Web design costs guidance

A

agusgriego

Partially Insane
Hi, I'm a Designer from Argentina and regularly I work for clients in the US. Work is good but I think I'm charging too little for my work according to US standards. I would appreciate some guidance on this issue.

For example:
How much would you charge for designing a website like this from scratch (not redesign)? http://www.forex-signal.com/

And to redesign a website with this amount of information? http://www.besttechny.com

In any case I'm talking about high quality web design, both graphical and technological.

Thanks in advance for your answers,
 
Also keep in mind that the price varies based on location as well.

I always get more from work I do for companies in say, California or New York, or Dallas, vs in Oklahoma where I am from.

And in my experience, there are times when your price is probably lower to help them out on a budget, etc. So ultimately it's up to you. GOod luck

r
 
This sounds trite, but I would try raising your price to a point where you think it is too high and see what happens. I would only do this when you have enough on your schedule that it won't hurt if you get turned down.

I personally don't believe in market prices when you are the supplier. If you can get a lot done and can manage your time optimally, go low and stay busy. You will be MUCH richer for it. If you can't (and most people fit into this category), aim high. All bets are off if they are taking tenders from others, in which case you must either go low or build in special features or benefits that will justify your price. As Robn Kester says, know your region -- but especially know your company and its industry. Most mid-sized companies can handle a $2500 site without blinking, but for a small company in a competitive area that could be all the money the owner takes home in a given month.
 
I'd prefer to have a steady stream of lower paying jobs myself, as I love the work and love to keep busy. But those larger paying jobs are nice too, esp if you can get yourself established and they recommend friends to you. But give me the smaller cheaper jobs anyday. They are usually simple, easy to implement, and almost always the clients will not nickle and dime you to death. (There are exceptions to this always.)

Another option I offer is to spread the job out over several smaller segments. I found this works very well with larger jobs with a budget limit. If you can roll out parts of the site as individual jobs, the customer gets something to fit their immediate needs and budget. Then when the next part is ready, they have a renewed budget for that billing cycle and can afford to pay up once again. Plus most places have alot less of a problem writing a check for $1000 than for $5000 even if thye are doing the $1000 times 5 over the course of several months.
 
Many times a price you might consider "high" the client won't have a clue about. Good salesmanship involves finding out what the actual budget is for the project before you have to tip your hand or put in any kind of bid. The top of the line, corporate websites with all the bells and whistles can cost upwards of $50,000 with programming, design, etc.

But it's all relative. A large corp with a huge budget can handle this. A small company can only handle a $3000-$5000 site. It all depends on what the client wants to pay, and can they afford your services at your rate, for the amount of time you think it's going to take.

I've gone as far as estimating the job and then keeping track of hours (basically working hourly) and warning the client if we're getting close to the upper end of the estimate before continuing. Then both parties are satisfied they are getting what they need at all times. A job scope can change in the course of the project and I always allow for that so everyone wins.

The worst jobs I have are when I bid a solid rate on a project and it takes 6mo. to a year to complete. UGH! And these aren't just the small clients either. :) So I try to stay away from doing that.
 
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