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Services

Diagnose Five independent reviews with a fixed fee and a defined output, from £1,500. Know where you stand before you spend anything. No software to sell you.
AI opportunity audit A fixed-fee AI opportunity audit from £2,000. Find out where AI saves money, makes money and reduces risk, ranked by return, with a 90-day plan.
AI readiness assessment A five-dimension assessment of whether your organisation could adopt AI at all. Data, governance, skills, process and infrastructure, scored. £2,500 fixed.
Digital audits An AI-powered digital health analysis of your website, search, advertising and competitors, with RAG-rated priorities and a 30/60/90-day action plan.
Get-gain-grow An agency audit and growth process built on more than forty years of business and technology experience. Systems, processes, projects, reporting and financials.
Advise Independent strategic guidance for boards and leadership teams facing digital and AI decisions they will have to live with. Scoped to the decision, not sold as a package.
Digital strategy Independent digital strategy for the next two to three years, in an order you can fund and defend. No software to sell you and no delivery to protect.
AI strategy and governance Two halves for two readers. Where AI belongs and in what order, and who approves it, what is never delegated to it, and how a board evidences oversight.
Board and trustee advisory Independent digital and AI counsel for boards and trustees, as a non-executive director, adviser or committee member. Scrutiny before the spend, not after.
Strategic advisory retainer A standing advisory arrangement for leadership teams that would rather ask early than commission late. Advice and governance, never delivery capacity.
Lead Director-level digital leadership one or two days a week, inside the leadership team. A six-month initial term, a named handover point and no long tie-in.
Fractional digital leadership A director-level digital lead inside your executive team one or two days a week. A six-month initial term, one month notice, and a named handover point.
Capability development Structured sessions that build digital and AI capability in the people who already own it, worked through live decisions. Designed to end, not to continue.
Deliver Selective, fixed-scope implementation work, accepted only when all five published conflict conditions are met. Advisory access is never used to win the build.
AI implementation sprint One defined AI use case, built into your existing systems and handed to your team. Fixed scope, under a published test that governs when I accept the work.
Digital and business transformation Transformation sequenced as stages you can stop after any one of them. Each stage is fixed scope, fixed fee, and independently worth doing on its own.

Case studies

How a digital agency won bigger work without hiring anyone A £120k financial services win and bigger accounts across finance, fashion and ecommerce, delivered by the same team after an agency review.
How a full-service agency grew retained client revenue 166% Retained client revenue up 166% and project efficiency up 230% after a full agency review made existing clients the heart of the business.
Opening up public sector work for a digital agency How a South Yorkshire digital agency learned to bid for government work, with a tender approach and reusable templates it could run itself.
St Modwen Homes: a twelve month digital reset How I took a national housebuilder from a broken website and a stalled CRM to a relaunched site, enquiries up 234% year on year and a marketing budget cut by £200k without cutting output.
A Yorkshire housebuilder: nine years on the client's side of the table How I spent nine years as a Yorkshire housebuilder's client-side digital lead, rebuilding the website, holding four agencies to account and proving £16.6m of digitally attributed sales in a single year.
A stockbroker whose own staff called its website "frustrating", handed a plan to catch up. How I audited a long-established stockbroker's website, heard it called 'frustrating' by its own staff, and built the strategy for a rebuild with online trading.
A firm that thought its website converted at 2% was really at 0.4%. I built the strategy to fix it. How I audited Halo Financial's digital estate, found a website converting at 0.4% not 2%, and built the strategy for a full responsive rebuild.
140 websites, an in-house team at capacity, and a plan to hand it all over cleanly. How I scoped and ran the search to hand a 140-website insurance broker estate to a specialist agency, under FCA compliance, without disrupting a single client.
Building a category, a brand and a website in ten weeks How I defined a market category, built the brand system and specified a full website for an early stage software company in ten weeks, using AI as production capacity.
How a struggling agency lifted pitch conversion 40% and got acquired How I turned a stalled Yorkshire agency around, lifting pitch conversion 40%, building recurring revenue past half of turnover, and attracting an acquisition.
How coaching cut a digital agency's proposal time in half How I coached a small Leeds agency through its pitch and project management process, cutting proposal time by 50% and freeing capacity to win repeat work.
Fixing delivery at a fast-growing digital agency How I reviewed and rebuilt online delivery at an award-winning Leeds agency, brought in agile, and delivered its largest project on time and to budget.
