Retainer

Description

A retainer is a pricing agreement between Blue Nile and client for a set rate and period of time versus proposals for each task or maintenance and support for each of the services offerings. We will work with you to scope out what work will likely need to be completed, agree upon a monthly allotment of hours and then work collaboratively to meet the marketing and technical needs and goals.

Client work requests have to be within the scope agreed upon. There is no carryover of hours, meaning we are trusting one another to provide a steady level of service without anyone taking advantage.

Our retainer services offer you efficiency, familiarity with your unique needs, workflow, and business goals. As opposed to relier maintenance and support, we are able to wholesomely address all areas of your business – consulting, research, design, technical, development, infrastructure, digital marketing, business process optimization, performance audits, regular benchmark reporting, emergency on-call technical support to handle bugs, crashes, etc

Retainers allow us to focus time to get a deeper understanding of our client’s long-term goals and roadblocks. This often results in a solid partnership that allows for creative risks and an expert rather than a service provider.

Advantages of engaging in a retainer-based relationship:

• It’s Cheaper: Perhaps the most obvious and straightforward benefit – you’ll get a greater value as a retainer client as a retainer rate is always going to be cheaper than ad-hoc!
• The agency does what you haven’t got time to do BNDM will do what you do not have time to do or the expertise in-house to deliver.
• Long-term thinking and continuity: It is becoming more and more important to integrate all marketing channels with technology so as to have the best chance at success. Consistency also establishes your reputation and generates genuine momentum on each marketing channel and collectively.
• Brand Familiarity: Working with someone who already understands your brand saves time and leads to better returns.
• Long-term strategy: It’s easier to integrate a single agency’s projects into your larger marketing strategy.
• Creativity, Proactive Thinking and Experimentation: A longer-term relationship supports experimentation and optimization. In most cases, retainer-based clients get the first crack at new technologies and new techniques.
• Trust: You have priority access to an agency you trust and don’t need to worry about whether they’ve already booked another project when you need them.
• Budget Management: Marketing strategy and technology roadmaps are much easier with predictable scopes and retainers leading to better plans and execution.
• Efficiency: Booking time in advance saves money, compared to budgeting projects one at a time or requesting and submitting proposals for each.
• Synergy/Consistency: Having the same people offering service month after month tends to generate better results ensuring a consistent brand experience.

Web Platforms and Application Development

• Ongoing maintenance and upgrades
• Emergency on-call technical support to handle bugs, crashes, etc.
• Training sessions to empower the client’s team to use custom functionality
• Regular consulting sessions
• Performance audits to assess the client’s website
• Security audits to assess the vulnerability of the client’s website to threats
• Regular benchmark reporting

Digital Marketing

• Regular consulting sessions
• Emergency consulting sessions (for product launches, PR issues, etc.)
• Interviewing target customers to gather feedback and develop customer profiles
• Ongoing competitive research to identify new opportunities in the client’s niche
• Ongoing management of the client’s social media platform and/or PPC campaigns
• Inbound marketing packages (blog posts, social media posts, emails, etc.)
• Split-testing, tracking and optimizing the client’s website for conversions
• Benchmark reporting

Other Areas Covered

• Content Marketing and Marketing Calendar
• Email Marketing Automation
• Design and Conversion Rate Optimization
• Conversion Optimized Landing Pages
• Business Process Optimization
• Social Media Management
• Paid Advertising