How to charge for web design

[haynbrian]

Hello all,

I would like to get some insight on what people think of rates and how to charge for web design. This would encompass not only freelance work but also work done on/for corporate sites.

I'm hoping that this could be a reference for those starting out doing free-lance work (like myself) and to those with more experience that might be able to gain more understanding on how one should price their work.

Brian

[PeOfEo]

Are you just doing setup of a site or are you also doing maintnenance.

[Compguy Pete]

List what you plan on offering and we can go from there...

If you planning on doing email marketing, it does us no good to tell you what you what you should charge for doing PHP or asp work.

[Rifter72]

It depends on what you can offer as well as what your prospective clients are willing to pay. In my area, I've seen rates range from a flat price for a specific package to hourly rates from $10 to $80/hour. Reputation and ability can play a large part as well. I know people who can do just about anything programming wise and they charge about $15/hour for most services. But they do this on the side because they work for a corp full time.

[haynbrian]

It would be for setup and maintenance of web sites. I currently have a possible client coming up, in which I have created everything myself from the ground up. That includes all css, javascript, and php work, as well as all graphic design and/or artwork.

At first, I thought of charging per item on page. For instance, page layout itself was $20/page, and each image was $10, an instance of CSS (inline, not link) was $10 (per open and close style tags), but if there was one CSS file that all pages linked to, it was $50 for the CSS. JavaScript and PHP were about $20 per instance, or everytime I had to use them for the effect I desired or needed. In that, I mean that the PHP was $20 per each .php file, and each page that had a script at the top of it, the script was $20. As you can probably see, trying to add a complete web page cost up this way is extremely tedius.

Now, that said, I have thought of doing a site entirely charging by hour. Say, $100/hour.

If I would have to update a site per month, say they would feed me info on a regular basis, I was thinking about $30/month. This would be about an update 2 or 3 times a week.

This is not me trying to do e-mail marketing, I just thought I would try to get some insight from others on how to tackle this issue.

Your thoughts are appreciated.

Brian

[James L.]

I charge, and keep in mind these are Canadian prices:

Basic layout and design: $40.00 per hour

Graphic or Flash work: $40.00 per hour

Site creation: $100.00 per page (flat rate...some pages are easier, some more involved).

"Mounting the site", which includes domain registration, uploading to server, and initial search engine registration:

$50.00 flat rate

I also give my clients a one month period for them to view and look over the site, then to make any "minor" changes they want in wording, design, etc. I make these small changes to the pages for free (they are included in the $100 per page).


I ALWAYS make my clients approve each step along the way too. Before I code ANY pages I get the client's approval on the site design, and the site map. Then, and only then, do I code the pages. This avoids the client saying "no, that's not what I want" half way through the design.

[PeOfEo]

that hourly rate seems a bit high but maybe thats just me, I am broke at the moment too! Thats what you get when you are a student and dont have a full time job, ho hum. STUPID GAS PRICES.

[haynbrian]

I agree, the $100/hour does kind of sound steep. I guess I would be trying to make up for all the small charges with one big one. I hear you on the broke issue, and I'm moving to Los Angeles next week from here in Pennsylvania, so I'm really not looking forward to the gas prices!


James L. - I like your idea.

Anyone else have any thoughts? Thanks to all that have commented so far

Brian

[PeOfEo]

Well I am also trying to save up for a new case http://www.xoxide.com/xviper.html the air flow on that thing is amazing, right now my comp performs well but it has a lack of air and thats bad when I overclock so this case is going to improve my performance, but I am really strapped right now so I am pinching every penny so I can get it.

[Compguy Pete]

Perhaps you all didnt see where James said the prices were in Canadian... Not USD, can take 45% or so off of the rates he listed. Which may shed some light on the rates.

I presonally think there are other services he's offering that he could charge a bit more for...

[WebBean]

and he said $100/page...not /hour

[haynbrian]

Yes Compguy, I did see that his prices were Canadian, and I wasn't basing my costs on his. I was just giving an example.

I also saw that it was $100/page, not hour, which also was an example of another way you could charge. Instead of having a bunch of small costs and costs per hour, there would be only one figure to go by. Like I said though, it was only an example, not something I have gone by or plan to go by.

