[baz watkins]

Hi all,

Just a quick question, you get a prospective client call you wanting a price. The request is for:

1. A 5 page Joomla website with a contact form.
2. Copy and image editing (Owners own).
3. On-site seo and minor template customisation.

How much would you charge, and would you quote be based on a job rate or fixed hourly rate and if so how many hours/days would you take to deliver?

This is just a hypothetical query to find out the differences of cost between designers when confronted by a fairly straightforward job.

Thanks, B.

[Glowbridge]

I think you will find people won't be entirely forthcoming about exact figures here. Everyone has their own level and their justifications for it and I think most of us treat it as a fairly personal thing. Not a closely guarded family secret but it is uncouth to publicly put down numbers on hypothetical projects.

I'd charge the way I normally charge, I'd give an estimate based on how many hours I think it would take me and the hourly rate I give myself. It depends on just how 'minor' the template changes are, how much content there is, how much editing needs done and how much SEO needs done.

It sounds like a cliché but it is true, every job is different. This could take anywhere from 20 minutes to over 10 hours.

This post has been edited by Glowbridge: 22 December 2011 - 01:05 PM

[baz watkins]

Thanks for your honesty.

Glowbridge, on 22 December 2011 - 12:56 PM, said:

I think you will find people won't be entirely forthcoming about exact figures here. Everyone has their own level and their justifications for it and I think most of us treat it as a fairly personal thing. Not a closely guarded family secret but it is uncouth to publicly put down numbers on hypothetical projects.

I'd charge the way I normally charge, I'd give an estimate based on how many hours I think it would take me and the hourly rate I give myself. It depends on just how 'minor' the template changes are, how much content their is, how much editing needs done and how much SEO needs done.

It sounds like a cliché but it is true, every job is different. This could take anywhere from 20 minutes to over 10 hours.

[MikeChipshop]

Hypothetical or not, this a question we get asked a hell of a lot on here.

The answer is always the same. Any6 decent developer/designer will have a lot more hoops to jump through and a lot more questions to ask before arriving at a price and a signed deal.

Think about it this way. I say to you "5 pages are £???", the contract gets signed and then i discover all 5 pages have varying themes and layouts. That just wouldn't fly.
Then of course how much copy, what image editing needs to take place blah blah. It's a long and winding road but it needs to be thoroughly ridden.

[D.Schuster]

MikeChipshop, on 22 December 2011 - 01:03 PM, said:

Hypothetical or not, this a question we get asked a hell of a lot on here.

The answer is always the same. Any6 decent developer/designer will have a lot more hoops to jump through and a lot more questions to ask before arriving at a price and a signed deal.

Think about it this way. I say to you "5 pages are £???", the contract gets signed and then i discover all 5 pages have varying themes and layouts. That just wouldn't fly.
Then of course how much copy, what image editing needs to take place blah blah. It's a long and winding road but it needs to be thoroughly ridden.

Fully agree with this, deciding on the website price is hard stuff, I found the best way for me is:
1) I ask them what they need and how their design should look
2) I make a basic sketch run it thro a circle of friends that are tech-savy ask them to rate it from 1-10.
3)I take the overall rating into account, for instance if the design is a 7 I decide that 7€ shall be how much I charge per hour of my work. if the design gets a rating of under 5 I just don't do it at all but rather make a new one.
4)I calculate how many hours I put into it and multiply it by the rating I got on the design

Note: before anyone sais how can my "friends" (some are rivals) decide, I would just like to say they are all really geeky and I explain what effects and special wishes I shall include.

P.S NEVER ask the client to rate you from 1-10 or explain this to them: all you need form the client is the OK on the design.

[porkchops]

I'd estimate the number of hours it would take and multiply by my hourly rate. Then I'd add 100% because they want me to use Joomla.

[BlueDreamer]

porkchops, on 22 December 2011 - 02:08 PM, said:

Then I'd add 100% because they want me to use Joomla.

Only 100%

[MikeChipshop]

[moved to business and legal disscusion]