Expand Agency Services To Retain Clients — With Admin Bar Insights

Using the 2025 WordPress Survey to Grow Your Agency

If you’re running a WordPress agency or freelance business, you’re probably wondering how your operation compares to others in the industry. The good news? The Admin Bar 2025 WordPress Professionals Survey just dropped with insights from over 1,200 professionals just like you.

Let’s dive into how you can leverage these survey results to expand your services, retain more clients, and potentially attract new ones.

TL;DR I’m Between Meetings

The 2025 WordPress Professionals Survey, with insights from over 1,200 experts, highlights key strategies for agency growth.

Agencies can stand out by expanding into underserved areas like accessibility (24.8% adoption) and conversion rate optimization (14.4%), where competition is low.

Building recurring revenue through monthly care plans, aligning your tech stack with popular tools like Bricks and GeneratePress, integrating AI for content, and formalizing client referral programs are crucial.

Since most agencies grow through networking (57%) and referrals (50%), prioritizing these methods can significantly enhance client acquisition and business sustainability.

What the WordPress Survey Data Tells Us

The 2025 survey reveals some interesting trends among WordPress professionals:

•  57% of agencies report they’re in growth mode (that’s good news!)
• The average WordPress professional has been in business for 12 years
•  Most agencies (77.1%) are running their business full-time
• The median hourly rate sits at $95

But the real question is: how can you use this information to improve your business?

Service Expansion Opportunities You Might Be Missing

Looking at the services being offered by other WordPress agencies, some interesting gaps represent real opportunities:

Highly Saturated Services:

• Website Maintenance (93.1%)
• Website Design (90.6%)
• Website Development (86.5%)
• Hosting (71.6%)

Underserved Opportunities:

• Conversion Rate Optimization (14.4%)
• Social Media Management (20%)
• Website Accessibility (24.8%)
• Performance Optimization (37.1%)
• Sustainable Website Design (not on the survey, but an important Web Design niche!)

This data suggests that expanding into less crowded service areas could help you differentiate your business while providing additional value to clients.

“WordPress accessibility will become increasingly crucial so that all websites created using it are usable by everyone. This will require better integration with disability-friendly plug-ins as well as adherence to WCAG.”

geeksforgeeks.org

Where Are Your Clients Coming From?

The survey shows that in-person networking (57%) and asking for referrals (50%) remain the top client acquisition methods. This is significant because:

1. These methods have the lowest cost-per-acquisition.
2. They typically produce higher-quality leads than cold outreach.
3. They’re strategies that every agency, regardless of size, can implement immediately.

This stands in stark contrast to methods like paid advertising, which only 14% of WordPress professionals are using.

Taking Action on the Survey Insights

Now that you understand what the data is telling us, here’s how to put it into action:

1. Audit Your Current Service Offerings

Take inventory of what you’re currently offering clients and compare it against the survey data. Are you missing opportunities in underserved areas like accessibility or software development (only 12.3%)?

For example, if you’re already handling website maintenance for clients, adding performance optimization is a natural extension that 63% of agencies aren’t offering.

2. Develop a Recurring Revenue Strategy

The survey shows a wide distribution of monthly recurring revenue (MRR), with 21.8% earning under $500 monthly and only 6.3% earning over $20,000 monthly.

To move up this ladder:

• Package your services into monthly care plans. Don’t forget to bundle!
• Include services clients need but might not prioritize.
• Present options at different price points to accommodate various client budgets.

3. Evaluate Your Builder Stack

The builder landscape is fascinating with Bricks (24.4%) and Elementor (24.1%) leading the pack, followed by Divi (10.1%). The most telling item that is missing from the survey list? The Block Editor.

Fun Fact: The survey’s builder results are somewhat different than those results reported on w3techs.com.

If you’re using a less popular builder, you might either:

• Position yourself as a specialist in that niche.
• Consider expanding your toolkit to include more widely used options.
• Focus on the Gutenberg Block Editor and wait for the dust to settle.

“WordPress is block-based. As WordPress continues to evolve, the Block Editor remains at the forefront of its development.”

Rocket.net – Are Agencies Using The Gutenberg Block Editor?

4. Embrace AI Integration

With 57.3% of WordPress professionals actively embracing AI and another 37.4% experimenting with it, artificial intelligence is transforming the industry.

Start by:

• Using AI tools for the drudge work that is stealing your time: accounting, editing, video teasers etc.
• Implement AI in your project management.
• Exploring AI-powered image creation for design work.

Only 5.3% of professionals are avoiding AI completely—don’t be in this increasingly isolated group.

5. Create a Structured Referral Program

Since asking for referrals is the second most common marketing activity, formalize this process by:

• Identifying your ideal referral timing (usually after a successful project completion).
• Creating incentives for clients who refer new business.
• Following up with past clients quarterly to stay top-of-mind.

Hot Tip: Rocket.net’s Agency Partner Program is powered by an easy-to-use commission platform, providing agencies with an impressive 15% lifetime recurring monthly referral commission. 

Bottom Line

The WordPress ecosystem continues to evolve, and staying competitive means adapting your service offerings to meet changing client needs. Two important areas to expand into are accessibility and conversion rate optimization.

By strategically expanding into underserved service areas, building recurring revenue streams, and embracing new technologies, you can position your agency for sustained growth.

Remember that 66.4% of WordPress professionals believe they’ll still be running their agency in five years—with the right strategy based on this survey data, you can ensure your business is among them.

Tip: Focus your client acquisition on networking and referrals; they outperform paid ads in cost and lead quality.

Have you identified any service areas you plan to add this year? Or have questions about implementing these strategies? We’re here for your agency!

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