Hello everyone

I've been really stressing myself out into knowing how to charge for web-design. I've been studying HTML and CSS for the past few months...but then discovered the most wonderful piece of software created by Coffee Cup - VSD.

I'm going around and around with needing to know how to charge. I want to be fair by all means, but then I don't want to go broke......LOL

Can anyone offer some helpful advice ? I've read that hourly is something that should not even be considered. But I'm open to hear any suggestions. Thanks so much !!

Are you going to be making this your full time job or just an occasional service? If it is going to be full time, you are probably going to have to consider what taxes and other expenses you will have...
If you know your work is excellent and impeccable, then you can confidently charge at the higher end of the scale. If you still need to gain experience, lower your sights and do a few free sites for people, or at least at a lower fee, exploiting the publicity the work is going to get for you through word of mouth.
Some people do a cost per page...others work by calculating the time a job takes.

IMHO it is good to get a small percentage of your estimated total when you actually begin the creative process...then decide on pages versus time and either charge all the balance at the end, or break the work down into areas which require a payment at each stage.

I see that some people charge for extra content eg. a photo gallery, a calendar etc.etc. If you have to work on the graphics yourself...you can charge for that. If you have to do proof reading...charge.

Just Google "web site prices" to see what others are charging...it might help you decide for your own tariffs.

As Janys pointed out - a lot rides on whether this will be your full-time work or a side job. There are sites/info on the web that will help you determine what your salary should be (based on your needs, expenses...). If you're in the states, this site might be helpful:
http://salary.com/mysalary.asp
You can see what the average salaries are in your area and decide where you fit based on your experience. Once you have that info figured out, get 'Googling' and see if you're in line price -wise for your area based on your level of expertise and what you offer. Here's some general info:
http://www.google.com/search?client=fir … 2b5c0e0691

Awesome !!! Thanks so much Janys and Paintbrush. Will check out the links

JUMPING IN HERE . . . HELLO JANYS . . . MISS CHATTING WITH YOU . . .

Your formal education, informal education, experience, abilities, and location should be factored into your pricing. Don't portray yourself as something your not, it will catch up with you.

VSD is nice for beginners to create websites but clients will want more than VSD can offer, so if you want to become a web designer, you will have to learn CSS, HTML, and scripting.

Thanks Tom .....I have studied HTML and CSS.....and found that being a mom and a wife while coding and designing ....can be a little CRAZY !!! LOL

And that is why VSD is my saving grace to being a mom, wife and web designer all at once

Mikey...hugs and take care!!!