Asking a company how much they paid...

Lostinspace

Hi,

I'm in the process of setting up a web design business at the moment and I'm trying to get a better picture of what kind of prices to charge to clients. I've spotted a few websites that would be similar in nature to what I would be doing for my clients. I'd prefer not to ask the web designers directly. Instead, I'm just wondering would it be a little rude if I approached the company who had the site done and asked them what they paid for the website? It's just I don't know anyone in these companies. I'm thinking that if I'm honest with them then they may be prepared to give me an insight into what kind of price they paid.

Any thoughts?

cormee

I'd imagine they'd hang up on you. There are any number of reasons they wouldn't want to tell you - you could be a competitor, you could be the tax man, they could have struck a deal with the agency or they might just think it's none of your business.

Liam Byrne

Even if you managed not to be told to take a hike, what information does it give you ?

- What design brief was provided (colour scheme, logo, etc) ?
- How many revisions of the site were agreed on / involved before the finished product ?
- What spec was provided, or how much "discovery & design" did the web crowd have to do ?
- What graphics and content were provided, and in what format ?
- How much of a back-end / CMS is there ?
- What level of spec and normalisation was required for the database content ?
- What way is the site set up re preloading and SEO ?
- What other systems does the back-end tie into ?
- What administration rights, membership and other "hidden" facilities are there on the site ?
- How much training and support was provided ?

Not specifically directing this at you, OP, but the problem with most people who know a little, but not much, about websites just see a front-end result....hell, most people wouldn't even realise if they were given a useless Flash-based site that was impossible to update and had feck-all chance of being found.

Looking at a site as a member of the public and then asking "how much" is irrelevant, as the end result that you see is only one-tenth of the whole story.

Lostinspace

Cormee and Liam, you make very valid points. Perhaps I should rethink my strategy.

Thanks again for providing some valuable points.

cormee

Lostinspace wrote: »

Cormee and Liam, you make very valid points. Perhaps I should rethink my strategy.

Thanks again for providing some valuable points.

No worries, the rate you should charge usually sets itself. If you find customers aren't biting drop your rates until they do. It takes a while to settle though.

Lostinspace

No problem. I suppose it does take a little getting used to. I fould a good article here worth reading as well.

Cheers again

Pixelcraft

work it out as best you can, but to be honest you're going to get it wrong without experience. You'll almost definitely undercharge starting out, track your time taken for the job (meetings, calls, actual work, administration) and you'll eventually start to get an idea of the time a project will take.