Small businesses can save 18900 dollars a year by changing agency model Weblish report finds

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Weblish analysed 1632 agency proposals and reports and found businesses can save an average of 18900 dollars a year by changing how they work with agencies.

CA, UNITED STATES, December 11, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Weblish, the world’s first platform-based agency specifically serving small- and medium-sized enterprises, has released a new report showing that small businesses have the potential to save an average of 18,900 dollars per year by adopting the right agency engagement model.

In the 2025 Small Business Agency Savings Report, Weblish examined 1,632 real proposals, invoices, and performance reports from agencies working with small and mid-sized businesses. The data reveals that many companies are overspending on expensive website projects, high retainers, unnecessary tools, and slow delivery – and that a different way of working with agencies can convert these losses into real savings.

“The statistics may look harsh, but they are also full of hope,” said Ali Asad Naqvi, Founder and CEO of Weblish. “On average, a small business can save 18,900 dollars a year just by changing how it works with agencies. That money can go into hiring, inventory, or simply staying alive, instead of disappearing into low-impact marketing.”

With Insights from 1,632 agency documents, Weblish’s analysis identified exactly where money is leaking and where savings can be found:

78 percent of proposals included high upfront website or “setup” fees, often between 4,000 and 10,000 dollars.

64 percent of businesses were paying for at least one duplicate tool or overlapping service, such as multiple email tools, landing page builders, or reporting platforms.

59 percent reported waiting three weeks or more for relatively simple website or campaign changes, even while paying ongoing retainers.

Only 21 percent of monthly reports clearly connected spend to leads, bookings, or revenue-related actions. The remaining reports focused on vanity metrics such as impressions and clicks.

Using these figures, Weblish calculated the average annual savings potential for small businesses that switch to a transparent, subscription-first, performance-focused agency model.

Where the 18,900 dollar saving comes from

The report identifies three main areas of savings:

1. Upfront website and setup fees avoided – average 6,200 dollars per year
Many small businesses spend between 5,000 and 12,000 dollars every few years on redesigned websites and “strategy” projects. When that cost is spread over three years, it can amount to around 4,000 dollars or more per year in hidden website costs.
Under a no-setup-fee, subscription-first model, these costs are absorbed into a predictable monthly fee instead of arriving as a single painful invoice.

2. Redundant tools and overlapping services – average 3,700 dollars per year
The study found that tool sprawl is a major source of unnecessary expense. Businesses were often paying for:

Multiple email or newsletter platforms

Separate landing page software on top of their main website platform

Analytics or dashboard tools that nobody actually used

By consolidating into a simplified, streamlined tool stack, Weblish estimates the average small business could save around 3,700 dollars per year.

3. Low-impact retainers and slow execution – average 9,000 dollars per year
The largest savings come from reducing spend on retainers and project fees that do not produce fast, measurable results. In many cases, businesses were:

Paying for long reports that did not lead to concrete action

Waiting weeks for small updates that could have improved conversions

Funding campaigns that were never properly tested, optimized, or even fully launched

Once execution speed improves and accountability increases, Weblish estimates that small businesses can avoid around 9,000 dollars per year in a mix of wasted fees and lost revenue.

Taken together, these three areas create an average saving opportunity of 18,900 dollars per year for a typical small business.

“None of this is hypothetical,” Naqvi said. “These figures are based on real contracts signed by small businesses. The money has already been spent. The only question is whether it will continue to be spent in a way that truly drives profit.”

From quiet overspend to deliberate savings

According to the report, the problem is not simply “expensive agencies,” but an outdated way of engaging with them, characterised by:

Huge upfront project fees

Long-term retainers with vague deliverables

Slow response times and rigid scopes

Impressive-looking reports that do not inform real decisions

Weblish argues that when small businesses change the structure of the relationship, they also change the result.

“When fees are tied to ongoing work and performance, waste has nowhere to hide,” Naqvi explained. “You stop paying for complexity and start paying for impact. That shift is where the 18,900 dollars a year comes from.”

What the right agency engagement looks like

Based on its findings, Weblish outlines three core attributes of agency relationships that generate savings instead of losses:

1. No or minimal setup fees
Websites and other core assets are treated as part of a long-term partnership, not as one-off, high-margin projects.

2. Simple, predictable monthly pricing
Strategy, execution, and optimisation are delivered under a clear subscription model, eliminating scattered invoices for ad-hoc “creative time” and surprise extras.

3. Performance and speed at the centre
Reporting focuses on leads, bookings, revenue-related actions, and how quickly work is implemented – not just impressions and charts.

“Small businesses do not need more jargon,” Naqvi said. “They need a model where they understand what they pay, what they get, and how fast it happens. Real savings naturally emerge from that clarity.”

How Weblish applies the findings

Weblish has designed its own model around the principles highlighted in the report:

No setup fee for websites – Weblish designs and builds premium websites at no upfront cost.

Subscription-first pricing – Website management, SEO, social media, and email marketing are bundled into a single monthly fee.

Fast, ongoing optimisation – Website changes and campaign updates are treated as routine work, not separate billable projects.

These practices are designed to help small businesses capture the types of savings outlined in the 2025 Small Business Agency Savings Report, while simultaneously improving their marketing performance.

The full 2025 Small Business Agency Savings Report, along with a straightforward worksheet that small businesses can use to estimate their own potential savings, is available for free by visiting weblish.

Ali Asad Naqvi
WEBLISH
+1 3076838063
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