Why website support retainers are essential

Retainers. They're a common occurrence in many industries - and yet, they're sometimes misunderstood.

Many business owners and marketing departments are wary of retained support because they've had negative experiences in the past. Unfortunately, poor-quality agreements are common, reinforcing perceptions that retainers are either an unnecessary expense or a basic cost with minimal day-to-day impact.

However, a retainer should deliver far more than just basic maintenance. Here's our perspective on why retainers provide genuine value to organisations.

A retainer guarantees tailored, expert support precisely when you need it.

Retainers provide you with continuous access to experienced specialists at significantly less than the cost of hiring permanent staff. This on-demand model removes the HR and payroll complexities associated with expanding your internal team.

Many of Pivale's retainer clients originally partnered with us to develop their websites or digital platforms. By continuing with a retainer, you benefit from consistent, expert support provided by the same team who initially built your infrastructure - ensuring unmatched familiarity and efficiency. Our approach is designed to evolve seamlessly alongside your business, eliminating the unpredictable nature of ad-hoc support.

If you're managing a tight marketing budget, you might be concerned about affordability. The good news is that retainers often qualify for allocation from IT or security budgets due to their inclusion of critical maintenance services such as security updates and backups. Proper ongoing maintenance is essential to reduce your website's security and compliance risks. Exploring alternative budgeting options within your organisation can help preserve your operational marketing funds.

So the value of retainers is now a bit clearer. But that's not all you need to consider. How do you know your retainer is going to work for your organisation?

Get the support you need. Lay out what your business determines to be essential to a retainer and don't settle unless you get it. Most companies will work with you to find your pain points and guarantee they're covered within your monthly retainer - as well as offer their guidance on what you need to succeed.

Is it fit for purpose? Can you trust the supplier? Is it actually going to deliver results for your business? Most of these questions will be answered before you sign up with a supplier, but getting this stage wrong can cost you down the line.

Get the security you need. Find the retainer that offers everything you need, in terms of delivery as well as room for extras where they may be required. Minimise the risk of unexpected costs and you'll be able to budget more effectively in the long run.

Adequate response times. For reactive work as well as proactive work, agree on response times that work for your team whilst reducing the negative impact of unforeseen events on your organisation.

Your desired outcome is essential. Keep the end goal in mind. Retainers should not only achieve the day-to-day outcomes but help your organisation stay on target to achieve long-term goals.

Our retainer packages consolidate the strong relationships we have with our clients. When they need us, we respond quickly.

The 'Standard' Pivale support package offers 8 hours of support per month with the option to boost it to the level your business needs. Within those 8 hours, you'll be able to phone a real, live person. Even more importantly, that person is a web developer, not a call handler. This reduces the risk of 'lost in translation' conversations, delivering great results, faster.

For this same reason, we don't use a ticketing system. We believe personal support is much more important - and you deserve access to the same people who built your site on the end of the phone, not a digital system.

Our Service Level Agreement (SLA) means critical issues are dealt with the utmost urgency. This covers your website and agreed related assets. We offer a simple service agreement that's free from complicated clauses and long notice periods (ours is only 3 months). All of which is in line with Pivale's values of delivering quality and simplicity.

If you're wondering about the cost - you can find out more on the support packages page.

Get in touch today and chat to the team about how we can help your organisation stay secure, optimise your digital footprint and deliver truly great customer support.