Meet Smith Consulting & Design, LLC
The story, mission, and the man behind The Web Smithy — Brian Smith.
The Story Behind The Web Smithy
Every business has an origin story, and ours is rooted in a simple frustration many small business owners share: the feeling of being just another line item to an agency more interested in the next sale than the current client's success. Brian Smith founded Smith Consulting & Design, LLC — doing business as The Web Smithy — to be the opposite of that experience. Based in Riverview, Florida, and serving the broader Tampa Bay and Central Florida region, the company was built on a simple promise: no client is ever overlooked, regardless of budget or business size.
That promise has carried us from our earliest projects serving small, local service businesses in Riverview and Apollo Beach to a five-star reputation across Hillsborough, Pinellas, Pasco, Polk, Manatee, and Sarasota counties, with clients ranging from insurance agencies and law firms to contractors, retailers, and entrepreneurs launching their very first website. Clients sometimes ask about the difference between our formal name, Smith Consulting & Design, LLC, and The Web Smithy — they're the same company; the latter is simply the name under which we do business day to day, a nod to the hands-on craftsmanship we bring to every site.
Meet Brian Smith, Owner, Web Designer & Developer
Brian Smith is the owner, lead designer, and webmaster behind Smith Consulting & Design, LLC. As a hands-on developer, he's personally involved in every project — from the first conversation about your business goals, through design and development, to the ongoing hosting and maintenance that keeps a site performing well after launch. Clients aren't handed off to a rotating cast of account managers or offshore contractors; they work directly with the person who builds, hosts, and maintains their website.
Brian favors WordPress for most client projects because it gives business owners an accessible dashboard while still supporting sophisticated design and SEO, and he explains technical concepts — domain names, SSL, hosting tiers — in plain English. He also believes a website's job doesn't end at launch: search engines change, plugins need patching, and businesses grow. That's why Smith Consulting & Design, LLC structures its services around long-term relationships — hosting, webmaster retainers, and subscription management — rather than one-and-done project work.
Beyond the Business, Our Mission & Values
Brian proudly calls Florida home, where he lives with his wife and their son. His faith is at the center of his life — as a Christian, he's profoundly grateful that Jesus Christ died for his sins, and he strives each day to honor Him. When he's not working, you'll likely find him following his greatest passion outside family and faith: college football. Go Buckeyes! Brian is also a licensed Health Insurance Broker across five states, helping individuals and families navigate Medicare, Marketplace plans, and other health insurance options, bringing the same integrity, honesty, and work ethic to every relationship.
Smith Consulting & Design, LLC exists to help entrepreneurs and growing companies establish a professional, effective online presence without being priced out or overlooked by agencies focused only on their largest accounts. A handful of core values guide every decision:
Accessibility
Web design and management services should be available to businesses of every size, not just those with enterprise budgets.
Transparency
Clear hourly rates, published hosting tiers, and honest timelines — not opaque quotes designed to extract the highest number a salesperson thinks you'll pay.
Longevity
We build websites to last, using platforms and practices designed for years of use, not quick launches that need a full rebuild within eighteen months.
Local commitment
Based in Riverview and serving Hillsborough, Pinellas, Pasco, Polk, Manatee, and Sarasota counties, we understand the local business landscape in every community we serve.
What Sets Us Apart
- Direct access to your developer. When you call, text, or email, you reach Brian Smith directly — not a call center or a support queue routed overseas.
- A five-star track record. Reviews consistently describe us as proficient, cost-effective, and fast, with real results including higher Google rankings and increased traffic.
- Full-stack service under one roof. Design, hosting, ongoing management, and local SEO are all handled by the same company, eliminating the finger-pointing that happens with three separate vendors.
- A genuine stake in your success. Because Brian personally manages hosting and webmaster services for many clients long after launch, The Web Smithy succeeds when its clients' websites succeed.
Our Service Philosophy
The goal isn't to build a website — it's to help you build your business. That distinction shapes everything from the discovery questions we ask at the start of a project to the metrics we track after launch. A beautiful website that nobody finds in a Google search isn't doing its job, which is why we treat ongoing website management and local SEO as core services, not optional add-ons. This philosophy has built our business almost entirely through word of mouth: client after client referring us to other business owners because of results delivered and a relationship they trusted.
Serving Riverview, Apollo Beach, and the Greater Tampa Bay Region
While our roots and headquarters are in Riverview, Florida, our client relationships extend throughout Tampa, Plant City, and Temple Terrace; St. Petersburg, Clearwater, Largo, Pinellas Park, Dunedin, Safety Harbor, Tarpon Springs, Oldsmar, Gulfport, and Seminole; Zephyrhills, Dade City, and New Port Richey; Lakeland, Winter Haven, Bartow, Auburndale, and Mulberry; Bradenton and Palmetto; and Sarasota. Wherever your business is located within this service area, you can expect the same responsive, personal approach that has defined us since day one. We're also continuing to invest in tools that make working with us easier, including an upcoming dedicated support ticket system for clearer visibility into update and support requests.
Let's Build Your Business Together
If you're ready to work with a web designer and website manager who will treat your business like it matters — because it does — reach out today. Call, text, or email to schedule a free consultation directly with Brian Smith.