How much to charge for designing a site ?

threein99

Hi

I have designed a site and I have no idea how to charge for it, the site is just html +css advertising a physio practice, theres no database behind it or anything. How much would people normally charge ?

KonFusion

Let the arbitrary answers commence!

Charge as much as you can.

Tip for the future: Money first, design second.

threein99

KonFusion wrote: »

Let the arbitrary answers commence!

Charge as much as you can.

Tip for the future: Money first, design second.

I'm only doing this as a favour, wont be doing it all the time, theres about 6 pages to it with info on the various treatments. ball park figure ?

PaulPinnacle

threein99 wrote: »

... ball park figure ?

Eleventeen. Definitely eleventeen.

There's no such thing as even a ball park figure for something like that. If it's using a standard theme with minimal customisation anything more than a few euro is overcharging and if it's a completely bespoke design with exceptional effort put into things like responsive design, top notch UI and UX, care and attention given to site architecture and CRO, etc. etc. it could be worth thousands.

beauf

If its a favour. Free. Why are you expecting money.

beauf

PaulPinnacle wrote: »

... it could be worth thousands.

I didn't know Van Gogh did web design. These 6 pages must be something else.

RangeR

threein99 wrote: »

Hi

I have designed a site and I have no idea how to charge for it, the site is just html +css advertising a physio practice, theres no database behind it or anything. How much would people normally charge ?

How many hours work did you put into it?
What's your rate per hour [official and mates rates]?

Answer those and we'll come back with a price you can charge. if any.

PaulPinnacle

beauf wrote: »

I didn't know Van Gogh did web design. These 6 pages must be something else.

There are plenty of single page designs that have (and will in the future) cost thousands too.

Please don't try and make smart comments when what is being said is a fact, not opinion, and it has even come with a clear explanation of 'why'.

Graham

beauf wrote: »

I didn't know Van Gogh did web design. These 6 pages must be something else.

I guess that depends the position you're approaching the task from. If you're used to throwing a few animated GIFs and a frameset together with a Frontpage 2008 theme then €20 would probably cover it.

If you're going to spend two weeks putting together an original (as per PaulPinnacle's comments) then thousands wouldn't be outrageous.

threein99

As usual this place gives nothing only "hilarious" smart ass comments, thanks for nothing as per usual.

beauf

PaulPinnacle wrote: »

There are plenty of single page designs that have (and will in the future) cost thousands too.

Please don't try and make smart comments when what is being said is a fact, not opinion, and it has even come with a clear explanation of 'why'.

Unless you have something to suggest that 6 pages done as a favour for a physio are worth thousands, then its a completely irrelevant even ludicrous comparison.

PaulPinnacle

beauf wrote: »

Unless you have something to suggest that 6 pages done as a favour for a physio are worth thousands, then its a completely irrelevant even ludicrous comparison.

What comparison?

The comment made, at least when taken in context, was that we don't have any information available with which to answer the query with even a ballpark figure. That depending on the work carried out, the clients needs/wants/wishes, that the figure could potentially range from free to thousands and that we're in no position to even try and put a figure on the work carried out in this specific case.

I can't for the life of me see how anything said there is irrelevant, it's showing the poster that it all comes down to the specifics and there's a huge range in prices for this type of work ranging from the cheap and cheerful to the upper end of the market, or ludicrous, it's 100% factual.

beauf

Graham wrote: »

I guess that depends the position you're approaching the task from. If you're used to throwing a few animated GIFs and a frameset together with a Frontpage 2008 theme then €20 would probably cover it.

If you're going to spend two weeks putting together an original (as per PaulPinnacle's comments) then thousands wouldn't be outrageous.

As KonFusion said, "charge as much as you can". Which may also be how much the client is willing to pay. If the client is only willing to pay for a days work, (maybe that's their budget) its doesn't matter that you've spent 2 weeks on it. You need to agree a contract or price before hand.

As KonFusion also said "Tip for the future: Money first, design second."

