Question on Pricing for potential first client

[jdm]

Hello,

This is my first post in the forums. I am fairly new to the web development community and designing – I am starting out without any experience besides college classes. Anyways I do not have a website up yet – although I am working on getting that completed.

I have however been approached with a potential client, whom I will be meeting with this upcoming weekend, who would like a website to assist in his selling of his comic drawings. I am meeting with him to work out specifics about a potential job and to get acquainted more with him and his work. Anyways my main concern is pricing (if it comes to that). I am not sure how much I should charge for the web design and the coding. I’ve researched a lot of articles – and many say that pricing should be based on time involved in the project, the complexity of it, the design and coding (structure) and experience. I also read that maybe I should do a flat rate for basic web design which can be built upon depending on how complex the project is. What I don’t have is a reference for what a flat rate is concerning basic web design. How can I determine how much a basic design that involves basic coding is?

Hmm maybe with my first client, I should approach it from how much time is involved only? Anyways Does someone have any starting points or references to how I am able to determine pricing for basic web design and coding?

Thanks.

-j

[John Kim]

as you are a beginner, you might spend twice as long as a professional developer with years of experience. It wouldn't be fair to charge by the hour considering your level of inexperience. give him a flat rate, and use this opportunity to keep learning. Once you become better and more confident, then you can start doing real business.

[alvo]

The best way is to price by the job and not by the hour. This is the fairest way for both parties if you structure it right in your contract with the client. They know ahead of time what the job will cost and what various extras will be and when they might be added to the bill (for instance, making major design changes after approval of a design and work has begun or if they decide to add a dozen new pages or want a script integrated that hadn't been om the original quote).

If you know what it takes for you to build a site and have an idea what your time is worth, you can easily arrive at a price fair to you and if they are fine with it, then it's fair with them as well. The biggest problem with charging by the hour for creative work is that a fantastic idea you got right away isn't worth less than one just "ok" that took days to come up with, is it?

After the creative work is done, then comes the nuts-and-bolts work that should be charged by the hour (such as site maintenance).

[dinosaur]

I would suggest this approach:
1.Calculate your costs, how much do you spend on food,rent,utilities etc. or if you live if your parents calculate how much money are spent with your "survival" per month.
let's say you cost 1000 bucks (it is just a nice sum I picked randomly), above this you should add a percentage 20% let's say because you are a beginner (these are your extra money, that you can use for fun,studies personal development) =>1200 bucks
these are the money you need in a month, below it does not worth working, then calculate how much time (days , 1 day = 6 hrs of work, you can calculate for 8 hrs but it is not relevant as yield drops after 6 hrs and you do not have the same efficiency) would be required to deliver the solution turn-key.
there are aprox 20 working days in a month so you should earn (relatively ) 1200/20 = 60$ per day.
OBSERVATION: considering this is the first client you could give a good discount, but do that obviously, by saying this costs X bucks but as you are my first customer I give you y% off. If someone asks why are the costs as they are, you can bring relevant arguments. Also you should never earn below the costs of your vital needs (if you live if your parents you can do it just to earn market share, otherwise you will end bankrupt), the percentage you add above the costs of your vital needs depends on how many requests do you have, more potential customers = bigger percentage share this is called the added value, and that's how markets work, relying on the report between offer/demand.