How much would you pay per hour for a web designer?

Question

I am targetting small businesses for small websites. Nothing special, no e-commerce, just a web presence. A three page website. What would you pay for that? And does your estimate include all charges (hosting, domain and design)? And what would you pay for updates to your website?

Answer 1

You have to take into consideration the expertise involved. After looking at those websites, I would not be comfortable paying anymore than 200.00 for those sites.

Usability has to be considered when designing your website.

Adam

http://www.rosarcmedia.com

Answer 2

I'd start out with a 200 dollar consultation, to assess what  the business needed, what graphics, photographs and other resources they would have available, who the intended target was, and so on.

After that, I'd make a mockup of the site, and return to them with  bid on building a website similar to the mockup, which they would accept because they already have realized that this was a guy who could really give them a professional result.

I would base the bid on at the very minimum  50 dollars per hour of my labor, plus expenses, and an additional fee to maintain the website, about equal to 2 times the original price for one year, assuming an update every 4 months or so.

Updates and original design would include only initial search engine optimization.

Additional charges for additional services.  Double all fees for keeping the site on the first page of google results for one single targeted search query. Add 50 percent for making the site Web Accessibility Initiative compliant.

Don't sell yourself too cheaply.  If someone wants a cheap website, they can hire a highschool kid.  If you genuinely have the skills to build a good website, it didn't come easy.  How much would you pay your doctor to keep you healthy, rather than cure you when you get sick?

Keeping up with search algorithms and keeping a site on the first page of google results takes constant awareness of the changing nature of the web, and continuously retraining yourself and acquiring new skill sets.  

Then there's the cost of all the software you are using, and keeping current.  For me that works out to several thousand dollars per year.  Maybe you use 'free' stolen software, but ethical professionals do not.

It's simplest if you host the website yourself, or host it through a company that gives you a great deal because you host multiple websites.

Finally, I have to say frankly, that if you are asking this particular question in this particular location, you aren't quite ready to be a professional webmistress, and when you are you will know exactly what your services are worth.

Hope this helps. Stick with it and keep at it, and you will make it just fine.

Answer 3

Go to elance--- I would pay 100 bucks for the website creation and then I would get some hosting using the rebates from thje site below. I just got my rebate on a domain hosting package-- at the end it cost me .49 to get hosting for one year.

Answer 4

Are you providing flash?  Rolling text?  Animation?  Multi-color?  Back drop?

Or are you putting together something as watered down as Yahoo answers for example?

If it's a watered down, generic template than I would say $100 would be fine.  It would probably take a entry-level designer approx. 45 mins to put it together.  But keep in mind that it must be secure.

Hosting?  There are companies that will host a site for as little as $2.99/mo. Domain, that is another $24.00/yr, and again the design is can be as p**s poor, or elaborate.  Depending on the creativity, and knowledge of the designer.  Your question is too basic.  It's almost like asking a person how much they are willing to pay for an automobile.

Why not offer e-commerce?  It's not that difficult to implement.  And many small business not only want a presence, but the ability to sell on the internet as well.  It reduces there overhead, and is an easy transaction.  With the cost of gas increasing, you will find online buyers increasing as well.

Just my opinion though.

Answer 5

Before we talk rates, I spot a problem with your business model. People are time-starved, they're looking for the one-stop-shop, and when it comes to websites they want options. By positioning yourself as the no frills, small businesses who want small websites guy, no one will feel like they can establish a relationship with you because they won't have confidence you can take their web presence to the next level when they're ready to do so. Successful small businesses don't tend to stay small - and those are the clients worth having.

Consider offering more. Package your offerings rather than establishing hourly rates. Your potential customers will like feeling in control of their project and their budget. For example, Package A includes just the design of one to three web pages, for say $95. Package B includes the design of one to three web pages, plus domain acquisition and email setup, for say $125. Then offer a separate maintenance package, where the client can purchase up to X amount of updates per month for a set cost.

Answer 6

It depends on how you hire him.

If you do as private contractor with agreement of lump sum payment then the amount you agree to pay after completion of the work. But, if , you hire as an hourly basis then according to DOL standard ( FSLA) Fair Standard Labor Act. you have to pay around $29.85 per hour or so. You can find under any State Labor Department.