pricing online store development for clients

[elv8]

I was just wondering :confused: how to charge a client for developing a professional online store. I have been looking at web design firms and they charge for example from $,$$$. I have been looking at developing the store in Zen Cart (free based cart) or CRE LOADED ($$$ 1-domain license).

Regarding the additional costs, would a paid cart such as CRE Loaded be an additional cost for the client or should this be included in my base price?

I have also told my client that a payment gateway and an SSL certificate are the additional costs for the store but I'm just confused whether a paid cart should be included in my development costs or be an additional cost?

I look forward to any opinions that could assist me in finding an answer to my query. :)

regards,elv8.

[yamaharuss]

http://www.webdeveloper.com/forum/showthread.php?t=73852

[elv8]

http://www.webdeveloper.com/forum/showthread.php?t=73852

Thanks for letting me know yamaharuss, I didn't even realize this topic I answered wasn't allowed on forums.

thanks again,

regards, elv8

[Compguy Pete]

We can't talk about hard numbers or any numbers really but we can talk about concepts of billing and client relationships...

I myself have recently been looking for a cart software app that would allow for a lower cost solution for my current and potential clients in this troubling economic time. Because I've found that there is so much time in the back end setting up a Shopping cart using ZenCart or OSComm. or cubecart that I just dread getting request to create a site needing a shopping cart. I should note that 90% of my clients us paypal or checks by mail for payments. So with the 2 new factors in mind I sought out another Open sourced cart that would 1. use paypal and 2 take me at least half the time to set it up that it takes with Zencart. I'll get back to what I found in a bit...

I've never even considered using a cart like CRE that has a fee when there are so many open sourced solutions to use that will do the same if not better job. Additionally the OS carts tend to have better community support for issues, addons or templates.

On the payment gateways you should never look at a payment processor that makes you manage this on your own site. it should always be redirected to that processors site so there is never a question of if the client or you have access to the card data.

So you have these 4 major areas of a cart.
1. Setup/installation
2. Edits and configuring the template
3. adding the products
4. train the client

You cant do anything about #3 at somepoint you have to add products, I try my best to pass this back to the client the only way I know how and thats to save them money :-)

But you can save yourself in areas 1,2 & 4 by finding another solution...
http://www.opencart.com
With this I'm spending less time with install/setup the template once you figure it out is easy to edit and I"m spending way less time holding my clients hand during training and post training. I even like the product entry better than in Zencart.

So after this LONG Post I hope that I helped you out some, reply back on your additional questions.