On your retainer dashboard and in your monthly retainer hours recap email, we will provide a breakdown of how hours have been used into discrete categories called “project phases”. However, you may be asking yourself "what does this thing mean?"
Below we have provided a glossary of the most common terms that may be listed as a project phase. Your retainer may have a different phase listed than the ones below, or ones specific to your engagement or a project. If you have any questions or would like hours categorized differently, please contact your Account Manager listed on your dashboard.
- Admin - Typically is related to anything regarding contracts, invoicing, or other administrative tasks associated with your engagement. This time is not deducted from your retainer.
- Ads - Tasks associated with management of an ads account, such as for Google, Microsoft or Facebook.
- Audit - A formal review of your site that may have a specific focus or more of a general checkup. Audits typically result in a written document.
- Content - Any task associated with managing and improving your site's content. Could include drafting new content or reviewing existing content, planning an editorial calendar for a campaign or analyzing performance of a specific strategy.
- Discovery - Time spent in discussions on goals for a projects or research, either around functionality and/or design.
- Development - Any work associated with coding or managing technical configurations, either with your WordPress site or in a 3rd party service.
- Design - Any work associated with a design deliverable. Could include wireframes, style tiles or full color mockups.
- Strategy - Time spent meeting or planning your digital presence, requests, or ideas. Typically in the form of internal calls with the retainer team or with you and your team or future planning.
- Project Management - Time your day to day contact spends communicating you on the progress of work on your retainer, managing tasks, and keeping this on time and on budget.
- Rush Rate - Denotes tasks that required quicker turnaround than could be accommodated This signified that the hours should be deducted from the retainer at 2x. Prior approval must be obtained before work is done at rush rate.
- SEO - Any task associated with managing and improving your site's SEO. Could include initial setup of SEO, ongoing marketing and management.
- Support - Tasks done by your retainer team but fall under the covered services of your maintenance plan. This time is not deducted from your retainer.
- Technical Lead - Similar to Project Management, this is time your primary developer or content strategist would use to help lead the project from their area of expertise.