Acceptable price for web design services?

[jam]

What do you guys believe is an acceptable price for web design services?

What would you pay for a custom made, seo friendly, standards compliant, nice looking template, maybe a front page and another sub page.

What would you expect to pay in a lump sum?
What would expect to pay for the services at an hourly rate and how many hours would you expect the work to take?

Additional to that, what would you expect the price difference to be from a design studio to a freelancer.

[Lid]

removed by Lid

[Orrey]

Originally Posted by jam

What do you guys believe is an acceptable price for web design services?

What would you pay for a custom made, seo friendly, standards compliant, nice looking template, maybe a front page and another sub page.

What would you expect to pay in a lump sum?
What would expect to pay for the services at an hourly rate and how many hours would you expect the work to take?

Additional to that, what would you expect the price difference to be from a design studio to a freelancer.

The New Enterprise Initiative Scheme covers these sorts of details. You need to itemise each webpage component and its average cost, then compile a standard set of packages. Then, once you get a feel for things, you can start being more dynamic and provide more accurate quotes. Alternativly, you can get the client to give you a description of their webpage and base if form that, but that will change like the wind and is a lot of work for the client, so i dont recomend this option.

[aguawebs]

Ring a few design agencies and freelancers in your area to get an idea of prices been charged (I bet you get prices between $100 and $5,000)... then figure out what you are worth, or what you need to earn and charge that keeping in mind your local market prices.

The main point is what you think you are worth and what value you can bring to your client...

[jam]

Originally Posted by Lid

Can I turn that around and ask you how much you charge on an hourly basis and how long you think those 2 pages would take to produce? I imagine you would say that depends on how many graphics, any Flash, how much optimisation, how much formatting of text, images, links etc is required. It's such an open ended question.

How long would you expect someone or myself to charge, and how long do you think it should take for someone to produce the two pages?

Give me a range of price, and what you would expect to be included for the lower and higher price.

I'm trying to get a rough idea of what people think, I have had many people shocked that websites do cost thousands of dollars... (the uneducated people)

____________________

Originally Posted by aguawebs

Ring a few design agencies and freelancers in your area to get an idea of prices been charged (I bet you get prices between $100 and $5,000)... then figure out what you are worth, or what you need to earn and charge that keeping in mind your local market prices.

I'll prob do this in the uni holidays... I have seen some big prices on work that I wouldn't pay anything for, then again I've seen cheap work that looks great.

Do you guys believe that if "freelancer" is added on the front of "web design" that you would expect a cheaper rate?

[aguawebs]

Do you guys believe that if "freelancer" is added on the front of "web design" that you would expect a cheaper rate?

Yes - no to low overheads

[Orrey]

Originally Posted by aguawebs

Yes - no to low overheads

Yeah. You want to be seen as a professional in your industry so that customers/clients feel that they can trust you. Think of yourself more as a contractor. Freelancer inspires visions of unreliable and naive uni students.

[newbie]

Originally Posted by jam

How long would you expect someone or myself to charge, and how long do you think it should take for someone to produce the two pages?

Give me a range of price, and what you would expect to be included for the lower and higher price.

I'm trying to get a rough idea of what people think, I have had many people shocked that websites do cost thousands of dollars... (the uneducated people)

____________________



I'll prob do this in the uni holidays... I have seen some big prices on work that I wouldn't pay anything for, then again I've seen cheap work that looks great.

Do you guys believe that if "freelancer" is added on the front of "web design" that you would expect a cheaper rate?

Jamison,

You already know what your previous employer charges; why charge any less? After all, you are going to provide an equivalent product, only better.

Consider that their website could be only part of the package you might offer. Sell them the full solution, (web, registration, hosting, seo, marketing, right down to the business cards and letterhead). Some people would be grateful to be able to hand off the whole bundle.

[Lid]

removed by Lid

[Steve Steinitz]

Hi Jamison,

While it doesn't address your questions directly, I found the warrior thread below thought provoking with regards to gaining web-development clients.

Cheers,

Steve

Simple Cash Cow

[Jeremy]

Hey Jam,

Huge question because there are so many issues that come up. We recently paid a few thousand for a web template but then from there, every time we need changes to the template for additional sites, we're paying $150/hour...

