Website cost

3dmagicaldesign

New Member
@3dmagicaldesign: I'm from the Philippines. very shocking really shocking and yes you should believe this. I'm not joking, even my friends who are in this kind of industry were shocked also. Thanks for viewing my works by the way.

Well, I've got nothing to do at all. Better luck for me next time.


You are a very good designer, when the time comes I will send you some work
 

aracaris

New Member
While I think being a newbie may warrant lower prices, and it can really help you gain new clients, especially when you are new, there is such thing as too much. Definitely I recommend standing your ground with a higher price next time. I think that there's no harm in giving a little discount, but be careful not to short-charge yourself too much.
Looking at your sites and your education, I also would say you are not a newbie when it comes to webdesign, a newbie to business sure, but to webdesign, I wouldn't personally say so.
 
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@aracaris: Thanks, I'll take that as a compliment. I'm not really a business minded person but maybe my clients are just taking some advantage of me or they don't really know that it's not easy to build a customized website. Yes, they're good in business coz' they're business people in the first place.

As of now, I just finished some updates that my client asked me to add(this is the 3rd time.. whew). Later on I'll go to my client's shop to meet them and I hope that there will be no more ADD-ONS or I will really demand for an additional charge. Wish me luck guys!!
 

chrisbkrh

New Member
Contracts Contracts Contracts - that's all I can stress....

Layout expected price for the services rendered.

Add a clause for additional work to protect yourself.

Generally I allow for a revision or two without charging, but any more than that I state charges on an hourly basis.

Best of luck to you.

I looked at your sites and you certainly do have a knack for layout. If you want some opinion on other elements, such as logos and dropshadows, send me a private message for I do not want to be overly critical in the public forum. Even with the currency difference dollars to pesos I think you may have underbid yourself. But keep in mind, since you are just beginning to add sites to your portfolio, there is value in having these works to show future clients so don't let it get you down.

BTW, I used to live in Manila and have visited Cebu. Kawasan is one of my favorite places in the world!
 
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It is a very simple, you can do it easy by yourself, the only cost you have is cost of the hosting and domain. If you need any help just PM me.

@davidberkoff: Yes, I already know about the hosting and domain coz' my client already have a domain. What I meant was the basic cost of the website project itself. :D
 
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Contracts Contracts Contracts - that's all I can stress....

Layout expected price for the services rendered.

Add a clause for additional work to protect yourself.

I looked at your sites and you certainly do have a knack for layout. If you want some opinion on other elements, such as logos and dropshadows, send me a private message for I do not want to be overly critical in the public forum. Even with the currency difference dollars to pesos I think you may have underbid yourself. But keep in mind, since you are just beginning to add sites to your portfolio, there is value in having these works to show future clients so don't let it get you down.

@chrisbkrh: Thanks for the positive comments. Yes I really have underbid myself and it's a big loss for me. but, it's okay better luck for me next time. The logo was also one of the changes I made as requested from my client. I've just re-designed the logo for the 2nd time(hope there will be no 3rd time). My client is just wasting my time, the website should have been finished 2 weeks ago. but because he is very busy of his business, I've got nothing to do again but to wait, he still have a remaining 25% pending balance to be paid. Really frustrating.

hey, You've been here in cebu?? cool place right? :D
 

reynoldsdigital

New Member
If your starting out then do it for the learning experience but get you terms of reference down or they will demand huge amounts of work, and of course free upgrades! $200 is nothing, you won't make a living from that, if she was shocked then she's trying to play you or just very dum.

Say your price and stick to it, if they want it cheaper don't reduce the price, just cut back the service. The time spent meeting her has to be paid for so $100 should have covered that assuming it was half a day.
 
If your starting out then do it for the learning experience but get you terms of reference down or they will demand huge amounts of work, and of course free upgrades! $200 is nothing, you won't make a living from that, if she was shocked then she's trying to play you or just very dum.

Say your price and stick to it, if they want it cheaper don't reduce the price, just cut back the service. The time spent meeting her has to be paid for so $100 should have covered that assuming it was half a day.

Hi, what do you mean by "terms of reference" is it a Contract? Inside that contract are the limitations of work right? I made a contract with my client, but I think it was lacking that's why maybe they're just playing me. It was stated in that contract about the project cost, terms, and short rules. I'm not good in technical writing. Where can I find sample contracts for web designing? If you can give me some. Thanks :)
 
Developing 2 websites of 10-15pages in $200 is fine but if it is only in standard html,xhtml and css based with one contact form.
But with complete CMS is really too less.

yes I agree on that, but my client only paid me a $100 for THREE websites(20 or more pages) w/o CMS but hand purely coded PHP with client side coding. Very frustrating. :(

And here's the latest experience that added my frustrations. He just asked me for some revisions on the site AGAIN for the 4th time. This time it becomes worst coz' he want's me to re-design the logo(AGAIN), put some more colors, and upload pictures for his products. Do we really have to do that as web developers??? I think I did too much, I was the one who took pictures of their products, image processing, site maintenance, and some add-ons for that 3 websites coz' they asked me to do it all by myself. IT'S TOO MUCH!! And for a $100 project cost for the THREE websites. Then he called me I am such a LIAR coz' I really started these websites as our school project and I didn't finish it right away for I was still studying while developing the site. He called me a LIAR coz' he think I took for granted of the project which is not true.

