Why A Price Quote Is Better Than "Rates"
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• Please understand that, if you seek a true CUSTOM Web site, it is never to your advantage to go with an hourly rate. This indicates that the designer is working with templates in coding and non-originals in art works. Automatically, you are not getting a custom Web design. You may get a very low price on your project, but it is not going to be UNIQUE.
• All projects are based on my *by three decades freelance experience* hourly rate. Here is a very good explanation of what I mean: How To Set Rates FAQ, at http://www.hwg.org/resources/faqs/ratesFAQ.html.
• In the corporate world, at current rates, my skill set runs at about $75 per hour. The pure stress in that setting is worth - to me - about 2/3 of that amount! I work from home, don't commute (via car, anyway!), and love my time with the Arizona clouds, birds, and the pines out front. So my clients reap the cost benefit.
• My rate is $25 per hour. For Flash - because most often there is a thorny research & development component - my rate is $50 per hour.
• I base all project work on those two rates. I've been in these technologies for two decades, and am able to closely estimate the time for most projects. I keep track of all hours, so the final amount will be above or below my proposed amount.
• There must be a "fudge factor" in any quote. This allows for the unexpected. I factor in a 25% of my actual proposed amount. In other words, for a project that I estimate at $800, my quote will be $1000, with the extra $200 being the 25% (of $800) estimated amount. Again... I keep track of hours. Your final billing will be for my exact hours.
• If there are needed items, such as the scripts I use for a shopping cart (apx. $150), those will be in the quote as well. I charge you exactly what I will pay my resource for the script. So, your quote will then be: $1150. I can do this because I know that charge, upfront. There may be other things that come up, and those will be added at project's end.
• Once we reach a plan of action for what you desire for your Web design project, I require 50% of the quote price, up front. This will be billed through my merchant account at PayPal. I will begin the project immediately, or whenever we've agreed upon, timewise. Most projects are about one week in duration, except for if you've ordered a shopping cart, or some pretty heavy-duty SEO. The cart can take a couple of weeks. Any SEO campaign can be variable, but we will reach that agreement before I begin.
• To repeat: Most custom Web design projects for small businesses, running about 10 Web pages, will take about one week. They will cost out at about $1000. This is without Flash, shopping cart, SEO, or extra product or content. With a Flash element, a shopping cart, and perhaps 20 articles - this will add about two weeks time, and will cost out between $3000 and $5000.
• First deliverables will give you two days for going over the work. There should be no glaring errors at this point, as we've worked it out ahead of time for what is in your plan. I will bill the final 50%, taking into consideration differences in the hours of work, as well as any other costs, such as scripts, stock photos that came up after the initial agreement, etc. At the end of those two days, I need to have you sign off on your approval. Once final payment is in, we will do all the necessary steps for getting all files to you, domain transfer if that is part of our project, and neatly tie up our project!
• AND YOUR SITE WILL BE A SIGHT TO BEHOLD!
