E-consultancy Agency Rate Card Survey reports high optimism and increased buoyancy in digital sector

Internet marketing publisher E-consultancy has published a new Agency Rate Card Survey, to discover average charge-out rates by digital agencies for a variety of roles.

Following on from a similar study E-consultancy carried out in 2003, this report investigates the state of UK digital agencies: what they charge for different types of skills and levels of seniority, and how and why rates may vary, for example by size of company and by region.

The survey is a good indicator of the health of the digital sector, as it reflects how much clients are willing to pay for web- and tech-related work.

The report reveals high optimism across the UK digital agency landscape, with 83% of agencies estimating their 2005 revenues will outstrip their income for 2004.

On average, UK digital agencies:
* Report an average increase of daily rates of 11% since 2003;
* Anticipate an increase of 31% in revenues this year;
* Say that recruitment is the biggest challenge;
* Charge clients more for usability than they do for SEO;
* Earn about a quarter of their income from 'retainer-based' work;
* Are mainly based in London or the South East (64%).

Ashley Friedlein, CEO of E-consultancy, comments: "With 11% of UK agencies reporting growth of 100% or more, year-on-year, optimism within this thriving sector is well-founded.

"Now that consumers are accessing a greater range of digital touch-points with greater frequency, businesses are increasingly realising the necessity for incorporating digital channels as an integral element of their strategy."

328 agencies of different sizes and from different locations across the UK participated in the survey. The agencies invited to contribute to this and future surveys include those listed in E-consultancy's comprehensive UK New Media Agencies & Consultancies Directory which can be found online at http://www.e-consultancy.com/providers/

The Agency Rate Card Survey tracks day rates for 50 different job roles, to help agencies and clients to benchmark fees.

The 2005 Rate Card Survey can be downloaded from:
http://www.e-consultancy.com/publications/rate-card-survey/

Editor's notes
About E-consultancy:
http://www.e-consultancy.com/about/

E-consultancy is the UK's leading online publisher of best practice internet marketing reports, research and how-to guides. It also publishes buyer's guides and has a directory of 100,000+ third party internet marketing white papers.

Since moving to a paid-content model in 2003 E-consultancy has amassed thousands of paying subscribers, more than 32,000 registered users and 135,000 unique users sessions per month. Its weekly newsletter is sent to 18,500 users. Subscribers pay from £99 per year to access the exclusive and highly practical content, which helps internet marketers get the most out of their websites.

E-consultancy has around 70 events lined up for 2005, including roundtables and monthly 'Supplier Showcases', where six suppliers pitch to an audience of up to 100 pre-qualified buyers in a Central London venue. E-consultancy also provides a range of in-house training programmes, such as seminars and workshops.


For further information, or to arrange interviews, please contact:
Chris Lake,
Editor, E-consultancy
chris@e-consultancy.com