Tips for freelance web design work?

MDLarson

MDLarson

Registered
Hey, I'm probably going to redesign a small industrial company's website - I'm thinking of charging $500 up front and $500 when the customer is a) satisfied and b) after one month or so of work.

Is this reasonable? Should I charge per hour? What do you guys charge?
 
I always decide how much is the minimum I want to make for the estimated amount of time, and charge that upfront, plus that again afterwords...because with freelance, sometimes you never get the 'after' payment.

If you build-in specific things like flash, keep the .fla source files until all payments are paid.

Make sure everyone is in agreement on specifically what the price covers and doesnt cover.Let them know that you will send them an additional estimate for more money if they exceed that limit. Scope creep can kill you unless its addressed from the get-go.
 
Here is a tip: Don't go for any bands. I mean High School / College / local bands.

Those guys 1. never have money 2. don't want to pay squat.

::ha::
 
I set up a sign off/ pay system. Where once "A" is completed the pay me $X. And sign a contract up front with specific language. Also try to work into the contract that the job must be finished within a certain amount of time.
Otherwise you end up like me who still has a site that has yet to be done over a year later because I am waiting on the client to finish his end of the deal. I don't care how much you are getting paid you can't justifiy the time vs money issue.
 
Don't lift a finger without having your client sign a contract!

I have built several sites without an agreement back in the day, and they usually ended up in a financial dispute.

In your web contract it should state deposit, mid payment, and final payment.
The client should also sign off on the work you do as they approve.

For instance....how many times has a client said..."Oh I love it!!!" ...2 weeks later they want to change everything again! So there should be a a statement saying that any changes after signoff will be $$$ per hour.

If anyone needs a web contract let me know, as I have a few differnt ones I could email you or post.

Lego
 
I echo all the above, particularly drlego's 'we love it'!

Mine is usually... 'wow, it's fantastic, we only need to change this bit slightly, then move this bit, and perhaps adjust this bit, and change that colour there, and....'
 
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