How to build recurring revenue with websites

1. The one-time project trap

Most web designers live project-to-project. They build a site, invoice once, and start hunting for the next client. It's exhausting and unpredictable.

The solution is simple: every website client should also be a recurring revenue client. The website is the entry point. The ongoing services are the real business.

A $3,500 website project is nice. A $3,500 project + $199/mo care plan is a $5,888 first-year client. Over 3 years, that's $10,664. Same client, 3x the value.

2. Website care plans that sell

A care plan is a monthly service that keeps the client's website secure, updated, and performing. It's the easiest recurring revenue to sell because every website needs it.

• Basic ($79–$149/mo): Hosting, SSL, security monitoring, monthly backups, plugin/platform updates
• Standard ($149–$299/mo): Everything in Basic + 2 hours of content updates per month, priority support
• Premium ($299–$599/mo): Everything in Standard + SEO monitoring, performance reporting, quarterly strategy calls

Present care plans as insurance, not optional add-ons. "Your website is a business asset. This plan protects it."

3. Hosting as recurring revenue

Don't let clients buy their own hosting. Bundle it into your care plan and mark it up. Most clients have no idea what hosting costs or how to manage it — they just want their site to work.

Your cost on Lindo's White Label plan is roughly $9–$15/site/month. Charge clients $29–$49/month for hosting alone. That's 2–3x margin on a service they need anyway.

4. SEO retainers

Once the site is live, clients need ongoing SEO to rank and attract leads. This is high-value recurring revenue:

• Local SEO ($299–$599/mo): Google Business Profile optimization, local citations, review management, local link building
• Content SEO ($499–$999/mo): Monthly blog posts, service page optimization, internal linking, keyword tracking
• Technical SEO ($199–$399/mo): Speed optimization, schema markup, mobile fixes, crawl error monitoring

Start every client on basic local SEO. Expand to content and technical as they see results.

5. Content and update services

Business owners are busy. They need someone to update their hours, add team members, post testimonials, and refresh seasonal content.

• Content updates: $75–$150/hour or bundled into care plans
• Monthly blog posts: $200–$500/post
• Seasonal refreshes: $300–$800 per major update
• Photo updates: $150–$400 per batch

These are small tasks for you, but huge time-savers for clients. Package 2–4 hours of monthly updates into your standard care plan.

6. Stacking revenue per client

Here's what a typical client relationship looks like when you stack services:

• Year 1: $3,500 website + $199/mo care plan = $5,888
• Year 2: $199/mo care plan + $399/mo SEO = $7,176
• Year 3: Add content updates + redesign refresh = $8,500+

One client. Three years. Over $21,000 in revenue. Compare that to a one-time $3,500 build and you see why recurring revenue is the difference between a job and a business.

The key is to sell the care plan at the same time as the website, not after. Include it in the proposal as a natural next step: "After launch, we keep your site secure and updated with our standard care plan."