LebGeeks

jsaade

Member

Re: How Much Should I Charge?

@rolf, these are pretty cheap prices . . .
I charge at least the double (depends on the website).

Kassem

Member

Re: How Much Should I Charge?

@rolf, these are pretty cheap prices . . .
I charge at least the double (depends on the website).

And your clients do not complain?! Seriously, I spend like 2 hours explaining to them that a CMS is essential to them and it's much cheaper than contacting me (or other developer) for updating the site on the long run, and yet they find the $400-$600 extra charge "too much" and a "waste of their money"...

Damn I hate Lebanese people sometimes... :)

jsaade

Member

Re: How Much Should I Charge?

you are right, when the client does not want to pay for what he wants, I do not do it.
I think that my time costs money, why waste it?
I spent years before wasting my time, then at the end I would look at this 400$ and say was it worth it?
How much time do you intend to put on the project? how much time do you need so it actually of value: bugless/friendly/... these thing cost time and time cost money. If I am to do a site + CMS for 400$ I would do one that is worth 400$ and it will be shitty, this is what I tell my clients.

Kassem

Member

Re: How Much Should I Charge?

If I am to do a site + CMS for 400$ I would do one that is worth 400$ and it will be shitty, this is what I tell my clients.

Exactly! Sometimes I try to explain that to them. I tell them that the quality of my work depends on their budget. I try to ask for how much money they've set aside for the project. They always try to find excuses for not answering this question. What really pissed me off one time is that I had to go to Hamra (which I always get lost in its streets), meet a client who kept bothering me with emails and phone calls, and then after we had a deal for around $1300 for a full Flash website, I never heard from him again... :)
I mean really, someone who has a store in Hamra's main street cannot afford paying $1300?

jsaade

Member

Re: How Much Should I Charge?

He probably found a fresh grad that will do it for 300$, and it will look exactly like an unexperienced work.
you are always better off ignorant client, quality clients would come, but if you are always busy wasting time doing small projects you might miss the big ones.
I give 2-3 quotes daily for freelance, but I take at most 1 freelance per month. Most clients do not want to pay or are misinformed about prices, some tell me they can do it at the same price with a full company, and I do help them and point them to web companies, of course even companies who give low prices will do a bad job.

For example, I just gave a guy a quotation for 6000$, he wanted full native apps for iphone/ipad and blackberry.
Each device has its own Design so the work x 3. I have a nice portfolio of mobile apps, and the price I gave is well studied for a period of 3months. If I take it for less, not only will I lower the standard for mobile app development (which is around 100$/hr) but also I would make clients think that I am doing a fairly easy job and that I should be paid less.
Of course, I do not expect him to call me back after such price, but if he wants something good, he better be ready to pay. and believe me this price is not expensive if you compare exprience + time to job at hand.

Last edited by ZeRaW (December 13 2010)

Kassem

Member

Re: How Much Should I Charge?

Your situation is much different from mine. I haven't graduated yet but I've learned everything on my own. For that, I started freelancing hoping I'd get more experienced before I get a job at some company. I'm not THAT experienced yet, but I'm definitely much better than most computer science fresh graduates who literally know nothing about software/web development.

To be honest, money isn't my main concern at the moment. Money will come later, enhancing my skills is my number one priority at the time being. That's why I could settle for 60%-70% of your prices. But I hate working on something so hard and not get paid enough because that makes me feel that my work, effort and time were not appreciated. I always try to give the project my best, and in return I expect some appreciation.

My biggest problem at the moment is that I do not have many contacts that would hook me up with enough clients. I sometimes spend 2-3 months without doing any projects at all. And most of the clients I get to work with are usually referred to me by other freelancers.

For example, I just gave a guy a quotation for 6000$, he wanted full native apps for iphone/ipad and blackberry.
Each device has its own Design so the work x 3. I have a nice portfolio of mobile apps, and the price I gave is well studied for a period of 3months. If I take it for less, not only will I lower the standard for mobile app development (which is around 100$/hr) but also I would make clients think that I am doing a fairly easy job and that I should be paid less.
Of course, I do not expect him to call me back after such price, but if he wants something good, he better be ready to pay. and believe me this price is not expensive if you compare exprience + time to job at hand.

Actually, $6000 is not much at all for a 3-months work. You say you have a lot of experience and a shiny portfolio (by the way, I liked the flash websites you posted in the other thread - very well done :) ). When I get to that point, I expect to make nothing less than $3000 per month, which is still less than average compared to what software/web developers get paid in other countries.

Last edited by Kassem (December 13 2010)

jsaade

Member

Re: How Much Should I Charge?

you are right, but as you said, you should be paid for your time, if you want to just learn you develop your own websites/ideas. But when you put time on another person's website, you should be paid.
I sometimes spend time without any project, but that should not be a problem, you should spend it learning and following new techniques.

Kassem

Member

Re: How Much Should I Charge?

I sometimes spend time without any project, but that should not be a problem, you should spend it learning and following new techniques.

Yup, that's exactly what I do. Whenever I've got no projects to work on, I download a video training series to watch it and read some IT related book. Unfortunately, over the past 3-4 months I've been working extensively with .NET, and now I forgot all about PHP and hence I'm struggling with my current project lol. But that shouldn't be a problem, I'm sure I'll catch up with PHP after writing some lines of code.