If you said you'd do something as a favour, then turn around and ask money for it, that's not going to be end well. The client may assume its free.

You said "I guess that depends the position you're approaching the task from. " I'd agree but from the point outlining how the work was initiated. Without that information no one can answer the OP query.

beauf

PaulPinnacle wrote: »

...we don't have any information available with which to answer the query with even a ballpark figure...

You do, it was done for a favour, basic 6 pages, a physio. The OP doesn't do web design for a living. How likely is it to be worth thousands.

beauf

The OP really has to clarify how did the issue of money arise.

off.the.walls

Little off topic, charge per day or charge per site?

The_Mask

How much money can he afford to hand over!?

KonFusion

threein99

beauf wrote: »

You do, it was done for a favour, basic 6 pages, a physio. The OP doesn't do web design for a living. How likely is it to be worth thousands.

Its not worth thousands obviously, the guy asked me to design a website for him, I have done that, he insists on paying for it, I don't have a clue how much to charge.

RangeR

threein99 wrote: »

Its not worth thousands obviously, the guy asked me to design a website for him, I have done that, he insists on paying for it, I don't have a clue how much to charge.

How long did it take you? Hours, days or weeks?

beauf

RangeR wrote: »

How long did it take you? Hours, days or weeks?

I'm curious if it was 3 weeks, or 3 days what would you suggest charging in each case.

threein99

RangeR wrote: »

How long did it take you? Hours, days or weeks?

I did it over a couple of weeks, a few hours here and there, I wouldn't really charge by the hour as I was learning as I went along, spent a good bit of time learning how to use gimp to make a decent background etc.

beauf

threein99 wrote: »

Its not worth thousands obviously, the guy asked me to design a website for him, I have done that, he insists on paying for it, I don't have a clue how much to charge.

Assuming its being declared for tax purposes, and you spent 2~3 days on it, 200~600 depending on good the website is.

If you had to pay someone to paint your house or similar how much would that cost for 2~3 days work. If I was doing a favour for someone, unless it was a decent amount, I'd forget money, probably get them to buy me lunch, or a voucher for a meal, wine or something.

threein99

beauf wrote: »

Assuming its being declared for tax purposes, and you spent 2~3 days on it, 200~600 depending on good the website is.

If you had to pay someone to paint your house or similar how much would that cost for 2~3 days work. If I was doing a favour for someone, unless it was a decent amount, I'd forget money, probably get them to buy me lunch, or a voucher for a meal, wine or something.

It wont be declared for tax purposes, I'm off college for the summer thats why I said I would do it. Favour was probably the wrong word to use, the guy knew I studied software development, and asked me could I design a site, I said I know the basics, he said would I have a go and if he liked what I came up he would be willing to pay.

Dave!

If I'm doing freelance work (which I don't do very often, so don't have a rigid process!), my thinking is more or less...

1. Decide on an hourly rate
2. Have a guess at how many hours I think it will take
3. Add on some time for inevitable phonecalls, changes after feedback, etc.
4. Multiply
5. Add on a yearly amount if you're going to be hosting it
6. If there is going to be support and/or subsequent work, then decide on what terms and at what cost
7. Round up if figures are uneven or look too low!
8. ...
9. Profit!

For your own purposes you might just pick an hourly rate and multiply by how long it took you, and leave it at that, or else round it down a bit if it's a favour or mates' rates.

I'd make sure you think about support, hosting and future work too. You don't want to get into the kind of situation where you're doing "small changes" here and there and you're not getting paid for it. Nor do you want a site stuck on your server until the end of time, and you not getting paid for it, because you didn't think to discuss hosting!

KonFusion

I highly recommend, whether you're a veteran or n00b, that everyone gives 'Design is a Job' a read.

I'd consider it mandatory reading. It addresses issues such as this.

LukeQuietus

People really shouldn;t be using animated gif for ANYTHING anymore. Even spinners and loading bars can be done way nicer with css3 animations and js fallbacks. Gifs...yuk!