web design cost?
- Thread starter celini
- Start date
Modern_Media
New Member
The cost of designing a website is simple:
This relates to US markets ONLY.
A good developer will estimate how long it should take to build a project. If a large project is going to take 4 weeks to build then the cost is going to come down to how much the developer charges per hour.
If a developer's rates are $50.00 an hour - take 40 hours a week times 4 and you have 160 hours. Expect to pay $8,000.00
HOWEVER, if you have a less experienced designer/developer, you will pay less but then again, YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR.
Most clients don't realize this because they don't know what goes in to making a website. These types of "un-educated" clients are the ones who typically get burned when they buy a $500.00 website that does absolutely NOTHING for them. These clients are usually the ones who go out of business. Sad but true.
What makes more sense?
A) Spending $500.00 - $1,000.00 on a website. You have a website but you get no business. Return on Investment = $0.00. No increase in sales. Website = "Virtual Paperweight."
B) Spending $3,000.00 - $6,000.00 on a website from a professional company. Website brings 20-40% more business to the company. Return on Investment = 40% profit increase. The website PAYS FOR ITSELF.
Typical Pricing on Websites:
Here's my advice: If you own a business and you just want a website to have one and you do not care about it being seen unless you hand someone a business card, you should expect to spend $500 - $1,500.00 For a website.
If you want something with good design, good marketing, and the features you want/need then you should expect to pay anywhere from $2,500.00 up to some very large number.
If you have an online store idea - pay anything UNDER $5,000.00 and you will NOT be happy with the results.
If you are using an overseas developer - expect to cut your costs in 1/2 and do not opt for marketing.
This relates to US markets ONLY.
A good developer will estimate how long it should take to build a project. If a large project is going to take 4 weeks to build then the cost is going to come down to how much the developer charges per hour.
If a developer's rates are $50.00 an hour - take 40 hours a week times 4 and you have 160 hours. Expect to pay $8,000.00
HOWEVER, if you have a less experienced designer/developer, you will pay less but then again, YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR.
Most clients don't realize this because they don't know what goes in to making a website. These types of "un-educated" clients are the ones who typically get burned when they buy a $500.00 website that does absolutely NOTHING for them. These clients are usually the ones who go out of business. Sad but true.
What makes more sense?
A) Spending $500.00 - $1,000.00 on a website. You have a website but you get no business. Return on Investment = $0.00. No increase in sales. Website = "Virtual Paperweight."
B) Spending $3,000.00 - $6,000.00 on a website from a professional company. Website brings 20-40% more business to the company. Return on Investment = 40% profit increase. The website PAYS FOR ITSELF.
Typical Pricing on Websites:
Here's my advice: If you own a business and you just want a website to have one and you do not care about it being seen unless you hand someone a business card, you should expect to spend $500 - $1,500.00 For a website.
If you want something with good design, good marketing, and the features you want/need then you should expect to pay anywhere from $2,500.00 up to some very large number.
If you have an online store idea - pay anything UNDER $5,000.00 and you will NOT be happy with the results.
If you are using an overseas developer - expect to cut your costs in 1/2 and do not opt for marketing.
Last edited:
hkwebdesign.nl
New Member
Great post Modern Media!
sitegrinder
New Member
It may also depend on the scope of work a web designer would do..Pay also varies..Thanks for posting this! More Power!
Modern_Media
New Member
More suggestions -
Depending on your level of expertise- This is what I believe you should be charging for web design. (All currency is in US Dollars) These are NOT standards - only simple guidelines and basically a PERSONAL opinion. Use at your own discretion!
1. Novice - Your hourly rate should be $10.00
You may not know the amount of time it will take to build your project so you may end up working a flat-rate at around $500.00 - $900.00 for a site.
Novice developers should NOT discuss SEO unless they are putting together a pay-per-click campaign.
2. Beginner - Your hourly rate should be $20.00
Same applies to Novice with flat rates. $500.00 - $900.00 for a site.
Beginner developers should NOT discuss SEO unless they are putting together a pay-per-click campaign.
3. Intermediate - Your hourly rate should be $25-$35.00
You have a better idea of what it takes to build a website. However, advanced skills such as custom database applications, custom flash (actionscripting), and Javascripting, Internet marketing may require you to outsource to a professional.