That was such a bad experience for me, but I won't give up.
 

darrenfox

New Member
I always like to compare the cost of the Yellow Pages. People are paying more than $200 just to have their name and phone number listed. Check out this website for example:
http://www.entrepreneur.com/advertising/adsbytype/article83110.html

Now do you think a website is worth more than a 1" advertisement that receives far less exposure than the potential the worldwide web has. Oh, and that ad usually only lasts a year. Take that $200, and multiple it by 10 at least. How you sell yourself has more to do with the cost than your actual skill level.
 
I just want to clear this to you guys, my clients and I had an agreement of a $200 project cost for THREE(3) websites. Can you imagine that? They already paid me 90% , but because of what they said to me that I am a "LIAR" and some words that disappoints me I can't swallow my pride anymore. I have to close the project. This is too much! Can't help it anymore. And I'm not after for that remaining 10% balance to be paid for me coz' it's nothing. Rather have more practice and study more to be proficient so that when time comes that I will be ready to work on another project, I already know my price and work appropriately.

Am I doing right? Nyone?

By the way, thanks for your helpful advises. I really appreciate all of those. :)
 
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chrisbkrh

New Member
I just want to clear this to you guys, my clients and I had an agreement of a $200 project cost for THREE(3) websites. Can you imagine that? They already paid me 90% , but because of what they said to me that I am a "LIAR" and some words that disappoints me I can't swallow my pride anymore. I have to close the project. This is too much! Can't help it anymore. And I'm not after for that remaining 10% balance to be paid for me coz' it's nothing. Rather have more practice and study more to be proficient so that when time comes that I will be ready to work on another project, I already know my price and work appropriately.

Am I doing right? Nyone?

By the way, thanks for your helpful advises. I really appreciate all of those. :)

Yes sometimes you have to walk. Especially if the client keeps asking for more work.

Next time set the expectations of the client before hand so that if there are requests that fall outside of the parameters set forth from the beginning you can collect extra charges.

Also, collect half upfront before even starting.

I just landed a freelance project for an aquaintance of mine.
Home page, 6 subsequent pages, wordpress CMS.
$1000 (if I didn't know the guy I'd charge $1500)
 
Next time set the expectations of the client before hand so that if there are requests that fall outside of the parameters set forth from the beginning you can collect extra charges.

Also, collect half upfront before even starting.

I just landed a freelance project for an aquaintance of mine.
Home page, 6 subsequent pages, wordpress CMS.
$1000 (if I didn't know the guy I'd charge $1500)

@chrisbkrh: Thanks, you were right I really have to prepare my contract form next time with estimated work limitations, project time frame, and etc. But as what I've said unfortunately I'm not good at technical writing(gotta research more on that.). Ei, if any client of mine happens to be my friend, relative of mine or even someone else as long as that client has a good attitude, then will ask me for a discount, WHY NOT? But the fact is we really don't know who they are.

By the way I just viewed your website. Very inspiring to me. I really love to master flash websites but I have to master CSS first. :D
 

podolux

New Member
Before you start the next project try to prepare a Terms & Conditions for your work. Take 50% as an advance payment just after a client's agreement about the layout and design. Make a price list on your website and explain there what is included in the base price (how many pages, photos, modules, etc). For more than that you can charge per hour or per webpage.
If your work is good enough, client will pay.
For the portfolio you can make some example pages, to show what you can do.
Do not cry about the money you just got, that happens to many web-designers.
Best wishes.
 
Before you start the next project try to prepare a Terms & Conditions for your work. Take 50% as an advance payment just after a client's agreement about the layout and design. Make a price list on your website and explain there what is included in the base price (how many pages, photos, modules, etc). For more than that you can charge per hour or per webpage.
If your work is good enough, client will pay.
For the portfolio you can make some example pages, to show what you can do.
Do not cry about the money you just got, that happens to many web-designers.
Best wishes.

Thanks, that's very inspiring. Actually I'm preparing those things but my problem right now is my own website I still don't have a domain, though currently I'm working on with my portfolios and reading books as my reference. Gotta save money first to get my own domain. hehe

Thanks ;)
 
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