website charge?

[Whiplash7828]

I have designed several basic websites over the past few years and am known to produce nice graphics and efficient websites. This remains a hobby of mine however.

A stranger (friend of a friend of a friend) has asked me to design a website for him as he currently has a very (and I mean very) ugly and basic website (basically like the homepages you would see 10 years ago).

He has asked me to let him know how much, etc...and that's obviously the point of my post. How much do you think is appropriate?

Here's what it will involve:
- photoshop design of the website
- 5-6 page website with info and a few pictures (really nothing much).
- I'd say there's 12 hours worth of work for me (including the design portion).

100? 300? 500?

I am thinking 12 hours at 20$ = 240...so 250$

[wheel]

You've got the equation right, but your variables wrong. If you assume 12 hours, you'd better say 24. So more like 24 X $20=round it to $500.

That's because there's a huge difference when designing a website for a fee for someone you don't know. You'd better spend some time early on figuring out exactly what the client needs. You don't just go design a site that you like and present a fait d'accompli to the client. You have to spend hours (seriously) with the client to determine what they want. Get a list of 5 sites of their competitors, and 5 sites that aren't competitors that they like. And so on. That burns hours.

Then you have to present probably 3 different samples - again it's not just one and done. They'll pick one but it still won't be what they want. They'll be back and forth. Move this. OK, move it back. Now move this. We forgot this. Change this color. Every change is 20 minutes on the phone. And so on.

I'm sure I sound like a broken record, but the scenario I describe is really what you should expect to see.

FWIW, when I quote a website a flat fee like that, a majority of my time is spent developing the quote. Once they agree to the quote, the only thing that needs to be done is complete specs (already done) sent off to the designer and to the developer. I'll easily spend 10 hours creating a quote. I don't want 5 hour 'surprises' that I don't get paid for.

[Whiplash7828]

Thanks wheel. I understand your point...as I also provide quotations for designs in my real job (not web related). That being said, I am not a pro....skilled...but not a pro. Also, I am trying to set this up in line with his expectations. From what I gather he is not looking for anything specific nor amazing...really he just wants something better than what he has. I showed him some other sites I did and he was like..."wow...that's way more than what I need"... type thing.

So, I understand where you're coming from, but he is self-employed (magician) and I am an amateur designer...so I don't want to overkill.

anybody else want to weigh in?

[cdnNick]

Like wheel said, if you are charging a flat fee you need to leave a buffer space for overruns in your time. So if you figure 12 hours then add at least 6 hours to that and quote him that price. If it ends up taking you 10 hours then you can either keep the extra amount or return some of it and look like a hero.

If you charge him a flat fee, layout what it includes with that. You are not going to make 100 revisions and 50 different designs for $500. If you lay it out for him and he wants more down the road then go back to your agreement and charge by the hour for the extra changes or services.

Don't sell yourself short either, web design is bizarre because lots of people want the world for $2/hour.

[Just Confused]

I think everybody is saying the same thing. Don't go too cheap because the surprises WILL happen. I'm in the IT racket and scoping out the project is the most important thing for fixed prices jobs.

Since this is a "labour of love" for you anyway, why don't you bid the job around $800 and do it. It will be a first hand learning experience that will prove out what the others are saying. Your second job will be a little closer on the bid.

Another thing to remember when you're in business is to limit yourself from giving away freebies. At the end of the job, your client will always ask for "one more thing". Everyone wants to be a nice guy and we do it for free. Those will eat your profits up faster than anything. Be firm and offer to do it for whatever you estimate the new item will cost.