Brian

[PeOfEo]

Rifter said anywhere from 10 to 80 an hours, thats what I am commenting on, what would be 80 an hour, thats very expencive. I can see chargine someone monthly if you are hosting them too or something like that, but even for cgi asp or php etc etc 80 is very steep. Any comments on my case selection by the way? :)

[pyro]

Originally posted by PeOfEo
but even for cgi asp or php etc etc 80 is very steep.Perhaps, but then again, perhaps not, if you're good, and your time is worth that much... I know mine is not, but I know of some who's probably is...

[Rifter72]

Believe it or not, there is actually a company in my area that advertises a rate of $80/hour with a basic website (no details on what that means) in 3-4 hours. So $240 to $320 for a basic web site. My guess is very few bells and whistles come with this if it only takes them 3-4 hours to make it. When I get good enough, I will do some work for hire, but I will base my prices on what others in the area are charging. Personally, if the rate in my area is around $80/hour then I should have no problem taking business from them when I can do it for $20-$30/hour (when I get the confidence that I can do the work to their satisfaction).

[PeOfEo]

Oh my gosh thats a lot, and for a basic site too thats just shafting people. Pyro, I know some professional designers who have been doing things for year, not freelance of couce but they dont see anything near that kind of flow, this guy at my church has been doing asp for years and is doing cold fusion now and it works for modis as their web master and does 2 or three other sites, I think he is underpayed.

[Rifter72]

Oh my gosh thats a lot, and for a basic site too thats just shafting people.

Exactly, that's why when I'm good enough, I should have no trouble getting work in my area if I offer rates waaaaay below $80/hour. The scary thing is, they have quite an extensive list of references (other sites they've developed).

[PeOfEo]

People should shop around when they buy things, thats what that shows, we are in america, unfortunatly its the home to many lazy people (I am lazy too, but in other ways... like not doing my dishes right after I use them...)

[Compguy Pete]

Well I perfer a per page basis... Because of a number of reasons...

Rather than focus on those I offer this...

If you charge per page it's a lot easier to give someone or someplace a discount or special offer rate.

[PeOfEo]

I would charge a monthly rate for maintenance just a flat low rate like 10 bucks a month.

[Compguy Pete]

That is way to cheap... Perhaps if you had no overhead and only a small handful of clients and another day job.

These numbers just aren't or shouldn't be pulled out of thin air. I guess what this is where this topic should have gone a long time ago.

However you take what you need to cover your expenses a month divide that by how many billable hours are your goal.

if you have an 1800.00 montly expenses you need to cover, and you consider 10.00 a month how many hours do you need to bill for every month? 180 hours, no that number by 4 and you get the number 45 hours... Now I'm not sure about the rest of you however I know I cannot bill 45+ hours a month nor can I find 180 clients to bill once a month for 10.00! not enough hours in the month or year to find that many.

SO the solution is to up your rate. to something much more realistic. Like somwhere between 30-60 perhour. At 60 per hour I now only have to have 30 billable hours a month and not 45+ a week.

Websites are not easy to do nor should you bill them out like your selling koolaid on the street corner. Granted some of you are school age and I can accept it... and while your learning what you want to know about the web go a head and charge 20-25.00 per hour but don't lower yourself to what someone would make filping burgers!!! Your better than that and dont worry about your the business your charging, they have the money. Perhaps not money to burn but you have skills they do not and those skills are worth something if you have or can do your job right.

[PeOfEo]

lol like I said thats what I would charge lol, I would have that exact situation that you described that the top of your post because I dont have the time to do it full time. I have a job and I have school so I have no spare time unless I only do maybe 3 sites (I only do my one right now) I would also only be doing if for friends, I mean I would not be advertising or anything like that, but thats my rate and my situation if I did web design for others thats what I would charge. Right now I am strictly a hobby web designer in training.

[James L.]

Hey Compguy Pete,

You mentioned that there are other services I could offer, or charge more for, etc.

What were you thinking....just curious.

Cheers!

[PeOfEo]

Hosting, providing a domain, doing server side programming, doing maintenance and updates, etc

[haynbrian]

With one of my prospective clients, I will be adding real estate listings on a weekly basis, adding properties and buildings as they come on the market, and taking them off when they sell.

I'm thinking between $30 and $40 per month for this. Does this sound reasonable?

Brian

[pyro]

How long do you estimate it will take each month? $30-40 really will only cover 1 or maybe 2 hours (if you know what you are doing, and it doesn't take you a long time to get things done)...