What is a website retainer?
Your website is not something you can simply build once and forget about.
As your business changes, your website needs to change with it. You might launch a new service, add a new project to your portfolio, publish a blog post, update your copy or make changes to improve how your website performs.
But finding the time to keep your website updated can be difficult, particularly when you are already busy running your business.
This is where a website retainer can help.
A website retainer gives you ongoing access to professional website support for an agreed monthly fee. Instead of paying for individual updates as they come up, you have someone you can rely on to keep your website current, maintained and working as it should.
What is a website retainer?
A website retainer is an ongoing arrangement between a business and a website professional.
You pay a fixed monthly fee in exchange for an agreed level of website support. The exact services included will depend on the person you work with, but the aim is usually the same: to make sure your website does not become outdated or neglected.
Rather than waiting until you have a long list of website changes and then finding someone available to make them, you have ongoing support built into your monthly business costs.
For businesses that regularly need website updates but do not need a full time web designer or developer, this can be a practical alternative.
What does a website retainer include?
There is no standard list of services included in every website retainer. Different freelancers and agencies offer different arrangements depending on their skills and the needs of their clients.
Website retainers can include anything from simple content updates to more ongoing strategic support.
Some common examples include:
Website updates
A retainer can cover regular changes to your website, such as updating text, adding new pages, changing images or making small layout adjustments.
This means you do not need to spend your own time figuring out how to make every change yourself.
Portfolio updates
If your business relies on showing previous work, keeping your portfolio up to date is particularly important.
A website retainer can include uploading new projects, formatting portfolio pages and making sure your latest work is presented consistently across your website.
Blog support
Regular blogging can be a useful way to keep your website fresh and create new opportunities for people to find your business through search.
But writing and publishing blog content takes time.
Depending on the retainer, your support could include planning blog topics, writing posts in your brand voice, formatting and uploading them to your website and making basic SEO focused updates.
SEO focused updates
SEO is not something that only happens when a website is first launched.
Your website can benefit from ongoing improvements such as updating page titles, meta descriptions, headings, internal links and content as your business develops.
A website retainer can give you a regular opportunity to make these updates rather than leaving your SEO untouched for months or years.
Mobile checks and improvements
A website can look different across desktop, tablet and mobile devices.
Ongoing website support can include checking how new content and updates appear on different screen sizes and making small adjustments where needed.
This is particularly useful if you are regularly adding new pages, images or content to your website.
Ongoing website advice
A website retainer does not necessarily have to be purely about making changes.
Having someone familiar with your website and your business means you also have someone you can go to when you are unsure about how something should work, what content to add or how to improve a particular page.
That ongoing relationship can be just as useful as the practical website updates themselves.
Why would you need a website retainer?
The main benefit of a website retainer is that it makes ongoing website management easier.
It is very easy for website updates to keep getting pushed down your to do list. You might know that your portfolio needs updating, your services have changed or your About page no longer reflects your business, but other priorities take over.
Over time, those small changes can add up.
Your website can start to feel out of date even though your business has continued to evolve.
A retainer gives you a regular source of support so that your website can keep pace with the business behind it.
Who is a website retainer for?
A website retainer can be useful for businesses that already have a website but need ongoing support to keep it updated.
It can be particularly useful if you:
regularly add new projects or work to your portfolio
publish or want to publish regular blog content
frequently update your services or website copy
want to improve your website's SEO over time
do not have the time or confidence to manage your website yourself
do not need a full time website manager
want access to someone who already understands your website
You do not need to be making changes every week for a retainer to be worthwhile. The right level of support will depend on how often your website needs attention and what you want it to achieve.
What is the difference between a website retainer and a website project?
A website project usually has a defined beginning and end.
You might work with a designer to create a new website, agree the scope, complete the project and then launch the finished site.
A website retainer is different because the relationship continues after the initial project has finished.
Instead of paying for a new website every time something needs changing, you have ongoing support available as your business develops.
This can be particularly useful if your website is already working well but needs regular updates rather than a complete redesign.
How much does a website retainer cost?
The cost of a website retainer varies depending on what is included and how much support you need.
A freelancer offering occasional website updates will naturally charge differently from an agency providing extensive development, SEO and technical support.
Some retainers are based on a set number of hours each month, while others include a defined list of services for a fixed monthly fee.
When comparing retainers, it is important to look at what you are actually getting for the monthly cost. A lower price may come with fewer services or limited availability, while a higher monthly fee may include a much broader level of support.
The most useful retainer is one that reflects what your website actually needs rather than paying for services you are unlikely to use.
Is a website retainer better than managing your website yourself?
If you are comfortable managing your website, have the time to do it and only make occasional changes, you may not need ongoing support.
The value of a retainer comes from saving you time and giving you access to professional support when you need it.
For many business owners, the issue is not knowing how to update their website. It is finding the time to do it consistently.
Outsourcing those tasks means you can focus on running your business while knowing that your website is still being looked after.
What should you look for in a website retainer?
Before signing up for a website retainer, make sure you understand exactly what is included.
Ask about the types of updates covered, how requests are made, how quickly changes are usually completed and whether there are limits on the amount of support you can request.
It is also worth considering whether you need someone who can do more than simply make updates. If your website is an important part of your business, having someone who understands your brand, content and wider goals can make ongoing support much more valuable.
The right retainer should make managing your website feel easier, not create another complicated system for you to keep track of.
A website should keep working after it launches
Launching your website is not the end of the process.
Your business will continue to change, and your website should change with it. New services, projects, content and opportunities all give you reasons to update and improve the way your business is presented online.
A website retainer gives you ongoing support to do exactly that.
As a freelance designer, I offer ongoing website support for businesses that want to keep their website updated without having to manage every change themselves. This can include website updates, portfolio uploads, blog writing and publishing, copy updates, mobile checks and SEO focused improvements.
If your website is working well but you never seem to have the time to keep it up to date, ongoing website support could be a more practical solution than starting again with a completely new website.