Retainer
A fixed monthly fee for ongoing work, as opposed to a one-off project price or an hourly rate.
Want this explained against your own numbers?
A free consult is twenty minutes and there is no pitch deck at the end of it.
A fixed monthly fee for ongoing work, as opposed to a one-off project price or an hourly rate.
Retainers suit work that compounds and needs continuity — SEO, content, ad management, reputation. Work that has a defined end, like a website build or a logo, is usually better as a project.
The thing to establish before signing is what the fee actually buys. "Ongoing SEO" is not a scope. A specific list of what happens each month, and what happens if it does not, is.
| What is included each month? | A written list, not a category |
|---|---|
| Who does the work? | The person you met, or someone else |
| What is the notice period? | Thirty days is normal; twelve months is not |
| Who owns the accounts? | Your Google Ads and Analytics should be yours |
| What happens if results stall? | A real answer, not a guarantee |
This comes up most often in Marketing Strategy & Planning. A written plan covering which channels to use, in what order, at what budget, and what each one is expected to produce.
A free consult is twenty minutes and there is no pitch deck at the end of it.