Client retention
also known as retention rate
The share of clients an agency keeps over a period - the flip side of churn, and the foundation of stable, compounding revenue.
For example, an agency that starts the year with 25 clients and still has 22 of those at year-end has an 88% retention rate. Holding that high, year after year, is what lets the recurring revenue base compound.
Why it matters to your firm: client retention is where agency profit quietly compounds - keeping clients is far cheaper than winning them, and long relationships lift lifetime value and referrals. Small improvements in retention often do more for the bottom line than chasing new logos.
Strong agencies retain the large majority of clients year on year; because retainers compound, even small gains in retention add up fast.
Retention rate = clients retained ÷ clients at start of period × 100
Retention and churn are mirror images: retention = 100% - churn %.
Client retention calculator
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