Revision Load Modeling Before Signing a Site Retainer (Onboarding)

Revision Load Modeling Before Signing a Site Retainer (Onboarding)

1. 01

   Collect the client's last three site change logs before quoting any build

   Pull the actual ticket history from their current host or CMS. Count how many edits were copy tweaks versus layout changes, because AI generation compresses the first category and barely touches the second.

2. 02

   Price the first build against a fixed revision ceiling, not an open-ended one

   Write the number into the scope document: for example two rounds of structural revision and unlimited copy swaps within 14 days. Every round past the ceiling bills at your standard hourly rate.

3. 03

   Time one full generation-to-launch cycle on a comparable site before committing to a delivery date

   Generate a throwaway site in the chosen platform, run it through accessibility and performance checks, and log the hours. Platforms such as 10Web or Dorik can produce a working draft in minutes, but the QA and content pass is where the labor sits.

4. 04

   Separate platform cost from labor cost in the margin model

   White-label plans carry real per-site fees, and Brizy's White Label tier runs $159 per month before any client work begins. Model the subscription, hosting, and domain costs as a fixed line so the retainer covers them before labor is counted.

5. 05

   Confirm export and ownership terms in writing before the client sees a draft

   Ask what happens to the site if the client leaves: full code export, CMS handoff, or a locked hosted instance. A platform that traps the build raises your switching risk and the client's, and that risk belongs in the contract.

6. 06

   Set the content governance rule for AI-generated copy at kickoff

   Name who approves generated text, how claims about the client's product get verified, and whether the client wants disclosure that AI drafted the copy. Forrester's 2027 predictions work flags rising consumer resistance to invisible AI influence, so settle this early rather than at launch.

7. 07

   Run a break-even check on the retainer before signature

   Divide total first-year labor hours by the annual retainer value. If the effective hourly rate falls below your delivery floor, cut scope (fewer pages, template-only design) or decline the account.