However - we have some sites that need extra functionality, graphics, layout options, search fields etc - so then it costs more...

Also - this didn't include SEO as we opted to do that ourselves... We have previously been quoted on SEO - $500 + GST a month for 6 months for page one guarantee...

I think people need to be educated to understand that it will cost thousands to have a website deisgned, created and SEO inititially done by any worthwhile company...

As the saying goes "You get what you pay for". If you're end product is pure quality, people who understand the benefits, will pay...

Good luck!

Cheers.

[jam]

Originally Posted by newbie

Jamison,

You already know what your previous employer charges; why charge any less? After all, you are going to provide an equivalent product, only better.

Consider that their website could be only part of the package you might offer. Sell them the full solution, (web, registration, hosting, seo, marketing, right down to the business cards and letterhead). Some people would be grateful to be able to hand off the whole bundle.

Indeed

Originally Posted by Lid

Everyone's circumstances are different.

I'm satisfied with my main web site functionality-wise in that it does what it's supposed to at the front end and database at the back end, but the main page is rather drab with text and a basic logo and that's it. It's on my list to update but it's low priority.

The reason for my throwing the question back at you is that you should have an idea of what you should be charging. Not meaning to sound harsh (and I do like your work) but coming and asking that question kind of sounds like you're not that confident and you should be. I can understand that if you were new to this then you would need to build a client base and perhaps charge less while you build clients and contacts but you already have some clients listed. Hence "how much should I charge" is like "how long is a piece of string". I'd rather you put realistic prices on the examples on your site because when I do get around to getting an update, I will then have an idea of how much I'm up for.

If I, or anyone else were to contact you right now and said how much for example A on website and you were to say how much do you think it's worth... I would feel uncomfortable as it's not expected. What is expected is "do you have a static site or dynamic and if dynamic do you need scripts (asp, php, whatever) done as well?
Then you can scope it, spec it and cost it with profit for you and provide the quote.

I know I'm probably getting off the question but I think what I've said has some value anyway.

Another thing to consider is offering a discount to members of this forum if you need to build a client base.

I have an idea of what I charge, and I'm confident in my prices an think they are good value.
I don't think I will have a client base problem, I get around an enquiry every 2 days, which I turn down most if not all. This would be much more if a followed up on providing more services to each client and so on...

I was mostly looking for what people expect these services to be priced...
I have had a fair few people shocked when I quote $400+ for the simplest website, I sometimes feel cause I am a uni student (8 days left ) and I advertise myself as a freelancer people come to expect really cheap prices...

Originally Posted by Jeremy

Hey Jam,

Huge question because there are so many issues that come up. We recently paid a few thousand for a web template but then from there, every time we need changes to the template for additional sites, we're paying $150/hour...

However - we have some sites that need extra functionality, graphics, layout options, search fields etc - so then it costs more...

Also - this didn't include SEO as we opted to do that ourselves... We have previously been quoted on SEO - $500 + GST a month for 6 months for page one guarantee...

I think people need to be educated to understand that it will cost thousands to have a website deisgned, created and SEO inititially done by any worthwhile company...

As the saying goes "You get what you pay for". If you're end product is pure quality, people who understand the benefits, will pay...

Good luck!

Cheers.

Thanks Jeremy,
Liking the new BorrowNow

Ill just have to see how things go after I start taking on work...

[aguawebs]

get around an enquiry every 2 days, which I turn down most if not all.

Why?

Mate - sounds like you will do fine, just carry on as you are.

$400 for a site is extremely cheap - make sure you spell out what you are giving for that price and stick to it.

But I agree with newbie - offer the full monty

[jam]

Originally Posted by aguawebs

Why?

Mate - sounds like you will do fine, just carry on as you are.

$400 for a site is extremely cheap - make sure you spell out what you are giving for that price and stick to it.

But I agree with newbie - offer the full monty

Uni... not to keen finishing uni work and following it up with more work...
Uni finished in 8 days then I'm free, so ill be taking on more work then.

yeah that $400 quote would be for next to nothing....

[Jeremy]

Originally Posted by jam

Thanks Jeremy,
Liking the new BorrowNow

Hey Jam,

Thanks for that... I still think there's something else the new site needs but i'm working on it!!

Cheers.