Managing a major website project for a national law firm How a national law firm's sprawling 17,000-page website became an evidence-led brief and a fair, defensible agency choice, run independently under NDA.
Central government: large scale digital transformation A £2.5m programme that brought 41 websites and multiple government departments under one strategic approach, with governance and procurement to match.
Superbreak: commercial digital transformation Executive board member for digital and technology in a £140m travel business. Online revenue roughly doubled, from about £40m to more than £80m, in three years.
Helping digital agencies deliver better A pattern fixed again and again: delivery capability rebuilt across agency teams of 70-plus, so agencies grow without margins slipping or clients losing faith.
Tech for social good: a digital audit case study The organisation A charity working to connect surplus food from shops and restaurants with families who need it. Small team, meaningful budget by charity | 1968 Consulting
DementiaNet: building a dementia support platform people actually use After a diagnosis nobody hands you a map. How UK wide research, not guesswork, shaped a dementia support and planning platform for Teesside.
Eleven responses. Three on the pitch day. One agency appointed in eight weeks. Eleven responses scored against a weighted matrix, three agencies on pitch day, one appointment. How the selection ran for a mid six figure build.
How a mid size regional UK law firm grew online enquiries by 190% without rebuilding their website 182 enquiries to 529 across eighteen months. No rebuild, no rebrand, no six figure project. What changed, and in what order it happened.
Four years, two websites, one consultant: rebuilding digital marketing for a UK foreign exchange firm. An embedded four year consultancy with a UK foreign exchange firm. Organic conversion moved from 0.51% to over 6% across two websites.
55 digital audits. Here’s what I found. 76% had SEO problems. 69% ran their CRM from a spreadsheet. Two years of digital audits across every sector. The findings, the data and what to fix.
From fragmented activity to an integrated digital marketing engine A national new homes developer joined up personas, SEO, paid search and lead nurture. What it did to cost per lead and pipeline quality.
Six months. One defendable brief. A website worth pricing properly. How six months turned we need a new website into a 41 question RFP, five personas, fifteen journeys and a CMS recommendation.
Global law form – digital strategy preparation The challenge A transatlantic law firm wanted to future-proof its digital presence. Their existing website was underperforming in both visibility and | 1968 Consulting
Global law firm – digital audit Transforming Their Website with Strategic Digital Insight The challenge A transatlantic law firm with a broad client base and international presence, | 1968 Consulting
Case Study: DementiaNet – Bridging the Gaps in Dementia Support Two years from researching the online dementia support landscape to a feasibility study, a full ITT and project managing the website build.
Configurator – house builder Background The house building industry has historically been adept at “selling shells” but curiously, not so clever at filling them. New house buyers move | 1968 Consulting
Charity coaching How a community foundation charity digitised its website, grant process and stakeholder reporting through a structured digital coaching programme.
Wildlife Trust – customer journey mapping Background:The Wildlife Trust, dedicated to conserving and protecting wildlife habitats and species, recognised the importance of leveraging digital tools | 1968 Consulting
Fund management system A 30 year old community fund running on unfit software and a compromised hand built CMS. How the system and the site were rebuilt together.
High end drinks ecommerce strategy Project Overview:A high-end drinks e-commerce platform sought to enhance its user experience and streamline its operations by implementing an intelligent | 1968 Consulting
Devon Wildlife Trust – digital review Devon Wildlife Trust digital review needed to get a better understanding of how the current digital tools could work efficiently across the organisation.
Conveyancing lawyers – strategy Background Top specialist conveyancing lawyer realised their online real estate was not performing as they wanted it to. The internal team were fielding | 1968 Consulting
Lawyers – digital strategy What was needed: A national lawyer company asked me to review their full digital footprint - website, paid , social media. They had had the same website | 1968 Consulting
Care home charity – digital strategy What was needed: A multidisciplinary care home charity serving a large local community needed assistance with their online estate. Following a complete IT | 1968 Consulting
Digital transformation; a housebuilders story Situation A major UK housebuilder determined their digital processes and presence was possibly not as effective or efficient as their customers demanded. | 1968 Consulting
Insurance Group – CMS A national insurance broker running twelve standalone WordPress sites. How consolidation cut the manual hours spent updating them.
CIPHER Medical A Hartlepool medical services business swamped by Covid demand. How we prioritised web, training and product ordering when everything needed doing.
Redmayne Bentley How a Leeds agency structured its ITT response, split ownership across the team and won a three way pitch for a stockbroking client.
