Comparing quotes for ongoing website support usually means comparing two different pricing models: a fixed price for a defined piece of work, or a retainer that covers ongoing support each month. Business owners often pick based on which number looks smaller on the page, without weighing what each model actually protects against.
A fixed price covers a defined scope: a set list of tasks, a project with a clear end point, or a set number of hours. It's priced upfront, both sides know what's included, and anything outside that scope gets quoted and agreed separately before work starts.
A retainer is an ongoing monthly arrangement rather than a single piece of work. It typically includes monitoring, applying updates as they're released, and a defined response time when something goes wrong. What should actually be included varies a lot by supplier, worth checking against a proper list before signing.
Fixed price suits work with a known scope and a clear end: a redesign, a migration to a new platform, adding a specific piece of functionality. The business knows exactly what it's paying for and when the work finishes.
The problem shows up once the project ends and the site keeps running. Nobody is watching for security patches between invoices. An unplanned issue, a plugin conflict, a server change that breaks something, isn't "in scope" for a fixed-price arrangement built around a specific project, so it gets quoted separately, negotiated, and fixed after the fact, often while the site is already down.
A site that changes rarely and could sit untouched for a month without real cost is a reasonable fit for fixed-price work as needed. A site that handles transactions, customer accounts, or daily traffic the business depends on needs someone actively watching it between changes, which is what a retainer is built for.
If you're weighing up a quote and want a second opinion on which model fits, get in touch with Karl.
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The question I get asked most often by business owners is some version of: what will this cost? It’s a fair question, and the honest answer is that it depends on things that are specific to your site. But there’s enough of a pattern to give you a useful framework.
Most clients come to us when their site has started to feel like a risk rather than an asset. Whether the agency relationship has ended, an upgrade has been delayed, or the site has simply grown beyond what it can handle, a conversation costs nothing.
Get in touch with KarlTrusted by established businesses and growing brands across the UK
Expression 37 works with a small number of clients at any one time. These are some of them.
Karl founded Expression 37 in 2007 and has worked exclusively with ExpressionEngine and Craft CMS ever since. He does not take on work in other platforms and does not hand work to other developers. Expression 37 is deliberately small, because the kind of support that matters to clients with business-critical sites is specific to their site, not something that scales in the conventional sense. If you work with Expression 37, you work with Karl.
Find out how we workI cannot recommend Karl highly enough for his expertise and professionalism during our website upgrade. The transition from ExpressionEngine v2 to v7 was a significant undertaking, but Karl managed the entire process seamlessly, ensuring that every detail was addressed. The update of over 70 add-ons and 10 custom plugins was executed flawlessly, and the custom enhancements to our E-Commerce Store module have greatly improved our online shopping experience. The move to a more secure dedicated server has given us peace of mind regarding our site's performance and security. Karl’s dedication to our project was evident at every stage, and the final result is a modern, efficient website that truly represents our brand. Thank you for your hard work!"
Lisa Sanderson ~ Director
Graham Sanderson Interiors Ltd.