What digital marketing
actually costs.
No two growth programs cost the same — and a flat package would either over-charge a simple need or under-serve a complex one. Here's how agency pricing works, what these services typically run, what moves the number, and how we scope a clear quote for you.
How agencies price the work.
Three ways the work gets priced. Most growth programs blend the first two.
Monthly retainer
Ongoing programs — SEO, content, paid media, lifecycle — priced as a monthly fee scaled to scope and goals. The compounding work.
Fixed-scope project
Defined deliverables — a website, a rebrand, a campaign — quoted as a fixed fee against a clear scope and timeline.
Media + management
For paid channels — a management fee on top of your ad spend, measured to a cost per acquisition and return on ad spend.
What each service typically runs.
Industry ranges to set expectations — your quote is scoped to your goals, not a fixed package.
SEO →
Typically $1,500–$7,500/mo by market competitiveness and content volume. Compounds over months.
Local SEO →
Typically $1,000–$4,000/mo, scaling with the number of markets and locations you need to rank in.
Digital Marketing →
Full-funnel programs typically $2,500–$15,000/mo, depending on how many channels run together.
Web Design →
Typically $5,000–$50,000+ as a project, by site size, custom design, and functionality.
PPC / Paid Search →
Management typically $1,000–$5,000/mo or 10–20% of ad spend, on top of the media budget.
Branding →
Identity and brand systems typically $5,000–$30,000 as a project, by depth and deliverables.
Ranges reflect typical U.S. agency pricing for context — not a fixed Atomic price list. We scope your engagement to the outcome and quote it clearly.
What moves the number.
Five things that decide where in the range your program lands.
Scope & goals
A single-channel local push and a multi-market growth engine aren't the same job. Outcomes set the scope.
Channels in play
Each channel you run — search, content, paid, email, social — adds work and compounds the others.
Market competitiveness
Ranking and winning in a crowded category takes more content, links, and spend than a quiet one.
Build & content volume
More pages, more creative, more campaigns — the volume of work is a direct input to cost.
Speed
Compounding channels are cheaper over time; fast results lean on paid media, which costs more up front.
Pricing, answered.
Most U.S. agencies run full-funnel digital marketing on a monthly retainer of roughly $2,500–$15,000, scaled to your goals, market, and how many channels you run. One-off projects like a website or a brand are quoted as fixed-scope work. We scope every engagement to the outcome you're after rather than selling a fixed package.
Three common models: a monthly retainer for ongoing programs (SEO, content, paid media), a fixed-scope project fee for defined deliverables (a website, a rebrand), and media-plus-management pricing for paid channels (a management fee on top of ad spend). Most growth programs blend a retainer with project work as needs arise.
Scope and goals, how many channels you run, the competitiveness of your market, the volume of content or build work, and how fast you want results. A single-channel local campaign costs far less than a multi-market, multi-channel growth program.
Because the right scope depends on your goals, market, and starting point — a flat package would either over-charge a simple need or under-serve a complex one. We scope each engagement to the outcome and give you a clear, itemized quote before any work starts.
Tell us your goals, your market, and roughly where you are today. We'll recommend the right mix of services and send a clear, itemized quote — usually within a couple of business days. Start here.
Get a quote built
around your goals.
Tell us where you're going and we'll scope the right mix — with a clear, itemized number, not a guess. Building since 1996.