Running a business-critical website without active maintenance is a quiet risk that accumulates over time. Security vulnerabilities go unpatched, third-party add-ons fall out of date, and small issues that would have been straightforward to resolve early become more complicated the longer they are left. Expression 37 provides ongoing retainer support for ExpressionEngine and Craft CMS websites, handled personally by Karl.
Most clients come to a retainer arrangement after a specific problem, an upgrade that needed doing, an integration that needed fixing, or an agency relationship that ended without a proper handover. Once the initial work is done, the ongoing retainer provides the continuity that a business-critical site needs.
What a Retainer Covers
- Security updates and patch releases for the CMS core and third-party plugins or add-ons
- Monitoring and resolution of any issues that arise, including bug investigation and fixes
- Ongoing performance checks to keep the site running reliably
- Content management support and control panel assistance for your team
- Priority response when something needs urgent attention
- Availability for development work when the site needs extending or changing
How Retainer Arrangements Work
Retainers are agreed on a monthly basis with a clear scope and fixed cost. There are no surprises at the end of the month and no need to raise separate purchase orders for every small task. Karl learns the site properly at the outset and maintains that familiarity over time, which means issues are resolved faster and you never have to explain the background from scratch.
Common questions:
What does a retainer arrangement actually give us?
Direct, ongoing access to a specialist who knows your site. That means security updates are handled without you having to ask, small problems are caught before they become larger ones, and when something does need doing you are not starting a new procurement process or explaining your platform to someone who has never seen it.
How much does a retainer cost?
It depends on the size and complexity of the site and the level of ongoing activity expected. Pricing is agreed in advance based on a clear assessment of what the site needs. There is no fixed price list because no two sites are the same, but all costs are confirmed before any commitment is made.
What if we only need help occasionally, not every month?
Project-based work is available for one-off requirements such as upgrades or specific integrations. A retainer makes more sense when there is a regular need for support, ongoing security maintenance, or development work that happens throughout the year. For genuinely occasional requirements, a project arrangement is usually more practical.
How quickly do you respond when something goes wrong?
Retainer clients receive priority response for urgent issues, including situations that arise outside of normal working hours when the circumstances warrant it. Response times for non-urgent matters are agreed as part of the retainer arrangement.
Do you handle sites built on older versions of ExpressionEngine or Craft CMS?
Yes. Many clients come to us with sites running on older versions that have had limited maintenance. We assess the site properly at the start, advise on what needs addressing, and provide ongoing support from there. Where an upgrade is needed, that is scoped and priced separately.