Halo Financial – migration to Kentico CMS Project management Consultancy User acquisition strategy Usability testing What I Did: The old Halo website was built around old technology and was not | 1968 Consulting
Travis Perkins Online Strategy Challenge Travis Perkins PLC a national builder’s merchant with over 1800 trade counters has been struggling with online marketing and transactions, | 1968 Consulting
Emigrate2 Migrating a 30,000 visitor a month emigration site off ageing technology to WordPress, while the customer journey was reviewed properly.
Halo Financial Ten years working with Halo Financial on wireframe information architecture, usability review of design candidates and early stage fixes.
Hotelnet Refactoring a late nineties hotel booking brand from ColdFusion to .NET MVC, with distributed development and a Superbreak web services feed.
Needlecase A modest budget site for a bricks and mortar wool and sewing supplies business, built around keyword research rather than guesswork.
Charles Church Case Study Challenge Charles Church wanted to come out of the recession at the front of the market – able to react quickly to customer demands and exceed their | 1968 Consulting

Guides

Prompt mastery guide A five part framework for writing prompts that produce usable output first time, with ten worked examples. 42 page PDF, £9.99, instant download.
10 AI prompts A free guide of ten copy-ready AI prompts for founders, consultants and professionals, with when to use each, expected outcomes and a cheat sheet.
Charity checklist A free board-level checklist for charity trustees. Seven sections, twenty-nine questions on oversight, spend, data, suppliers, AI and accessibility. No technical knowledge needed.
Guides Long-form, evergreen guidance on choosing digital suppliers, what a review should cost and technology decisions in the social sector. Free, and they sell nothing.
Choosing a digital agency A guide for managing partners and practice managers on selecting a digital agency, briefing one properly, reading proposals and managing the relationship afterwards.
What a digital audit costs Four different things are sold as a digital audit, at prices from nothing to five figures. The honest UK market range, what drives the price and how to judge one afterwards.
Charity and trustee technology Technology decisions in the social sector, written from the trustee side of the table: restricted funding, personal accountability, the questions to ask and where AI helps.
The trustee checklist A board-level checklist for charity trustees. Seven sections, twenty-nine questions on oversight, spend, data, suppliers, AI, accessibility and key-person risk. No technical knowledge needed.

Insights

When your own staff call the website 'frustrating', listen The research a firm skips before a website rebuild is the research that should decide it. What staff, branches and clients reveal that design never will.
When a fractional digital leader is the right answer Fractional leadership suits a narrow set of circumstances. Here are the signals that point to it, and the ones that point somewhere else.
The questions to ask before your firm buys legal AI Legal AI is being pitched hard. A plain set of questions to separate the tools worth buying from the expensive noise, before your firm commits.
A review with no actions is an invoice Consultancy's most reliable product is the report nobody acts on. What a review actually owes you, and how to tell paper from progress.
The hidden cost in your agency's pitch process The money in a small agency leaks in the pitch, not the creative. How tightening the proposal process cut one agency's proposal time in half.
Why AI multiplies judgement rather than replacing it AI has removed the production constraint from a lot of work. It has not removed the constraint that mattered, which was knowing what was worth producing.
The charity digital spend checklist: questions to answer before you commit a penny A plain checklist for trustees and charity leaders. The questions to answer before spending on a website, system or agency, so you spend once.
Your agency's monthly report is a sales document The people you pay should never be the only people measuring their own work. Why agency reports flatter, and the one change that fixes it.
The website metric that is quietly flattering your numbers How a single mis-attributed referral can make a website look five times better than it is, and how to catch the same trick in your own analytics.
The hidden cost of vendor-led advice The advice you get is shaped by what the adviser sells. That is not dishonesty. It is structure, and it costs organisations more than any single bad decision.
How to run a law firm website project without wasting money A practical order for running a law firm website project: understand the site, brief it properly, then choose an agency. How to avoid an expensive mistake.
The consultant who tells you what not to buy Most digital advice quietly pushes you to spend. Here is the case for the opposite: an independent consultant whose job is telling you what not to buy.
What boards should ask before approving an AI project Six questions a board can ask about an AI proposal without understanding the technology. None of them require a technical answer.
Why technology projects fail before implementation starts Most failed technology projects were technically fine. The decision that sank them was made months before anyone wrote a line of code.
A digital strategy that fits on one page and a small budget A digital strategy is just clear decisions about what to do, what to skip and in what order. How SMEs build one on a small budget, without the big agency bill.
