unsure how much to charge for a website

[KimberleyCreative]

Hi all,

Someone has asked me to design a website simular to my own, but I'm not sure how much to charge.

I opened my business this year, and am going at beginner rates. How much do you think I should charge per page?

Thanks,

Kimberley

[Toon]

Charge Hourly then they can add as many pages as they like and you'll get paid for them

[rossable]

another standard way is to charge a flat fee of $100 (is that £80?) per page.

[blueocto]

Work out how much you need to survive, based on an hourly rate and that might help you get an accurate reading, and not undercut yourself for future projects

[mjhoagland]

Actually there shouldn't be such a thing as "beginner rates". Business is business and people are looking for a good value, not a good deal. My best recommendation is go to other design websites that offer similar features and services that you want to offer and see what they charge. This will give you a general understanding of the VALUE of those services. That's what you want. Just because it only costs Microsoft maybe $100 per copy of SQL Server given development costs, packing, marketing, etc before they make a profit they still charge nearly two grand because it's a very specialized product that meets a large need very well so therefore it's value it quite high.

For me personally, I charge anywhere from $20 to $40 USD per hour for ASP.net development from scratch. If I have to work with someone else's code I charge $50 USD. I could "get by" with only $10-$15 but what's the point? Why not get what you're worth and start strong and stay strong? That's the point of business, imho.

Edit: Basically, if your solution fits their needs well then they should pay a fair price for it regardless of how long you've been in business. I do greatly agree with the hourly rate though. That way if you quote them a base price and sign a contract with that price then they could change their minds on a feature or page if the contract allows it and you're doing twice as much work at the same cost to them, which isn't right.

[Mack]

$1,200 USD.
$20-$40 an hour after site is live for any update.

[tommylogic]

Originally Posted by Mack

$1,200 USD.
$20-$40 an hour after site is live for any update.

That is a very reasonable & average rate... clients should not have a problem with that figure. No reputable designer will do a site for under $1000

[KimberleyCreative]

Thanks for your replys everyone! All very good points. I'll charge them buy the hour, that way I'm not volunteering time for making changes.

[PR Design]

That is by far the most difficult decision a freelance designer will make. But look 'em in the eyes and state your amount. If they don't like it, move on to the next one until they do appreciate that the amount you're charging reflects a demand they have.

[tommylogic]

Originally Posted by KimberleyCreative

Thanks for your replys everyone! All very good points. I'll charge them buy the hour, that way I'm not volunteering time for making changes.

I think you may end up in a position of trying to justify your hours. I like the idea of flat rate + hourly and limiting the revisions in the contract. Limiting the number of revisions and setting mandatory response times to those revisions will keep your project on track and help in maintaining deadlines / project completion.. and ultimately the timeliness of your check.