Your flat rate should cover your time but you may have to dip into costs to pay for professional outsourcing.
Most template web designers fall into this category (template as in you buy templates, not make them custom). Flat rate charges should be around $1000.00 - $2500.00 depending on the site.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
4. Advanced - Typically $40-$75.00 Depending on skills
Advanced designers/firms can handle almost anything from flash, css, javascripting, and good internet marketing skills. Advanced users normally have well over 3 years experience.
VERY FEW individuals fall under this category. In most cases, advanced means small design firms with multiple talents.
Advanced site flat rates usually start at $1500.00 (template design) and go up from there for custom website design/development.
5. Expert - Expect to charge $80.00 to $150.00 an hour.
What defines an expert? Top level Design firms typically fall under this category- especially if their employees each have 5+ years of experience in their fields. Individual persons RARELY fall under this category because it requires such a wide range of talents and expertise. An expert design firm has a firm grasp on graphic design, web design, css, javascripting, internet marketing, database design and development, server technology, network security, content management, copywriting, e-mail security, flash, actionscripting, php, user interface, sales, and strong business skills to promote their clients.
Experts typically are able to list everything they are building down to the penny so there is no confusion as to what is and is not being built.
Expert design firms usually have:
graphic designer professionals (1 or more)
professional programmer (1 or more)
professional SEO/Copyright Marketing (1 or more)
networking specialist (1 or more)
A sales force
Advanced and Expert designer/developers typically build websites that pay for themselves everything else falls under the other categories.
When I said before that you don't use overseas for marketing, that's not because overseas developers can't do it (that would be a false statement) but because local developers have a better understanding of culture and marketing in their area. As an example, I wouldn't know the first thing about how to market a business in Australia - I could try but I am certain I would fail unless I traveled more than once a month to that country.
These "rates" are what designers should try to abide by. When people say what is your time worth? The answer depends on your experience.
Keep in mind, this is just from our experience in the web design community and comes from working with many other design firms in my lifetime. Some people may charge more, some people may charge less.
I hope this at least give a basic idea of how to charge. Nobody ever answered this question for me when I asked it 9 years ago!
Depending on your level of expertise- This is what I believe you should be charging for web design. (All currency is in US Dollars) These are NOT standards - only simple guidelines and basically a PERSONAL opinion. Use at your own discretion!
1. Novice - Your hourly rate should be $10.00
You may not know the amount of time it will take to build your project so you may end up working a flat-rate at around $500.00 - $900.00 for a site.
Novice developers should NOT discuss SEO unless they are putting together a pay-per-click campaign.
2. Beginner - Your hourly rate should be $20.00
Same applies to Novice with flat rates. $500.00 - $900.00 for a site.
Beginner developers should NOT discuss SEO unless they are putting together a pay-per-click campaign.
3. Intermediate - Your hourly rate should be $25-$35.00
You have a better idea of what it takes to build a website. However, advanced skills such as custom database applications, custom flash (actionscripting), and Javascripting, Internet marketing may require you to outsource to a professional.
Your flat rate should cover your time but you may have to dip into costs to pay for professional outsourcing.
Most template web designers fall into this category (template as in you buy templates, not make them custom). Flat rate charges should be around $1000.00 - $2500.00 depending on the site.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
4. Advanced - Typically $40-$75.00 Depending on skills
Advanced designers/firms can handle almost anything from flash, css, javascripting, and good internet marketing skills. Advanced users normally have well over 3 years experience.
VERY FEW individuals fall under this category. In most cases, advanced means small design firms with multiple talents.
Advanced site flat rates usually start at $1500.00 (template design) and go up from there for custom website design/development.
5. Expert - Expect to charge $80.00 to $150.00 an hour.
What defines an expert? Top level Design firms typically fall under this category- especially if their employees each have 5+ years of experience in their fields. Individual persons RARELY fall under this category because it requires such a wide range of talents and expertise. An expert design firm has a firm grasp on graphic design, web design, css, javascripting, internet marketing, database design and development, server technology, network security, content management, copywriting, e-mail security, flash, actionscripting, php, user interface, sales, and strong business skills to promote their clients.
Experts typically are able to list everything they are building down to the penny so there is no confusion as to what is and is not being built.