The boring AI wins that actually save SMEs money Skip the hype. The AI worth having for a small business takes dull, repetitive admin off your plate, saving hours every week for a few pounds a month.
Why your website gets visitors but not customers Traffic that doesn't convert isn't a traffic problem. Sharper pages, clearer calls to action and a working enquiry path turn visitors into enquiries.
Your customers are dropping out somewhere. Here’s how to find where Losing customers between interested and paid? Map the customer journey, spot the leaks and recover sales you've already paid to win, without more traffic.
The £1500 audit that finds money you’re already leaving on the table Most SMEs cannot say which digital spend makes money and which wastes it. What a focused audit finds, and what it typically pays back.
The Covid digital scramble 20 of the 55 businesses I audited pivoted digitally during Covid. Most of those emergency solutions were still running unchanged two years later. Sound familiar?
Google Analytics was installed but nobody looked at it 32 out of 55 businesses I audited had Google Analytics on their website but weren't using it. Here's the four things to check monthly that take ten minutes.
“Our web developer disappeared” 11 of the 55 businesses I audited had a broken relationship with their web developer. Here's how to make sure you're never stranded if yours walks away.
What 55 audits taught me Two years, 55 businesses, 728 pages of reports. The patterns that showed up again and again, and why small firms struggle with digital.
The first question I always ask Before checking page speeds or meta descriptions, I ask the same question: what does this business actually need digital to do? The answer is almost never what the owner thinks.
Why I always look at the competition Competitor analysis was part of 32 out of 55 audits. Most businesses had never systematically looked at what their competitors do online. Here's why it's one of the most useful things I do.
Two websites, one mission An ethical recruitment firm had two websites for two audiences. Double the maintenance, double the problems. Here's why one good site with clear navigation beats two mediocre ones.
From networking group to the United Nations A professional networking group for women in a male-dominated industry grew into an international organisation. The digital platform was still designed for local meetups.
The workshop that changes lives A woodturner running commercial manufacturing alongside training for veterans and people with mental health difficulties. A website that needed to serve both. And a content strategy nobody expected.
Tech for social good (on a charity budget) A charity wanted to build a food redistribution app with a suggestion algorithm. Three staff, half a million income. Here's what the audit became.
Not every digital problem is about websites One of the 55 businesses I audited employed hundreds of people. They didn't need marketing help. They needed to replicate the creative accidents that happen when people work in the same room.
How a regional firm grew online enquiries by 190% without a rebuild Most law firm websites do not need rebuilding, they need defining. Eighteen months of phased work that nearly tripled online enquiries.
The instrument maker targeting Japan A manufacturer moving production back to the UK. A cult following in Japan. Products costing thousands. The digital challenge: building an e-commerce experience worthy of the product.
The company that was already winning One of the 55 businesses I audited had grown from 8m to 30m turnover and was already number one nationally. They wanted an Amazon-style customer journey. Here's what that taught me.
When the website IS the business For some businesses I audited, the website wasn't a marketing channel. It was the entire business. Here's what changes when every page speed issue costs you actual revenue.
Digital on a charity budget Six of the 55 businesses I audited were charities. Same digital problems as everyone else, fraction of the budget. Here's what works when free is the only option.
Creative businesses, creative problems Photographers, illustrators, theatre companies, designers. The irony: their work is stunning and their digital strategy is nonexistent. Findings from auditing creative businesses across 55 digital audits.
When manufacturers go digital Seven of the 55 businesses I audited were manufacturers. Their digital problems weren't about social media. They were about stock systems held together with spreadsheets and quoting processes that involved printing PDFs.
Your homepage is about your customer, not your company \"Founded in 2015, we are a leading provider of...\" I read some version of that sentence on the homepage of nearly every business I audited. 35 out of 55 | 1968 Consulting
The case study your business hasn’t written yet 20 out of 55 businesses I audited were sitting on brilliant client stories they'd never written up. Here's a three-part structure that takes 30 minutes and works every time.
Social media strategy for businesses that don’t have a marketing team 37 out of 55 businesses I audited had social media problems. Most were posting without a plan. Here's what actually worked for the ones that got it right.
From spreadsheet to CRM: a small business guide to making the switch 38 out of 55 businesses I audited ran their client relationships from spreadsheets. Here's when to switch, what to switch to and how to do it without losing an afternoon.
SEO for small businesses: the quick wins that take an afternoon and last for years 42 of 55 businesses I audited had basic SEO problems. Missing meta descriptions, generic titles, no heading structure. All fixable in an afternoon.
