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Mountain Eagle Resources For Web Developers, Designers and Marketers Just as any other small business, a Web Design Company or Freelancer must be concerned with establishing a “Front-end” business system that will facilitate the streamlining and minimization of nonproductive time, allowing focus on productive, revenue generating activities. You must discern what the customer wants as soon as possible and convert that to their reality and satisfaction in a short time to be successful. The tools provided in ProposalKit 5.0 greatly accelerate the front end process with, interview, estimating, design and proposal materials, including spread sheets, legal documents and more. The kit also includes; development contracts, multimedia agreements and forms, development, deployment, marketing and maintenance materials. This software is an absolute necessity. The first site you design using these tools can more than make up for the price of the software. Make sure and review the ProposalKit software link just below: Who are your Customer’s customers? A good B2B Site design will anticipate, incorporate and meet the needs of your client’s Investors, Customers and Employees. In a B2C Site, you primarily have to focus on your client's customer. Then, you are creating real value, something you can market. Don't stop at "We Design", market yourself and your customer. See more about "Creating Value". Interview your customer with a pre-formatted questionnaire via; phone, fax, e-mail, in person, or over the Web, settle as many issues as possible from the start. Check out "ProposalKit" mentioned above for a pre-formatted 72 question interview guide. Customize it for yourself - saves a lot of time!Don't GEEK it up! Some HR (Human Resource) Managers believe that a good EQ (Emotional Quotient) is as, or more important than a good IQ (Intelligence Quotient). In fact most business is done under more relaxed auspices. Present yourself well and you will market your company without even trying. Be prepared up front, pull together a detailed spreadsheet where you can meet your customer at his/her worst fear, PRICE! One Site we Designed for a customer was Quoted at $20,000+, we designed it for $3,500, and it matched their published media with continuity between printed and digital presentation! Detail all issues of Web Development from Concept through; Marketing, Promotion, News Releases and more. Impress your client and save personal or employee time, there is no better Management and Marketing of yourself and your business. Know that your endeavor is profitable and provides your customer, good value ----- BEFORE YOU GET TIED IN! As you go forward you will find that the links and resources provided on this page have been carefully selected to bring optimal value and time saving direction without a bunch of clutter. Pricing How do I price my services? From our research; Master level Web Development runs from $75-120/hr., Custom Graphics runs $65-$75/hr., On-Site Digital Photography runs $80+/hr., Maintenance Contracts are negotiated for around $55-$75/hr., and Web Design Consulting runs $100-$300/hr.. Some companies charge $95 - $120/hr. across the board. It all comes down to how good you are and how fast you can deliver product, or what kind of value/perceived value you/your company can deliver your customer. Not long ago I was browsing through a "Webmaster's Newsgroup". The ever present question on pricing was there again. One respondent claimed to charge $18/hr. There is no way to take any business serious near those low rates. Your, or your client's mechanic charges at least $75/hr. to work on vehicles in most parts of the United States. Value your time appropriately against your capabilities and experience. How can anyone sustain them self, their family, pay for new equipment and software and have a 20-30% educational and administrative time associated with this business at those low rates? Later on (9/30/03), I again visited the "Webmaster' Newsgroup and found a more definitive explanation of web development pricing submitted to the newsgroup by a contributor named Jerry Johnson: Starting out, figure $25 per hour. BUT keep in mind
as you gain As an example: Company 1 has a site designed for $75/hr (closer to the going rate
for Company 2 talks to a lot of designers ranging from $25/hr up to $125 Which company got the better "deal"? Which design/consultant would you rather be? Jerry Johnston The point being that the Internet is an extremely complex entity to deal with. A web developer must constantly stay on top of many dynamic issues to get and maintain client priorities and top listings, in order to command top $. You must measure potential clients up front. Let the newbies take the $15-#20/hour clients who are fresh out of schools or a "Relative that knows how to ad-lib html". They will never be able to deliver a valuable presence for a client that expects an all encompassing web delivery and is ready to pay for top notch valuable Internet web development and presence. Sure it is a competitive business, but let the crumbs go, if you have advanced capabilities! That might sound "cocky" on the surface but you just can't support a business that sustains a 20-30% administrative time and replenish hardware and software at a rate sufficient to stay on top at those rates. Besides, why should you charge less than a mechanic charges your customers to work on their fleet of vehicles? At the top end you find highly specialized companies forging the future of the Internet, especially as technology progresses and as, more viewers subscribe to faster ISP services. Visit the companies listed below, their client lists speak for themselves. Here are 2 of many good examples of companies forging the "Future of the Internet": www.2advanced.com At these levels, they can command $120+/hr, when all is said and done. Again, visit their portfolios and review the client lists!
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