how do you all charge?

[faceless105]

I'll assume that a number of you do web development for a living and i'm at a point where i'm looking for that same kind of work and i've always wondered what kind of rate to charge? No jobs seem to want to say, "we'll pay you XXX amount".. they all want you to give them a price instead, which i can understand completly from their point of view.

So what kinds of factors play a role in pricing and what are some sample prices?

I imagine that the estimated length of time and complexity of the project are the two larger factors, but i'm still at a loss of how to know what to charge. I am looking at doing php/mysql sites so maybe that helps narrow it, but i'd really love it if someone could give me some insight onto how they price their jobs.

 

[MadJuggla9]

Search, there are a lot of other generally detailed posts on the same topic. It does vary, thats about as deep as I can go without plagiarising other posts.

There are a lot of factors, sometimes salary.

 

[Digital Cro-Magnon]

Here is a very basic way of estimating projects:

Try to do thorough requirments documentation. Requirments are very important. (With many companies, you may be able to charge for this part, but don't push it too hard).

Figure out what a good hourly rate would be for yourself. Don't try to under estimate

Come up with an estimation of hours based on the requirements you gathered.

Take the estimation of hours an multiply it by 3.5. This should give you enough time for testing and debugging. It also accounts for the unkowns that are bound to come up at some point during development.

Hope this helps...

 

[ianmassey]

i hope you will take this the right way, as constructive criticism and ultimately helpful advice.

judging by that fusion mods site, you honestly should not be doing web design professionally yet. particularly your graphic design abilities are not at that level, and ultimately when you make a site for a business, someone like me is going to have to come along shortly afterward and re-do your work, thus leaving a bad taste in your former customer's mouth, and giving me a huge headache trying to extract the content from your code.

you need to take the time to bone up on your skills by doing sites for fun before you consider trying to profit. there is a wealth of knowledge out there waiting for you to come along and read it. get away from table based layouts, make a goal of writing xhtml and css code that validates. if you're going to be dealing with server side apps and data, do yourself a favor and learn xml and xsl.

and perhaps most importantly, read the design blogs and article sites religiously, and don't necessarily feel like you need to copy what they do graphically, but take notice of the current trends, and work hard on your photoshop/illustrator/whatever skills. the graphics on that site are just frankly really awful.

i hope you don't think i'm trying to insult you. i've been doing professional web design for 12 years, and i cannot tell you how vastly easier it would have been for me if someone had convinced me to do these things early on. you should be proud of what you know, and you should be eager to learn more. it's not quite time to start reaping rewards yet.

 

[hacktor2]

I am also a novice in web design, and I know for a fact, that I am no where near the skill level to start charging people. I do sites for fun, for myself, friends, gaming clans, and occasionally a school.

So I am in no way to judge, but I have some things to say about your latest creation.

almost all of your graphics have mad case of the jaggies

your top nav bar seems to cut off on the bottom, cutting part of the "shadows" off

the case votes random rig graphic is a different color then the background color

and just my opinion, that dark grey doesn't appeal to me very much, but thats just me

but it looks like you have a good future

I apologize for the big pic!

 

[phide]

judging by that fusion mods site, you honestly should not be doing web design professionally yet.

I totally agree. The OP is not there yet. I see potential here, but I don't see something that most would pay for.

Personally, my proficiency in Photoshop and Illustrator are outstanding. I can code HTML, CSS and JavaScript from scratch (well, some JS). I've been doing personal projects for at least six years. I've matured as a not-for-profit graphic designer and web developer and I know the trends -- past and present. I don't have any schooling under my belt, however, so I design purely for fun, and it is one of the most enjoyable things one can do. I love chasing the idea of absolute perfection in execution. My day job(s) are in no way related to graphic design.

It takes a substantial amount of time and energy focused into the pursuit before you can begin to have a good perspective on your capabilities. Compare your work to the work of professional designers, then determine whether or not you are on the same level as they are.

 

[Korialstrasza]

I didn't start charging for a good 2-3 years after I began web design.

It sure is fun to look back at those first websites. Made in netscape, hosted on geocities, how did I survive that?