The mobile usability gap: why 64% of small business websites still fail on phones 35 of 55 businesses I audited had mobile problems. Buttons too small to tap, text needing pinch zoom, menus that collapsed on themselves.
How to challenge your agency without falling out with them A practical playbook for marketing leads whose agency report keeps showing green arrows. How to push back constructively without losing the relationship.
AI Mode is coming. Here is what brands should be doing now – part 3 Google is positioning AI Mode as a replacement for search as we know it. What is worth doing now, and what is just anxiety dressed as strategy.
Why B2B businesses should look at their desktop search data differently – part 2 Most SEO advice is written with smartphones in mind. That's understandable — mobile accounts for the majority of global search volume, most industry | 1968 Consulting
Your organic rankings are fine. So why are clicks falling? part 1 Something strange has been happening in search over the past year or so, and it is showing up in client conversations more often than almost anything | 1968 Consulting
How a law firm went from RFP to signed agency contract in eight weeks A transatlantic law firm went from a sixteen page RFP to a signed contract in eight weeks. The scoring matrix and pitch day that got them there.
Give the unsuccessful agencies a feedback call Half a day of structured feedback calls to the agencies that didn't win your RFP. Why it matters and how to do it well.
How a law firm went from “we need a new website” to a market ready RFP in six months A large transatlantic firm on ageing Drupal, scoring 26 on PageSpeed. Six months to five personas, fifteen journeys and a shortlisted agency list.
A pitch day is for probing the gaps, not for repeating the brief Three agencies, forty five minutes each, eight hours. How to use pitch day to probe the gaps rather than hear the RFP read back to you.
Most law firm websites get rebuilt because nobody could write the brief Projects that overrun and disappoint usually share one thing. Nobody wrote the brief before briefing the agency. What to write instead.
Why your contract should have the RFP response stapled to it How attaching the agency's RFP response to the contract stops scope arguments six months into the build. A few hours of work, years of value.
Five things that show up in nearly every law firm digital audit Five problems that show up in almost every law firm digital audit, with a quick self check for each. For marketing leads without audit budget.
Why your CMS choice matters less than your agency choice WordPress, Drupal, Sitecore, Umbraco. The platform debate matters less than most people think. The agency that builds on it matters more.
The RFP is the work Most marketing leads treat the RFP as a formality at the end of discovery. It is the document that proves you know what you actually want.
The four things people actually do on a law firm website Services, sectors, lawyer bios, contact details. The four things clients actually use a law firm website for, in priority order.
Why the insights section on your law firm website probably isn’t worth what you’re spending on it One firm had 2,631 indexed insights pages driving one per cent of traffic. A close look at whether that investment pays for itself.
How to read eleven RFP responses without losing your mind Eleven agencies. Eight working days. The scoring matrix that lets you read every response with the same eye and end up with a defensible shortlist.
What counts as a lead? Most law firm marketing reports can’t tell you Why your agency report and Google Analytics disagree on lead numbers, and how to fix it. A working definition for marketing leads at mid size UK law firms.
What to actually do with a digital health review’s findings A digital health review without follow-through is just a deck. Here's what to do once you have one. | 1968 Consulting
What “engagement” actually means in your analytics \"Engagement\" is the most overloaded word in marketing analytics. Here's what is underneath when someone says a metric is up. | 1968 Consulting
What changes for a client after I do a website audit A practical look at what is different in a client's business in the weeks after I deliver a website audit. | 1968 Consulting
The growth channels most B2B businesses underrate Most B2B businesses focus on the same two or three channels. Here are the ones I see consistently underused. | 1968 Consulting
How I actually run a digital health review A short, practical description of how a digital health review actually runs from kick-off to handover. | 1968 Consulting
5 Signs Your Digital Presence Needs a Health Check (And How to Fix It) Small digital problems turn into missed opportunities quietly. Five signs your website, search and social need attention, and how to fix each one.
The KPIs most teams track and the ones I would actually use Most teams track conversion, bounce and time-on-page. Here's why those are mostly noise, and the smaller number of metrics worth your attention. | 1968 Consulting
Small website fixes that move big numbers A list of small, specific website changes that consistently produce measurable improvements. None require a redesign. Most ship in a day. | 1968 Consulting
What I would ignore in the digital experience trend talk this year Trend pieces recycle the same five ideas every year. What I would ignore, and the smaller number of things that genuinely matter.
