supplier, a solo consultant works alongside your business. The focus is on understanding your goals and adapting solutions as your needs evolve.
  • Work aligned closely to your business objectives
  • Ongoing collaboration and feedback
  • Support that evolves as your business grows
  • Long-term thinking rather than one-off delivery

5. Integrated Strategy, Technology, and Data

A solo consultant often brings a broader, joined up perspective. Website decisions are informed by strategy, data, and real business constraints, not just design or development in isolation.

  • Strategy informed by data and real world testing
  • Technology choices that support decision making
  • Clear next steps instead of abstract recommendations
  • Simpler systems that are easier to maintain

6. Well-Suited to Small Businesses and Local Brands

For small businesses, flexibility and clarity matter more than scale. A solo consultant offers hands on support without the complexity or cost of a large agency setup.

  • Scalable support as your needs change
  • Practical solutions without unnecessary complexity
  • Accessible guidance for non technical teams
  • A model built around simplicity and efficiency

7. Potential Downsides of Hiring a Single Consultant

While working with a solo consultant offers many advantages, it’s important to consider the limitations to ensure it’s the right fit for your project. A single consultant naturally has finite capacity and a narrower range of in house specialisms than a full agency, which can affect timelines, availability, and how very large projects are delivered.

  • Limited capacity can mean longer timelines for large or complex projects
  • Fewer in house specialisms compared to a multi disciplinary agency team
  • Availability may be impacted by holidays, illness, or other commitments
  • Less suited to enterprise level builds with multiple parallel workstreams
  • Not always ideal for businesses needing rapid scaling across many channels
Another important consideration is single point of failure risk. When one person holds most of the technical and strategic knowledge, progress can stall if they are unavailable or the working relationship ends. Over time, this can also lead to technical debt if systems, integrations, or decisions aren’t well documented or understood by the wider team. To avoid this:
  • Ensure systems and decisions are well documented
  • Ask for knowledge transfer and training so your team understands how things work
  • Avoid over reliance by making sure multiple people can operate and maintain key tools
  • Regularly review and simplify systems to reduce long term complexity

Final Thoughts

Choosing between a consultant and an agency isn’t about which option is objectively better  it’s about which model best fits your business, your team, and your goals. For many small and growing businesses, working with a consultant offers a more direct, flexible, and cost effective way to build and improve their website, especially when clarity, speed, and collaboration matter.

At the same time, it’s important to be realistic about the trade offs. Larger, fast moving, or highly complex projects may benefit from the scale and redundancy an agency can provide. The key is understanding the delivery model you’re choosing and putting the right safeguards in place, from documentation and training to clear communication and shared ownership.

Ben’s Web Service works as a consultancy because this approach allows for closer partnerships, clearer decision making, and solutions that are grounded in real business needs. When expectations are aligned and knowledge is shared, a consultant led model can be a highly effective way to build sustainable, well understood digital systems that support long-term growth.

If you’re weighing up your options, the best next step is a conversation not a commitment to understand what will genuinely work best for your business.

Ready to Build a Website?

Whether you need website design, secure hosting, or a clear strategy that supports your business goals, we can guide you through every step.

Read More