In 2005, Anil Dash, one of the Vice Presidents of Six Apart, wrote in his online blog the following on how one should go about pricing one’s online goods and services:
I think I came up with my best suggestion today, and it involves only two simple steps:
- Slap the client in the face.
- Tell the client your hourly rate.
If the person [looks] more shocked, horrified, offended, hurt, saddened, or wounded by the slap in the face, then you are still pricing yourself too low.
Anil’s humorous take on this particular aspect of web design shed light on the precarious situation that many freelancers find ourselves in when attempting to bridge a compromise between the prices of our products — which we work very hard on — and the quality of our customer interactions, which matter a lot.
One of the hardest questions to answer for potential customers goes something like the following:
Answering the above question is not difficult — that is, if you know what you want.
Asking for the price of a website without clearly articulating your needs is like asking for the price of a car without specifying its make, model, year, or size.
Always keep the following in mind when considering website quotes: the more specific you are about your needs, the more specific the quote for your website will be.
If you don’t clearly know what it is that you want or need, that’s okay. But expect some hiccups along the way and try not to feel too surprised if you receive a response to your "how much" question with an “It depends.”
I recommended that you download and fill out an initial questionnaire form to receive an accurate quote. However, if you are short on time and need very loose price ranges for some of the services that I offer, I have included the numbers below.
It is extremely important to keep in mind that a multitude of factors can affect the cost of your website design, including (but not limited to):
It is clear to see that getting a price quote is quite worth it, but in the meantime, here are some very loose estimates that you can refer to when requesting a price quote.
Blog Design: From $2000 to $5000.
Basic Website Design: From $500 to $3000.
Troubleshooting: $85/hr.
WordPress Plugin Installations: From $50 to $200 (depending upon the complexity of the plugin).
Database (MySQL) Maintenance: $85/hr.
General Website Maintenance: $75/hr.
Again, the prices will vary from low to high depending on the complexity of your project and the specificity of your request.
Generally speaking, the more specific you are about your needs, the more specific the quote for your website will be.
You can read about my services or fill out a quote questionnaire in order to receive an accurate estimate.