The biggest con in the web industry.

Hey, it’s Alex.

In today’s issue:

• My favourite links from the week.

• The biggest con in the web industry.

• The escape checklist - how to free yourself from the digital cowboys.

• and more…
  

BEST LINKS

Links & News from this week

🤖 AI

• Personalised AI powered by what you’ve seen, said, and heard (read more).

• I'm REVEALING ALL the Vibe Marketing Secrets (NO Gatekeeping) - (watch).

 🛒 Ecommerce

• Amazon Prime Day Drives Record Sales: The first 24 hours of Amazon’s extended four-day Prime Day event generated $7.9 billion in US ecommerce sales (read more).

• Follow Shopify For Lifestyle Brands Daily Ecommerce Insights (read more).

🔎 SEO

• Instagram content becomes searchable on Google starting July 10 (read more).

DEEP DIVE

The biggest con in the website industry.

Let’s call it what it is.

Bug fix retainers have become the industry’s most accepted rip-off.

Agencies and studios quietly lock clients into monthly payments - often thousands - under the guise of “ongoing support.”

But most of the time, you’re not paying for support. You’re paying to fix things that should’ve been built right the first time.

Any left over hours? Attributed to stuff you don’t even need.

ROI = 0.

We’ve seen brands paying $5K, $10K, even $20K a month for these retainers.

And the kicker?

Half of that budget is often chewed up by internal communication layers, not actual work. The rest? Patching holes in code that should never have passed QA.

The problem isn’t just the billing. It’s the mindset.

Build fast, ship it, deal with the mess later - because the mess is profitable.

Some agencies run at a loss up front, knowing they’ll make it back with years of retainer fees. And if they sell you an open-source platform like Magento or a headless solution, even better for them. Because it will break. That’s baked in.

You’re told this is normal.

That maintenance is just part of having a website. But it’s not true. Not if the work is done properly. Not if you’re on a modern stack that isn’t held together with duct tape. Not if your partner actually gives a damn.

And here’s what really grates: when this happens, the client is blamed. “Well, you didn’t pay for that feature.” Or, “That’s out of scope.”

Now before you start thinking that any goes - no - let’s be logical - if you didn’t pay for something, then sorry, this is not a blank cheque to take to your web partners and say “look what Alex told us” - but, you do have a responsibility to ask these questions.

If your agency is selling you future problems, they’re not a partner. They’re a liability.

We’ve reviewed sites built by reputable firms who have been charging clients monthly - the results - unmanageable, poorly written code.

Full of bloated plugins, hard-coded hacks, duplicated templates, zero scalability. The client’s only option? Pay to maintain the mess, or start over. It’s a hostage situation.

And yes - this matters. Because it’s not just about code. It’s about trust. About whether the people building your digital infrastructure actually care about the outcome, or just the invoice.

If you’re stuck in one of these retainer loops, you’re not alone. But don’t accept it as the cost of doing business. Question it. Push back. And if your agency can’t explain - clearly, honestly - what you’re paying for, walk away.

Because if your website breaks constantly, the problem isn’t the internet. It’s who built it.

I honestly am really f***ed off with this behaviour, so much so that it has fundamentally shaped how we work at Studio Almond, and the products we create at Almond Labs.

✅ CHECKLIST

How to identify if your agency partner is low-value and bug-fix driven

1. You receive invoices each month but can’t articulate what was actually fixed or improved.

2. Half your monthly retainer is spent on meetings, reports, and project management rather than tangible progress.

3. Your partner rarely proactively suggests improvements - they only respond when something breaks.

4. The same types of bugs keep recurring despite repeated fixes.

5. You’ve been told your technology “just needs ongoing maintenance” without a clear explanation why.

6. You can’t easily track hours worked versus actual outcomes delivered.

7. When you ask about value, the answer focuses on hours spent, not results achieved.

8. Bugs and breakages feel normalised - as though this is simply the reality of running a website.

9. You’ve paid more post-launch on bug fixes than the original project itself.

10. There’s no clear roadmap for improvement; you’re stuck reacting to issues.

🛟 ESCAPE PLAN

Steps to remove yourself from a low-value engagement

1. Pause all non-critical work immediately - create breathing space.

2. Request a full breakdown of the last 6 months of work delivered (not just hours logged).

3. Evaluate what was fixed versus what should have been built properly at launch.

4. Audit your platform and infrastructure - independently if needed.

5. Look for recurring patterns: what’s breaking repeatedly? Why?

6. Reduce or cancel the retainer; propose pay-as-you-go for critical issues only.

7. Remove unnecessary communication layers - demand direct access to the people who actually build.

8. Document your key frustrations so you can compare partners later.

9. Remove complexity where possible - consolidate tech stack and reduce points of failure.

10. Refocus spend towards outcomes, not hours.

❤️ FIND YOUR FUTURE MATCH

Steps to identify your best next move (values-led approach)

1. Look for a partner who can clearly explain how they would simplify your stack.

2. Prioritise teams who build lean, scalable systems - not those who lock you into future maintenance cycles.

3. Demand evidence of technical quality: examples of robust builds that work long after launch.

4. Ensure any future partner takes the time to understand your business, not just your website.

5. Seek transparency: fixed costs, fixed timelines, fixed scopes.

6. Insist on a culture of accountability - teams who stand behind their work and resolve their own mistakes without charge.

7. Choose a partner who educates and empowers you to manage your own platform with minimal support.

8. Favour smaller, focused teams with less hierarchy and faster decision-making.

9. Select partners who view your project as an opportunity to build lasting quality - not as a short-term transaction.

10. Define success not by build speed or feature quantity but by the long-term independence, performance and reliability of your platform.

📣 HAVE YOUR SAY

Thanks for reading!

See you next week.

Alex Murton
Shopify for Lifestyle Brands
Co-Founder @ Studio Almond & Almond Labs.