A contract where clients pay a recurring fee for ongoing services, typically monthly, rather than per-project.
A contract where clients pay a recurring fee for ongoing services, typically monthly, rather than per-project.
A retainer agreement establishes an ongoing relationship where the client pays a fixed monthly fee for a defined scope of services. Retainers provide predictable revenue for agencies and consistent support for clients. They typically specify hours, deliverables, or both.
Retainer models are the backbone of sustainable agencies. They provide predictable cash flow, deeper client relationships, and higher lifetime value than project work. The challenge is managing scope within retainer bounds and demonstrating ongoing value to justify renewals.
Monthly SEO retainer: $5,000/month for 40 hours of work including technical audits, content optimization, link building, and monthly reporting. Additional hours billed at $150/hour.
Angelwood helps demonstrate ongoing value to retainer clients with transparent progress updates and documented outcomes.
Explore related concepts
A formal document defining project scope, deliverables, timeline, and terms between an agency and client.
A billing structure where payments are tied to the completion and approval of specific project phases or deliverables.
The total revenue an agency can expect from a client relationship over its entire duration.