Get Off the Boom/Bust Design Cycle
Why You Should Hire Your Web Developer On Retainer
One day you’ll be reminded of just how important your website is. Maybe it’s a member of your sales team who complains that you have inaccurate pricing listed on your products page. Maybe it’s a customer who can’t find your office because the contact information is inaccurate. Or maybe it’s a competitor who starts taking your market share because they’ve figure out how to use their website as a marketing AND sales tool. When this happens, you’ve lost money.
BOOM! You’re ready for a new website. You carve out your budget for the project. You research developers in your area. You meet with them. You describe your needs, ask for a proposal, and then you wait. Once you receive your proposals, you compare them, make a decision and then dive headlong into building your new website. What a relief when it’s finally launched! Now you can move on and let it do its job…not really.
Your website is built on technology that is continuously evolving. To keep it running smoothly, you need to maintain it. For many, maintaining a website is easier said than done. Unless you have a person on staff whose job it is to keep the website updated with all of your recent news, services, announcements, photos, etc., you can fall WAY behind until that day you’re once again reminded of how important your website is. BUST.
Hop off this stressful cycle and hire a web development agency on retainer.
Retainers Require Trust
A retainer is a fee you pay for a pre-determined amount of work. Your agency benefits from the guaranteed income for the duration of the contract and you benefit from the guaranteed amount of work. But, like all relationships, trust is crucial. This can be tough, especially for a client. As a client, you pay a monthly or annual fee for ongoing work. So, regular progress updates are vital – monthly reports, face-to-face, email updates. Whatever your communication preference is, you should expect your agency to do it and be consistent about it. As a client, you should never be left to wonder what you’re paying for.
No project is perfect, but if you’ve had a good relationship with your web development agency, it may be beneficial to explore a retainer with them. Your small requests will likely be fulfilled quicker and larger projects will be prioritized.
Retainers Can Save You Money
I’m not talking about a discounted hourly rate. Rather, I’m talking about how time saved is money saved. If you’ve ever been through the process of creating a new website (or mobile app or search marketing campaign, for that matter), you know that just getting things off the ground can take weeks. 99% of agencies who offer these services will begin any project with a discovery process. Team members are introduced, your business processes are described, goals are defined, etc. This process is unavoidable. Imagine how much time you’d save if you had to go through it only once. Further, consider design assets such as your photography, logo or style guide. When you’re in an ongoing relationship with your web agency, they’ll have everything they need on hand. Instead of the vetting process described above, you can simply tell them what you need and your agency can run with it.
No More Boom/Bust Design Cycle
Your website is like a garden; the real work begins after it’s launched. Like a garden, your website needs tending in order to continue to produce results for your company. If left unchecked, it will eventually die. Visitors will see you as stagnant and quit coming back. Google will ignore you.
We offer monthly contracts of all sizes depending on your needs. When you hire Terrostar on retainer, we’re just as invested in you as you are in us. A successful, trusting relationship benefits us both. If you’re ready to hop off the boom/bust cycle, contact us!
By Brenna Love
By Stephanie Ganzer