Expert design firms usually have:
graphic designer professionals (1 or more)
professional programmer (1 or more)
professional SEO/Copyright Marketing (1 or more)
networking specialist (1 or more)
A sales force
Advanced and Expert designer/developers typically build websites that pay for themselves everything else falls under the other categories.
When I said before that you don't use overseas for marketing, that's not because overseas developers can't do it (that would be a false statement) but because local developers have a better understanding of culture and marketing in their area. As an example, I wouldn't know the first thing about how to market a business in Australia - I could try but I am certain I would fail unless I traveled more than once a month to that country.
These "rates" are what designers should try to abide by. When people say what is your time worth? The answer depends on your experience.
Keep in mind, this is just from our experience in the web design community and comes from working with many other design firms in my lifetime. Some people may charge more, some people may charge less.
I hope this at least give a basic idea of how to charge. Nobody ever answered this question for me when I asked it 9 years ago!
Last edited:
Modern_Media
New Member
"These are NOT standards - only simple guidelines and basically a PERSONAL opinion. Use at your own discretion!"
You must have missed this part
In fact, I still stand by my opinion and from what I have seen - your costs seem to match perfectly with what I wrote. You're selling a Joomla Template up to 10 pages for $600.00 (yes, modifying a BEEZ template is still using a template)....Though I'm not calling you a novice or beginner, you're selling your services at those kind of costs.
What I wrote was for the general masses. You're putting yourself into this equation which doesn't really answer the question. You have to realize, not everybody uses Joomla CMS. Some of the developers here use standard xHTML & Dreamweaver.
Age? I have no idea what that was for unless you were doing it for bragging rights? I'll just ignore that statement
I could have easily given what my studio charges and how much we make but honestly, that wouldn't be answering the general question of "How does a designer decide cost for web design & development of particular website"
I think it's great that you're making a living doing web design - that's what everybody in this post is trying to do which is why I posted those "guidelines" because some of the developers using this forum might be looking for their "niche."
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seomaterial
New Member
Gr8. posts. But before give web design and web development cost you should have to know about your market, your client market. Is you client is local or foreign. Web development cost depends on your and your client. Where you sit & from where your client belongs to. I think there is no hard & fast rule. Just give calculate your estimated time & give estimate cost according to your time.
glentaylor
New Member
Nice sharing here, its beneficial to all guys.
Thanks.
Thanks.
bluefirefox007
New Member
I think it depends on what kind of web design it is. The above price may vary though.
You can check other web design company and compare their prices.
You can check other web design company and compare their prices.
How long is a peice of string?
Here in the UK, generally if you take on the work as a sideline the going rate is £20 to £25 an hour.
If you offer a good service £60 is not un common (People expect you to be a business though).
If you can call yourself an angency £180 an hour.
My advice is not to go in too cheaply, always bang on about the service and added value there is in your product.
If you go in just on price, there are a lot of companies in China and India who will work for you £300 to £600 a month as a full time employee, that £3 an hour.
Last year I was working with a designer and we charged £900 for a single page of HTML (couple of hours work) so the money is there.
Here in the UK, generally if you take on the work as a sideline the going rate is £20 to £25 an hour.
If you offer a good service £60 is not un common (People expect you to be a business though).
If you can call yourself an angency £180 an hour.
My advice is not to go in too cheaply, always bang on about the service and added value there is in your product.
If you go in just on price, there are a lot of companies in China and India who will work for you £300 to £600 a month as a full time employee, that £3 an hour.
Last year I was working with a designer and we charged £900 for a single page of HTML (couple of hours work) so the money is there.
pjmcdermott
New Member
Some designers (like me) charge by the page as well. Many clients need a site consisting of a few pages...say 5 (home, about, services, order, contact). An intermediate or advanced designer can have these pages layed out, approved, and coded in as little as six to ten hours. I experience this kind of work all the time, and I have found that most clients perfer to pay by the page because if something happens and the timeframe is a little off, they don't want to pay the developer for extra time outside of the quoted timeframe and cost.
I charge about $50 per page, and I add to the cost for things like PHP forms, embedded audio/video files, etc., and this has proven me great success over the last three years.
Thank you!
www.pjmcdermott.com
I charge about $50 per page, and I add to the cost for things like PHP forms, embedded audio/video files, etc., and this has proven me great success over the last three years.
Thank you!
www.pjmcdermott.com