Engagement Models/Monthly Retainer

An ongoing team.
A fixed monthly cost.
No surprises.

A named lead, a shared task board, and a fixed monthly budget. You bring the priorities -- we handle execution across web, AI, ops, and content.

Engagement34 active retainers · May 2025Avg client tenure 21 monthsFixed monthly · no hourly billingCancel with 30 days notice
Monthly Retainer Report
Aber Coffee Co · March 2025
retainer/acc · month 7 · ref RT-0307
RT
MO
NGNG
Hours used
38/40
on track
Tasks closed
24
this month
Revenue lift
£12.4k
attributed
GSC report + action list
Delivered · 3 May
Done
Two blog briefs written
Delivered · 5 May
Done
Homepage copy refresh
Delivered · 9 May
Done
Automation: order confirm flow
In progress · 80%
Active
RT
Rhys Thomas
Retainer lead · Bangor
Month
7
What a retainer covers

Six disciplines. One monthly fee.

A retainer is not a block of hours you burn down. It is an ongoing engagement with a named lead who knows your stack, your priorities, and what you are trying to build.

Web + content

Page updates, copy refreshes, new landing pages, blog briefs. Your site stays current without a project every time.

ongoing

AI + automation

Prompt tuning, workflow automation, new AI integrations -- deployed and monitored, not just set up.

ongoing

Reporting

A written monthly report: traffic, rankings, automation performance, revenue attribution. Numbers, not slides.

monthly

Content support

Blog briefs, social copy, email sequences. We write to your voice, not a template.

ongoing

Ops + monitoring

We watch your stack. If something breaks at 2am, we fix it -- not wait for your next sprint.

ongoing

Strategy call

A 60-minute call with your lead each month. Priorities set, questions answered, roadmap reviewed.

monthly
Real numbers

34 active retainers. Average tenure: 21 months.

Our oldest retainer client has been with us since January 2023. The average tenure across all current retainers is 21 months. 96% of retainer clients who pass month 3 are still with us 12 months later.

34
Active retainers · May 2025
21mo
Average client tenure
96%
Retention past month 12
DM
David Morgan
Director · Aberystwyth Coffee Co · retainer month 14
We had tried hiring a part-time marketing person, then a freelancer, then another agency. RL is the first arrangement where someone actually knows our business. They spot things before I do. The monthly report is the first thing I read on a Monday.
Delegate retainer · month 14
Why a retainer, not project-by-project

Three reasons one-off projects
cost more in the long run.

Project-by-project work feels flexible. In practice it means re-briefing, re-onboarding, and re-quoting every few months. A retainer eliminates all three.

0h
Re-briefing time each month
Lead already knows your stack
30d
Notice to cancel
No lock-in beyond 30 days
£0
Setup fee or onboarding charge
Included in first month
How we compare
DIY
Owner does it all
Hire in-house
£28k-£45k salary
Best fit
RL Retainer
Fixed monthly · named lead
Skills available
Whatever the owner knowsLimited
One hire · one skill setOne person
Web · AI · ops · content · all includedFull stack
Time to execution
Whenever the owner has timeSlow
After hiring · 4-8 week leadSlow start
Onboarding week 1 · executing week 2Fast
Monthly reporting
No formal reportingNone
Depends on the hireVariable
Written monthly report · alwaysAlways
Continuity + cover
YouNo cover
None if the hire leavesRisk
Named lead + team cover · no gapsAlways on
Commitment
No minimumFlexible
3-6 month probation · notice periodLocked
30-day notice · no lock-inFlexible
Onboarding in one week

From signature to executing
inside seven days.

D0Sign-off
Retainer confirmed · first month paid
Access checklist sent · onboarding call booked
RT
Rhys
D1-2Access
Stack access granted · priorities interview (60 min)
We meet your team, your tools, your backlog
EW
Eira
D3-4Audit
Quick stack audit · 10 quick wins identified
Shared task board set up · first tasks queued
TB
Tom
D7Executing
First tasks in progress · nothing waiting
Monthly cadence established · strategy call booked
RT
Rhys
Four retainer levels

Pick the level that fits
what you need covered.

All levels include a named lead, a shared task board, and a written monthly report. Bigger levels cover more disciplines and more hours.

What is included
Ad-hocPay as you go
Assist£1,800/mo + VAT
Delegate£3,400/mo + VAT
Elevate£5,400/mo + VAT
Monthly hours
Buy as needed
Up to 10h
Up to 20h
Up to 35h
Named lead
·
Monthly written report
·
Web + content
·
AI + automation
·
·
Ops + monitoring
·
·
Content production
·
·
·
Quarterly strategy
·
·
·
On-call cover
·
·
·
SLA (response time)
·
72h
48h
4h

Prices ex-VAT. 30-day cancellation notice. No setup fee. Ad-hoc hours billed at £85/h + VAT.

Four retainer levels

Pick a level.
Move up or down any month.

Most clients start on Delegate and move to Elevate after 3-6 months. You can move between levels with 30 days notice.

Assist
Assist retainer
£1,800 + VAT / month
A named lead and up to 10 hours of web and content support per month. Ideal if you need reliable execution on a defined set of tasks.
Included
  • Up to 10 hours / month
  • Named lead
  • Web + content tasks
  • Monthly written report
Response SLA
  • 72-hour response time
Cancel
  • 30 days notice · no minimum term
Start with Assist
Cancel with 30 days notice
Most popular
Delegate retainer
£3,400 + VAT / month
Up to 20 hours covering web, AI, ops, and content. Includes monitoring, automation, and a monthly strategy call. The right level for most growing businesses.
Included
  • Up to 20 hours / month
  • Named lead + team cover
  • Web · AI · automation · ops · content
  • Monthly written report
  • 60-minute strategy call each month
Response SLA
  • 48-hour response time
Cancel
  • 30 days notice · no minimum term
Start with Delegate
Cancel with 30 days notice
Elevate
Elevate retainer
£5,400 + VAT / month
Up to 35 hours with on-call cover, content production, quarterly strategy, and a 4-hour SLA. For businesses that need a full embedded team.
Included
  • Up to 35 hours / month
  • Named lead + full team coverage
  • Web · AI · automation · ops · content production
  • Monthly report + quarterly strategy session
  • On-call cover included
Response SLA
  • 4-hour response time
Cancel
  • 30 days notice · no minimum term
Start with Elevate
Cancel with 30 days notice