Websites with Sam Hicks
Your website should be doing more than just sitting there looking pretty.
Already have a website but are not sure whether it’s actually working for your business?
Maybe the information is out of date. Maybe you don’t know how to make changes yourself. Perhaps you’ve been told you need SEO — and now AEO and AI search have entered the conversation too.
Or maybe you simply want someone to sit beside you, explain what matters in plain English and help you improve it.
That’s what Websites with Sam is about.
I offer practical 1:1 website training, website updates, SEO and AEO guidance, content advice and website reviews for small business owners who want to understand and get more from the website they already have.
I’ve worked alongside small businesses on websites and digital projects for more than 20 years.
These days, my focus is helping business owners get more from the website they already have — and giving them the skills and confidence to manage more of it themselves.
How I can help
1:1 website training
Want to make changes yourself but don’t know where to start?
I can work alongside you and show you how to manage the everyday parts of your website — in plain English and at your pace.
Depending on your website platform, this could include updating text, replacing images, creating or editing pages, adding links, updating menus, publishing content and understanding the basic workings of your site.
Where practical, sessions can be held via Zoom and recorded so you have something to refer back to later.
The aim isn’t to turn you into a web developer.
It’s to give you enough knowledge and confidence to manage the things you shouldn’t need to pay someone else to do every time.
Website updates
Sometimes you don’t need a new website.
You just need to give the one you already have some attention.
We can look at outdated content, images, services, calls to action, navigation and other areas that may no longer reflect your business.
Sometimes a few sensible changes can make a significant difference to how professional, current and useful your website feels.
SEO, AEO and being found online
Having a website is one thing.
Helping the right people find it is another.
Search is changing rapidly, and small businesses now need to think beyond traditional Google rankings.
I can help you understand and improve the fundamentals of:
SEO — Search Engine Optimisation – Helping search engines understand your website, your services, your expertise and where you operate.
AEO — Answer Engine Optimisation – Structuring your website and content so it clearly answers the questions your potential customers are asking — making it easier for search engines and AI-powered tools to understand and use your information.
AI search visibility- Understanding how AI-powered search and tools such as ChatGPT are changing the way people discover businesses, products, services and information online.
Website content and structure – Looking at page titles, headings, service pages, FAQs, internal links, calls to action and useful content so both people and search technology can better understand what you do.
Local search – For regional and local businesses, your website is only one part of the picture. We can also look at how it works alongside your Google Business Profile and other online signals that help customers find your business.
You don’t need to become an SEO expert. My job is to help you understand what matters, what you can realistically do yourself and when it’s worth bringing in specialist help.
No mysterious formulas. No promises of magically getting you to number one on Google. Just practical improvements and good digital housekeeping.
Website content and planning
Sometimes the technology isn’t the problem.
The message is.
Can someone land on your homepage and quickly understand:
Who are you?
What do you do?
Who do you help?
Why should they choose you?
What should they do next?
I can help you review your website from a business and marketing perspective — looking at your messaging, page structure, customer journey, calls to action, images and content.
We can work out what should stay, what needs updating, what’s missing and what may simply be getting in the way.
Website reviews
Not sure where to start?
A website review can help identify the priorities before you spend time or money making changes.
We can look at your website together from a business, marketing, customer and search perspective and create a practical list of what to tackle next.
Sometimes the answer will be updating what you already have.
Sometimes it might be getting specialist technical help.
And occasionally the answer really will be that it’s time for a new website.
The important thing is knowing why before you start spending money.
Don’t have a website yet?
I can help here too — but I no longer build websites from scratch.
Instead, I can help you work out what you actually need before you approach a designer, developer or website platform.
That might include choosing between platforms such as WordPress, Wix, Squarespace or Shopify, understanding domains and hosting, planning the pages your website needs, preparing your content and photography, developing a website brief and knowing what questions to ask a potential provider.
My role is to help you make an informed decision based on your business, rather than selling you a particular website platform or build.
A quick word about domain names
Your domain name is an important business asset.
Where possible, I recommend that you own and control your domain registration and know where it is registered, how to access it and when it needs renewing.
There are many Australian domain registrars available.
I’ve personally used Virtual for domains and related services since 2003 and have valued being able to speak directly with their team when I’ve needed assistance.
If you’re looking for information specifically about Australian .au domains, auDA is the administrator of Australia’s .au domain and provides information about eligibility and registration requirements.
What platforms can we work with?
I’ve worked extensively with WordPress and have experience across a range of websites and digital platforms.
If you use WordPress, Wix, Squarespace or another website builder, we can look at what you have and what you’re trying to achieve.
You’ll need appropriate access to your website for us to work on it together.
And if something requires specialist development, coding, security or technical work outside my scope, I’ll tell you.
Part of good advice is knowing when you need a specialist rather than spending three hours trying to make something behave that clearly doesn’t want to.
Work with me.
Website help doesn’t have to become a giant project.
Sometimes an hour together is enough to solve the immediate problem, teach you how to make the changes yourself and give you a clear list of what to tackle next.
Whether you need help with your website content, SEO, AEO, AI search visibility, updating your site or simply understanding what the heck you’re looking at when you log in, we can work through it together.
Website updates. SEO. AEO. Content. AI search. Digital skills.
Practical help to make your website work harder for your business — and give you more confidence managing it yourself.