How to Earn Extra Income as a Marketing Agency (Without Selling More Projects)
You finish the month with all your projects delivered, happy clients, and a team that’s given their best. Still, the numbers don’t always add up. If you run a digital agency, you’re likely chasing new projects each month to keep the business running. It pays the bills, but it’s exhausting and unpredictable.
But what if you could generate recurring revenue from your existing client base, without constantly selling new projects?
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The opportunity most agencies overlook
Think about all the websites your agency has designed, developed, or managed over the years. What happens after you hand them over? Most of these websites remain online, but many are left without proper ongoing support and maintenance.
The truth is, your clients need their sites kept up to date, secure, and running smoothly, but they don’t have the time, resources, or expertise for that. You do.
It’s not about selling more, it’s about adding value
You don’t need to invent a new product. Instead, you can organize what you already know into a professional, recurring service: ongoing technical care for the websites you’ve built.
A website care plan typically includes:
- Regular plugin and WordPress updates
- Backups
- Uptime and health monitoring
- Basic security protection
- Support for minor issues
- A monthly report of the work completed
However, what makes this truly valuable to your clients isn’t just the list of tasks; it’s the peace of mind, prevention, and business protection you provide. By proactively monitoring and maintaining their websites, you can fix issues before they become problems, helping your clients avoid stressful emergencies. For example, for an agency client, even a single hour of downtime can mean lost sales or damage to their reputation.
All of this can be packaged as a monthly service, often ranging from €40 and €100+ per site. Multiply that by 10 or 30 clients, and you’ll quickly see the potential.
How can you do this without losing your mind?
Now you might be thinking, “Okay, but if I have to log in to every website and do all these tasks by hand, I’ll lose money and time.” And you’re right. If you do it manually, it’s neither sustainable nor scalable.
That’s why centralized tools exist. With platforms like Modular DS, you can:
- See and monitor the status of all your websites from one dashboard
- Perform bulk updates
- Set up automated backups and easily restore them if needed
- Receive alerts if any website goes down or has a known vulnerability
- Create professional client reports in seconds
With the right setup and automated processes, you can manage 30, 50, or even more websites without burning out or sacrificing quality.
Start simple with what you already have
Getting started doesn’t require a big change or extra resources:
- Make a list of all the clients you’ve built websites for
- Create three simple site care plans (for example, Basic, Pro, Premium)
- Define a monthly routine of tasks for each plan
- Automate routine tasks using a centralized tool
- Position your service as a trusted solution, not just an optional extra
Offering website maintenance isn’t just about growing your recurring revenue. It positions you as a reliable, long-term partner, which also leads to better client relationships and higher-value projects in the future.
If you need an extra hand to put all this into action, check out our website maintenance starter kit, where you’ll find free resources to help you structure and sell your services.
Frequently asked questions
How much can I charge for website maintenance?
Typical rates range from €40 to €150+ per month, depending on your region, what’s included, and your client base. High-cost markets often charge more, especially for premium support and security. If you’re unsure about what to include or how to price your plans, try our free pricing calculator.
Do I need to offer 24/7 support?
Not at all. You can set your own support hours and define them in your Service Level Agreement (SLA). The most important thing is to communicate these clearly and set the right expectations with your clients.
Do I need a technical team to offer this service?
Not necessarily. The right site management tool lets you take care of most tasks on your own, without requiring advanced technical skills.
What if the client doesn’t pay for a month?
The best approach is to set clear payment terms from day one and explain what will happen if a payment is late, like temporarily pausing service or limiting support until payment is made. This helps avoid misunderstandings and keeps things professional.