What I actually look at when reviewing a website A short, blunt list of the things I check first when a client asks me to review their digital experience. | 1968 Consulting
Most “digital experience matters” articles miss the point Saying \"digital experience matters\" doesn't mean anything. Here's what actually matters when a real customer is on your site. | 1968 Consulting
Stop guessing what is wrong with your website. Start measuring Audit, fix, measure, repeat. The loop I run on every site, and why three ranked problems beat a list of forty seven considerations.
What I actually do as a digital consultant A typical week. Less glamorous than the title suggests, more useful than most agency engagements. | 1968 Consulting
Making your website work harder, not look prettier Most websites that come to me don't need a redesign. They need three or four specific things fixed. | 1968 Consulting
When your website is busy but not working Plenty of traffic, not enough customers. Here's where I look first when a client says the site is busy but not converting. | 1968 Consulting
What does a digital experience consultant actually do? When people ask what I do, \"digital experience consultant\" usually gets a polite nod and a follow-up question. Here's the longer answer. | 1968 Consulting
Why sales pipelines leak, and what to do about it Sales pipelines leak in predictable places. Here's where to look first when conversion is below where it should be. | 1968 Consulting
The bits of sales that AI is not going to do A lot of sales tasks are getting automated. Some are not. The skill is knowing which is which. | 1968 Consulting
Marketing and sales need to share data. Most don’t. The single biggest revenue improvement I see in mid-sized businesses is closing the gap between marketing and sales data. | 1968 Consulting
What changes in a sales team when coaching actually works Sales coaching is mostly performative. Real coaching changes specific things you can name. | 1968 Consulting
Why most sales teams are using digital tools wrong Sales tech sells itself on dashboards and automation. The teams that use it well treat it as a question, not an answer. | 1968 Consulting
A handful of revenue moves that actually work Most \"boost your revenue\" content is generic. Here are five specific revenue moves I have seen work in the last 18 months. | 1968 Consulting
What digital coaching is for, and what it is not \"Digital coaching\" can mean five different things. Here's what I mean by it, and what it is not for. | 1968 Consulting
Why most marketing teams have data and don’t use it Most marketing teams have more data than they need and use less than they should. The reason is rarely technical. | 1968 Consulting
How I diagnose whether a digital strategy is actually working Hitting targets is a lagging signal. The leading questions I ask instead when reviewing whether a digital strategy is doing its job.
A short guide to writing a digital strategy someone will actually read Most digital strategies are 60 page decks nobody opens. How to write one in three pages that gets read, understood and acted on.
“Digital transformation” has lost its meaning. Here’s the part that still matters The phrase came out of the 2010s when going digital meant replacing paper processes. What is still useful underneath it, and what is not.
AI-generated content with a human in the loop is fine. Without one is not. AI is a useful first draft and a terrible final one. Where the human has to stay in the workflow, and what happens when they do not.
How AI is actually changing SEO A short, useful summary of what is changing in SEO because of AI, and what is not. | 1968 Consulting
The Seven Steps Needed For Putting Social Media Strategy Into Action: A Guide for SME Business Owners A practical sequence for SME owners with no marketing team. Where to start, what to post and how to tell whether any of it is working.
When personalisation is worth doing and when it is not Personalisation is overrated for most businesses and underrated for some. Here's how to tell which side of the line you are on. | 1968 Consulting
What AI has actually changed in digital marketing AI has changed parts of digital marketing meaningfully and other parts not at all. Here's a working list. | 1968 Consulting
Digital maturity assessments. Useful framing or sales gimmick? Most consultancies have a maturity model and most are a 1 to 5 scale. How to tell an honest assessment from a sales pitch in disguise.
What automated audit tools find, and what they miss Automated audit tools are useful. They are also incomplete. Here's what they catch and what only a human-led audit picks up. | 1968 Consulting
A digital strategy without coaching usually fails Most digital strategies fail in execution, not design. The gap between the deck and the work is where coaching lives. | 1968 Consulting
5 Problems with Digital Coaching Digital coaching has undoubtedly revolutionised the way we access personal development and support. With its convenience and accessibility, it has | 1968 Consulting
16 Myths Uncovered About Digital Coaching Digital coaching has gained significant popularity in recent years, offering individuals the opportunity to receive coaching support and guidance through | 1968 Consulting
The Power of Digital Coaching Digital coaching, also known as e-coaching or online coaching, refers to the practice of providing coaching services through various digital mediums, such as video calls, emails, messaging apps, or even specialised coaching platforms.
