What would you design for $500?

[notarypublic]

How much of a value/How much time would you spend on a website for $500? I'm considering offering a flat rate for projects within a certain size, in order to appeal to local small businesses.

What I'm considering offering:
3 to 6 static pages
Basic SEO
Custom layout
Image optimization/Basic copyrighting
Set them up with 3rd party hosting, email, etc
Free 1 month support

Logo design is something I enjoy, but I'm not a graphic designer by any means - I would only charge $50 to $75 for that, tops. Any web advertising would be added to the budget and I might charge a small premium to put ads out for them.

How much time would it take you to do all of the above? Think that's worth the price?

 

[notarypublic]

For reference, where I work now I am paid as the department web designer. I just got asked to work on this site and redesign it. I would personally consider a site of this size to be within the $500 range.

 

[DHDdirect]

Yeah I think that sounds about right. Make sure you write out in your proposals the details of work covered for that price so they know when the design ends and it doesn't stray from it's original agreement. Also detail what services the support covers etc.

I include a statement in my proposals that any alterations or additions may result in extra charges. Also that the proposal is only valid for a couple weeks so they don't come back in a year wanting you to honor a year old proposal.

Good luck

* I suppose I haven't even answered your main questions :-| sorry about that. I'm a pretty much a sucker so I'd usually spend too much time on projects for what it is actually paying. Generally it boils down to getting a graphic to look a certain way or getting all the browsers looking right etc which sometimes takes hours. I think any web builder has a bit of perfectionist in them though. I certainly don't think it's worth the price in my experiences but it's a alright price that I think small businesses will pay for a decent website. Of course other opinions may vary

 

[ronaldroe]

That is exactly what I do for that price.

For reference, where I work now I am paid as the department web designer. I just got asked to work on this site and redesign it. I would personally consider a site of this size to be within the $500 range.

That menu has to be the least necessary use of flash I've ever seen.
The best part is the empty button at the bottom.

 

[notarypublic]

Don't get me started about the designer that I replaced..

How much time would you put into a $500 site, is the other question - 10 hours? More? Less? Maybe this isn't a fair example, but I think to redesign this site with a "standard" looking design and using all the same content wouldn't take more than 5 or 6..

 

[krymson]

Personally what I do is kind of what you do. I offer up to 5 pages, basic SEO, optimized images, 1 Month Support, and search for a 3rd party web hoting and domain till i get enough clients. After I get enough clients, buy into a reseller account and start hosting my clients web site for residual income. You can get a decently priced reseller accout for $20-25 USD a month, charge $5-10 a month for hosting and add FREE support on top of that to entice them to host with you, after 3-5 clients the rest is all profit from there. Its what Im working on doing. BUT Right now I'm offering my same 5 web page package minus the 1 month free support for $150 to get more clients and pray they spread your services by word of mouth.

 

[BMA]

That sounds about right. If you offer to set up third party hosting for them, make sure to only offer it from one of three hosts you like to work with. You can waste too much time working with some oddball host they choose or explaining to them why CityMax isn't really a website host.

That's very close to what we offer for home health care websites. Feel free to check out my downloadable service agreement here to see if there are any details you would want to include in your service agreement: Home Health Care Websites Design.

 

[AK Web Design]

I would be very clear about the term "basic SEO." The client might have a very different definition than you.