WordPress consultant
Senior developers with 10+ years of experience review your code, your setup and the quotes you've been given.
- 1Norwegian law requires websites aimed at the public to be accessible. Ask what it would cost to add.
- 2Without an agreement on ownership, you can't take the code to another provider.
- 3Two years of hosting with an SLA explains most of the price gap between B and C.
When it helps to bring in aWordPress consultant
Most people who contact us are in one of four situations. You're buying a new website and have three quotes, the most expensive costs twice as much as the cheapest, and nobody explains why. You've inherited a WordPress site nobody in the company understands, because the developer who built it has left without writing any documentation. You disagree with a supplier and need an expert view on who's right. Or the site has become slow and keeps showing security warnings, and you can't tell how serious it is.
client.noIn progressDone- Domainclient.no, DNS at the registrar
- CDNCloudflare, free planFine
- HostingShared hosting, PHP 7.4Outdated PHP
- WordPress6.4.37.1.3 is out
- ThemeAvada with a page builderLocks in content
- Plugins38 active9 out of date
- IntegrationsMailchimp and Tripletex, custom codeUndocumented
- Administrators
- 7, two of them unknown
- FTP
- One login shared by three people
- Version control
- None
- Backups
- Daily at the host, never tested
In all four cases you should know how the site is actually built before you change supplier or accept a quote. That means someone has to read the code and explain what they found, so you can use it in your decision.
The consultant is a senior developer who has built and run WordPress sites for more than ten years, from simple company sites to several sites in one installation (multisite). We read the code directly and only need read access, so nothing on the site changes while we work.
- Projects delivered
- 100+
- From kick-off meeting to finished report
- 5days
- In commission from suppliers we recommend
- 0NOK
- Years running WordPress sites
- 10+
Technical review of code and architecture
The review covers four areas, with separate findings and recommendations for each. We write the report so that whoever takes over, your own developers or another supplier, can work straight from it.
Code review
We go through the code in the theme and plugins, and read any custom code line by line. Automated tools point out possible problems, but we make the judgement ourselves. We also check whether the code runs safely on PHP 8.4, and whether the theme works with the WordPress block editor (Gutenberg) or ties you to a page builder. You get a prioritised list of security holes and code that makes later changes more expensive, with a cost estimate for each item.
Hosting and setup
Here we look at hosting, domain setup (DNS), caching, backup routines and how changes are published. We map what runs where, and who has access to what. You get an overview of the setup and a reasoned recommendation on what to change and what can stay as it is.
Security assessment
First we check the site against WPScan, a database of known vulnerabilities in WordPress and plugins. Then we go through access rights, update status and configuration by hand, looking for known weak points. The risk report is sorted by severity, and each action is described clearly enough that another developer can carry it out without asking us.
Performance analysis
We measure loading times with Google's user experience metrics (Core Web Vitals), look at the database lookups and work out how much each plugin slows the site down. You get a documented baseline and a list of actions sorted by how much each one gains for what it costs.
If you've received a quote you're unsure about, you can send it to us for review.
An independent review whena project drags on
A common consulting job is a project that has dragged on. Deadlines have moved several times, the invoices arrive every month, and the supplier says the work is on track. If you can't read the code yourself, you have no way of checking.
new websiteMarch–August- Mar32 h18 changes
- Apr40 h22 changes
- May46 h6 changes
- Jun52 h3 changes
- Jul38 h0 changes
- Aug44 h4 changes
theme/functions.php, lines 812–1,140The same database query runs 14 times on every page view.June invoice14 hours of "optimisation", with no changes to the code that month.Project planThe launch has been pushed back three times, most recently to 15 August.
We go through the code, compare what has been invoiced with what has been delivered, and give you a written assessment to take to the next meeting. Sometimes the assessment shows that the supplier is doing good work at a fair price, and that's useful to have confirmed. Other times the hours invoiced don't match what has been delivered, or the quality is lower than the quote described.
Every finding is documented with references to specific files, so you can use the assessment in your discussions with the supplier. If the site is down or hacked, emergency WordPress help is a separate service with shorter response times.
No commission from the suppliers we recommend
Many agencies and hosting providers offer a free review of your WordPress site. That can be useful, but it's worth knowing that whoever does the review often also sells what gets recommended.