Unveiling the Difference Between a Business Mentor and a Business Coach The two roles get used interchangeably and they are not the same. What each one actually does, and which is right for where you are now.
How a digital coach can help A digital coach can be a valuable resource for anyone looking to improve their skills or achieve a specific goal. Whether you're trying to improve your | 1968 Consulting
Conveyancing – to stir things up I can't help but wonder why the process of conveyancing takes so long; it's not just my observation, but a sentiment shared by many. Despite advancements | 1968 Consulting
Finally relocated Ten months, a move from Boston Spa to Northumberland, and what remote working made possible. A short note on why we decided not to wait.
What to look for in a digital coach How to choose a digital coach: the experience, track record and working style worth looking for, and the questions to ask before you commit.
Online workshops Strategy and website objective workshops used to happen in a room. What changed when they moved online, and what still works.
Digital agility Low digital maturity costs you customers who will not wait. How to assess where you sit using a crawl, walk, run and fly framework.
Yearly marketing plan Start with a strategic calendar. Pinpoint the seasonal events, holidays and moments your audience cares about, then build content around them.
Importance of digital due diligence In today's digital age, businesses of all sizes are increasingly relying on online platforms and technologies to operate. This makes it essential for | 1968 Consulting
Digital marketing strategies using PPC PPC, or Pay-Per-Click, is a digital marketing strategy that involves placing ads on search engine results pages (SERPs), social media platforms, and other | 1968 Consulting
Digital marketing strategies using SEO SEO, or Search Engine Optimisation, is a digital marketing strategy that involves optimising your website and its content to improve its ranking on search | 1968 Consulting
Digital maturity Digital maturity measures how well an organisation adopts and uses technology to create value. What it covers and how to assess your own.
Why digital automation generates profit Digital automation generates profit in a number of ways; find out how it can help increase profit.
What is a content management system Content management systems (CMS) are software applications that enable the creation, management, and publishing of digital content. A CMS typically | 1968 Consulting
Digital strategy – a guide In today's rapidly evolving digital landscape, it's essential for businesses to have a well-defined digital strategy in place. A digital strategy outlines | 1968 Consulting
What is a digital strategy – a conversation Client: Hi Brian, can you help me understand what a digital strategy is and its importance? Brian: Sure! A digital strategy is a plan that outlines how a | 1968 Consulting
Reviewing a website: A structured way to review any website, covering objectives, usability, content, technical performance and whether it actually meets its goals.
Insurance Group; How projects fail Situation A large national insurance broker recognised a need to improve online delivery of services across several hub sites (12) including head office. | 1968 Consulting
What is “digital experience”? A digital experience is a user's interaction with a digital touchpoint— buying something online, receiving updates from an app, using a business platform. | 1968 Consulting
Why digital audits are essential Most businesses these days are either entirely or at least partially reliant on digital tools and platforms to reach their target markets. Whether it's a | 1968 Consulting
Non-Executive Directors can really help agencies The boards of UK companies are populated by 6,000 Non-Executive Directors (NEDs). So, it’s no wonder that many smaller business owners turn to hiring part | 1968 Consulting
Why no one talks about digital audits anymore Digital audits were all the rage a few years back. Agencies and businesses were scrambling to get their websites, email marketing, and social media | 1968 Consulting
8 email marketing must dos Call To Action (CTA) above the fold. When someone opens the email, everything they need to act should be visible without having to scroll, especially | 1968 Consulting
Digital security tips More than 43% of cyberattacks target small businesses. Practical steps to keep devices, logins and staff safe from phishing and scams.
“Digital transformation” – what does it mean in 2021? Its certainly been a turbulent time over the last 18 months! Businesses have had to “adapt to survive”, there is always someone touting the “digital | 1968 Consulting
This is how to PIVOT Covid wiped out a year of booked in person knitting workshops. What it took to move the teaching, and the designs, online instead.
