Web designers / coders / web companies

**morleymouse** · 21-10-04

Afternoon all, only me! Just wondering if there are any ex web designers, web designer coders types about.

Im building a local newspapers site, been in today to see what they want. Its going to be quite big, big ol' database on back end with news stories, etc. Full whats on listings set out in a calendar type format. TV listings, possibly properties from local estate agents and lots of other local stuff but the focus is news, all stored in this database and they want that to be easily added to by the journalists.

so basically, nice, pretty yet simple and fast site, databases, e-delivery of sheffileds most popular free newspaper

if you have done freelance web design in the past, what sort of price would you recon? I know i havn't told you everything really so could be hard to guess, but just some sort of ball park figure would be nice.

thank'yall

**lowndsy** · 21-10-04

I've just had an awkward situation where I quoted way too low for a database driven site and when the users requirements changed to increase the size of the project we both kind of lost interest. In the same week period I quoted £500 for a small static business website, £650 for some excel number crunching and £470 for what turned out to be a multi-domain, multi-site, multi DB system. What was I thinking?
So the moral of the story is... you can always come down if you quote too high, but it's much trickier the other way round. For a newspaper, even a free one, I'd be tempted to look at what they charge for ads and at the very least charge what they'd get for 15 (big) ads in one issue - you'll be helping drive business to them for an indefinite period of time so you should charge accordingly.

**D-Mac** · 21-10-04

10K, although I am puzzled that you haven't agreed a price as it sounds like you already have the job..!

**bapages** · 21-10-04

I would reccommend this guy who did my php site at reasonable prices

http://www.stevesims.com/index.htm

**SpendaPenny** · 21-10-04

http://www.xigla.com/xigla/index.htm

get that installed ona server...

Job done...

Pip

**morleymouse** · 21-10-04

10K, although I am puzzled that you haven't agreed a price as it sounds like you already have the job..!

im also their in house graphic designer

today was just going through ideas etc and how feasable their plans are, and baffling them. i did start today, but only on a layout really. £10k! woah! I wish! But I am being paid by the hour... so if I make it take a few thousand hours ill be sorted!

But that isnt far off what lowndsy's saying, as 15 half pagers at £500 a go comes to £7500.

so at £6 an hour im being done over?

**D-Mac** · 21-10-04

If they outsourced the job it would cost them perhaps between £2,500 for someone desperate for the work, and £15,000 for a company with a proven track record and good sales people.

£6.00 an hour sounds like a bargain, but in-house stuff is always miles cheaper. (Except compared to the off-the-shelf packages mentioned above).

Do a good job and then ask for a pay rise?

**morleymouse** · 21-10-04

think thats what ill have to do, and make it so complicated nobody else there can make any big changes. oh well, back to it tomorrow!

**Michael_Anthony** · 21-10-04

Morleymouse, no offence, but you are too cheap! I reckon that's McDonald's trainee money, not an experienced web designer's.

May I recommend a book to you? - "Everything is Negotiable" by Gavin Kennedy. You'll never think that you've done a bad deal if you read this and use the guy's advice.

**Darren** · 21-10-04

Yeah, I've got to agree.

£6 an hour is an absolute insult. Have you quoted the extracts from the 'Equal Work for Equal Pay Act'? If not, I would.

A friend of mine was doing hardware and network stuff for a company. It ended up that he was managing a massive operation (I'm talking over 100 stations, VPNs, mail and web servers, etc) and never got any pay rise. Salary = £10,500.......I'm totally honest.

I laughed when he told me. The work he did, which was essential to their business, and the overtime and being on call 24/7, he should have been commanding at least £40 K per year!

Anyway, I digress.

Dan......if £6 an hour is your going rate currently, I'll pay you £6.50 an hour and you can have my spare room rent free (I'm serious!)

**morleymouse** · 21-10-04

hmm 'Equal Work for Equal Pay Act' ?

**bapages** · 21-10-04

Morleymouse,

Can you sort me some out for £6 per hour abou time you became morleycat and used your talents for what they are worth.

**mibut** · 21-10-04

Lowndsy
If someone asks for a quote and on the basis of that quote says go ahead, then that person should go ahead and do the job.
If they think they have underpriced, then they should say so to the customer and hope that the customer will pay some extra.
If you do not say anything and do not even contact the customer or finish the work then what kind of reputation will that be on you or your work.