Re: Basic web site query

["Tom Sullivan" <tsullivan -at- netexpress -dot- net>]

Hey Antonio,

First of all you don't say which market you are in.  That can make a
difference.  Where I am, I could charge an average of $20.00 per hour, or
approximately $100.00 per page, for clean, crisp HTML only output.  Just
east of me, in Chicago, the going rate is 15% to 20% higher, as it is just
south of me in St. Louis.

It depends also on how you feel most comfortable charging.

My preference is by the hour.  Some charge by the page, and still yet, some
folks charge (lump sum) by the site.  If you employ CSS you can cut your
workload down considerably in raw code and keep the look consistent and
clean across the site.

If you charge by the page, then the client generally has little problem
making myriad changes to the construct, the copy, or the concept on "your
dime."  That will increase the total amount of time you eventually have in
the site and knocks your "per hour" average down considerably.

If you charge by the hour, the client will likely ask for fewer changes, but
you have to be good enough with the concept, design, and the copy to hit the
mark early on in your construction process.  That means sitting down with
the client before tapping out a line of code and getting everything down on
paper (or whatever) and making sure all of the client's wishes and ideas are
solid before you begin.  This prep time will save you much time later in
revisions and bad karma with the client.  This design time should be charged
separately.

It will also make the hourly charge look better than the per page charge.
Especially if you can punch out the code and can achieve the client's
expected "look" relatively quickly.

Also, make absolutely sure of all the graphics questions from the get-go.

Since they are photographs, sit down with the client and view the graphics
before ever beginning the site.  Make sure you know what each picture is for
and where the client expects it to go.  Also make sure of whom is supposed
to scan the photographs for the site.  If you scan them, make sure your
charges for scanning are separated out from the coding part of the site.
And again, specify how you will charge for scanning if you are doing it.

I would quote high ($2.50 to $3.00 per photograph) for scanning, because
it's better if the client does it.  If the client provides a disk with all
the photographs already scanned, at the resolution they want, then so much
the better.  That makes the project much easier and cuts mucho time off the
job.

If this project will consist only of HTML, then I would say your time in the
project would be worth at least $20.00 per hour, depending of course on your
location.  If you are going to include "glitz and glitter" in the form of
JavaScript, then the rate goes up, at least by 25% to 30%.  Especially if
you are going to provide the concept,  the design, and the copy for the
site.

HTH

Take care and be good to yourself!

T

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Any suggestions on how I might devise a quote based on amount of time the
project could take(and what the going hourly rate is for a junior web
editor) would be most appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

Ant.


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