Why your digital strategy should change – NOW Are you ready for the NEW NORMAL This is the ideal opportunity to reset, review and plan for a new future. Now is the time to change your marketing | 1968 Consulting
how a RAG report can improve your website In the world of digital it is a great to assess how well your online platforms are performing a RAG Report can help highlight any issues.
working from home – observations over 10 years Thought I'd write this article for those of you that have just started working from home during these unprecedented, unrehearsed times. I've been working | 1968 Consulting
when your digital strategy fails – how do you recover? What do you do when your website is not delivering the results you want/expect - a review of your online presence will shed light on any issues
the beginner’s guide to a digital audit If you’re not sure where to start, read on to learn how a digital audit can really assist in identifying how effective your online activity is and | 1968 Consulting
want to improve your website ? ask these 3 questions 1. Does your website provide the correct leads? If your website is generating leads are they the sort of leads you want, are they converting into business | 1968 Consulting
how to win big with a social media strategy In the UK alone social media is very strong. The numbers are staggering! Facebook 71%of adults have a Facebook account40 million users are active | 1968 Consulting
7 Ways Agency Audits Can Help You Many digital agencies are born out of either a creative or technical (development) lead owner/manager. Whilst in the early days this works - the | 1968 Consulting
Agency Audit: Expectations vs. Reality What is an agency audit, what should you expect, how will it help, what will you learn. A quick 5 minute read.
Digital agency – Leeds A Leeds agency stuck on client growth. A review of financials, clients, projects and processes, then a plan to get them moving again.
Visual CPQ Photo realistic configure, price, quote systems for big ticket purchases like kitchens and bathrooms. How they work and why they convert.
8 Facets for a Digital Audit 1. Quantitative Analysis This is the core of any digital audit. You should take a holistic look at your digital strategy through metrics and evaluate | 1968 Consulting
your business needs a social media presence No matter what sort of business you are, social media has to be an essential tactic of your marketing strategy. It’s a cost effective, easy way to engage | 1968 Consulting
What happened when the consultant stopped helping… ...and the agency didn't deliver the brief We took on a project the autumn of 2013 acting as web strategy consultants/web project managers for a business | 1968 Consulting
Digital Skills; how far can outsourcing go? Outsourcing as strategy Companies increasingly outsource specialist services and logistics; Accounting, HR, Delivery, server hosting, advertising etc. The | 1968 Consulting
Practical usability testing; the 5-second surprise Practical usability testing of websites I was researching some data on website usability recently. Having been involved in many usability tests over the | 1968 Consulting
Is content really the solution to lacklustre conversion rates? Ecommerce conversion rates kept falling and retailers rushed to content. Whether that response actually addressed the underlying problem.
Website strategy; building solutions 1. Define the problem Most website strategy solutions come about from a specific problem or combination; conversion drop, lack of sales, high exits, wrong | 1968 Consulting
How to Check Out the Competition Nearly every business across every industry is looking over its shoulder or peeking in next door to see what the competition is up to. Evaluating the | 1968 Consulting
You need an online strategy to get ROI! So does an online strategy have to deliver ROI? More importantly, what's the point of an online strategy? Have you ever started a meeting without an | 1968 Consulting
Organic search marketing; an unrewarding fight Organic search marketing or SEO has always been challenging, but here are some thoughts on why it could become redundant. The endless struggle to | 1968 Consulting
Duplicate Content Analysis; the impact on SERPs When you develop a clients marketing, build website functionality, optimise content and then see the whole thing collapse, you have to take a moment to | 1968 Consulting

About and contact

About Brian Schur runs 1968 Consulting from Amble in Northumberland. More than forty years in business and technology, more than thirty of them in digital.
Contact Talk to Brian Schur about digital and AI work. A free 30-minute call, no pitch. Call 07572 453 811, email info@1968ltd.com, or send a message.
Testimonials What clients say about working with Brian Schur and 1968 Consulting, across agencies, financial services and travel over more than a decade.
Northumberland and the North East Senior, independent digital and AI advice for organisations in Northumberland and the North East, from Amble. Board-level experience, no juniors and no subcontractors.
Newcastle An independent digital advisor for Newcastle organisations juggling several suppliers. Board-level experience, no delivery arm and no supplier commissions.
Privacy policy What happens to your personal data when you use 1968ltd.com: what the forms collect, why we use it, who else sees it, how long we keep it and your rights under UK GDPR.
Cookie policy This website uses Google Analytics only if you accept it, and no advertising or social trackers. Every cookie it can set, what it does, how long it lasts, and how to change your choice.

Agency growth consultant A structured review for agency owners: where the work leaks money and what to fix first. Results include retained revenue up 166% and an agency sold.
Housebuilders Client-side digital leadership for housebuilders: honest measurement, agencies held to account, portal spend interrogated and websites that convert. Ten years of it, evidenced at a Yorkshire housebuilder and at St Modwen Homes.

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