With us you pay for the assessment, and we don't take commission from hosting providers or plugin companies, whoever we recommend. Sometimes we recommend keeping your current supplier. Other times WordPress is the wrong tool for what you're building, or the project should wait until the requirements are clear.
- HostingThe current host is fine. Upgrade to PHP 8.4.Keep
- Page builderReplace it at the next redesign.Later
- PluginsRemove the 9 that aren't used.Change
- RedesignWait until the requirements are written down.Later
PXL takes no commission from any provider named in the report.
If the report recommends moving the site, we can handle the migration, but only if you ask us to. PXL is an IT consultancy, and our consultants also work as developers, tech leads, architects, DevOps engineers and interim CTOs, so the person who wrote the report can also do the work if you want. For advice on architecture or platform choice beyond WordPress, see our IT consulting services. The report is yours, and you can take it to anyone you like.
How a PXL WordPress consultant works
- 01 / 04
Access and kick-off
We ask for read access to the code, the hosting and any documentation there is. Then we hold a one-hour kick-off meeting where you tell us what seems wrong, or what you're thinking of buying.
- 02 / 04
Written report
All findings go into one document, each with a risk rating and a cost estimate. The main section is written for whoever makes the decision, and the appendices for the developers who will do the work.
- 03 / 04
Walkthrough
We go through the findings in a meeting and answer your questions. The aim is that you leave with a prioritised plan you can follow.
- 04 / 04
Implementation, if you want it
Some clients ask us to fix what we found. Others give the report to their own developers or another supplier, and it's written to work either way.
- Summary for managementTwo pages, no jargon
- Prioritised action list18 actions with cost estimates
- Appendix A: code findingsWith file and line numbers
- Appendix B: architecture and accessA map of what runs where
- Appendix C: security and performanceMeasurements before any changes
The report is yours to take to whoever you like.
Prices and ways to work with us
A senior developer does the work in all three models. If you need help with the development itself over time, you can hire a WordPress developer.
Advice by the hour
FromNOK 1,500/hour
Single questions, a sounding board, reviewing quotes
Full days
FromNOK 12,000
Workshops, requirement specifications and on-site visits
Fixed-price technical review
FromNOK 10,000
Code, infrastructure, security and performance in one report
We can go through your WordPress site and explain how it's built.
Frequently asked questions
What does a WordPress consultant cost?
The hourly rate is from NOK 1,500, and a full day from NOK 12,000, depending on what the day is used for. A full technical review of code, infrastructure, security and performance costs from NOK 10,000 at a fixed price, including a written report and a walkthrough meeting. Smaller jobs, such as reviewing a quote you've received, usually take two to four hours.
What does a technical review include?
The review covers four areas. We go through the code in the theme, plugins and custom code, and assess hosting, backups and the routines for publishing changes. We also check the site for known vulnerabilities, look at who has access to what, and measure loading times. The findings go into a written report, sorted by severity with a cost estimate per action, and we finish with a walkthrough meeting. A competent developer should be able to work straight from the report.
Can you assess a quote we've received from an agency?
Yes, it's one of the jobs we get most often. We go through the quote line by line and check whether the scope matches what you need, what the price covers and whether the technical choices hold up. You get a written assessment to use in the negotiation, and it usually takes two to four hours. Often the conclusion is that the quote is fair, which is also worth knowing.
Do we need a consultant or a developer?
If you first need to work out what should be done, you need a consultant. If you already know what needs doing and lack the people to do it, you need a developer. In practice the two often overlap, and many jobs start as a review and continue as development once the plan is clear. At PXL the same senior developers do both, so there's no handover between two firms.
Do you help with requirement specifications?
Yes. Our specifications describe functionality, integrations, performance and security requirements, and what it takes for the delivery to be approved. We write them precisely enough that suppliers have little room for their own interpretation. That lets you compare the quotes, and you avoid extra bills that turn up because "it wasn't in the quote". Allow one to two days for a typical project.
Are you independent?
Yes. We get no commission or other payment from hosting providers or plugin companies for recommending them. You pay for the advice, whatever it concludes. So we can just as easily recommend keeping your current supplier, or putting the project on hold, if that's the right call. The report is yours, and you can take it to anyone you like.
Contact a WordPress consultant
Write a few lines about what seems wrong, or what you're planning to buy, and we'll suggest an approach and give you a price estimate.