Your First Web Design Contract
October 31, 2007
Recently someone asked me a bunch of questions related to getting their first web design job as an independent contractor – and so I figured an article was a good idea.
Tim asked:
Stefan,
With me being a newbie in the web design business, I have some questions. Long story short, I was talking with my friends wife one day and mentioned to her that I had thought about doing some web design on the side to make some extra money.
I live in a small town, with a lot of small businesses and I figure these businesses would have a use for a simple web site to help promote their business.
… So I’m thinking this would be something I could start within the next year or so, … two days ago I receive a call from my friends wife and she asks if I’m interested in doing a web site for her brother, who is a dentist in our town.
So, I say sure and she tells me that he will probably contact me soon to set up a meeting to discuss.
Now, this is great but I haven’t got a clue where to start. Hers’s my thought:
1. Meet with the client to discuss the site. How many pages, the content, etc. Maybe show some of my work.
2. Take the info from the meeting and come up with a quote.
3. Present my idea’s and the quote.
4. If he agree’s and accepts the quote, draw up a contract for him to sign.
OK, I have a few comments about the above four points.
When you meet a prospect for the first time, you will probably (99% chance) need to show then some of your work. So be ready with about 3 good looking web sites. And yes, you should have a nice looking web site of your own to send people to.
About the quote:
You should not give a quote when your meeting your client for the first time. You need time alone to look at the details to come up with something accurate. That said, if you are confident, you can give a ballpark figure (the first time,) if your prospect pushes you.
Presenting your quote:
Keep it simple, it doesn’t need to be a complex document as this would only help confuse your client. But at the same time, be sure you detail enough elements about the web site, and what your responsibilities are. Doing this will help you to avoid conflicts later on.
Tim continued to ask:
1. Who is a dependable and reasonable web host?
There are many. You can read reviews (but many are fake,) so my best advice is to join a good web design forum where you can get to know other web designers and they will point you in the right direction.
2. Do I let the client pay for the web space each month or do I add that cost into a monthly maintenance bill and pay for it myself out of that money?
That depends on whether you want to be supporting the client for little details like setting up email addresses etc … If you handle the hosting, you basically are providing an end-to-end solution making it really easy for your client. This strategy will help a lot in terms of keeping them as clients.
But on the flip side, you have to deal with the small (sometimes annoying) request.
3. Do you have a blank quote sheet that I could see to get some ideas for mine?
Each one is different because websites can be so different from each other. I use a simple Word document that:
- has my logo and contact information at the top.
- starts with a short summary of the project/website.
- list details (forms, special functionality) with bullet points.
Remember to keep it simple.
4. Do you have a generic contract I could look at to get ideas for mine?
I will see if I can dig one up.
5. What is a typical price for a basic 4 or 5 page web site?
These days, maybe $300-$500. But it depends on the features, your market and your experience. For small jobs like that, you should be using templates to save time.
6. What is a typical cost for monthly maintenance on a site?
That again, depends. Try to calculate by the hour and then pad it a little just in case. Or just set a per hour rate and when they need something they will have to pay for your time.
7. Do I charge extra for any pages the client would want to add later?
Time is money. Charge for your time.
8. Am I forgetting anything?
Remember to consider your time meeting the client, time on the phone etc in your calculations. Not just your time in front of the computer.
9. Do you have any words of wisdon for me?
Be patient, build a nice looking web site and continue to learn – especially PHP.
Hope that helps,
Stefan Mischook
www.killersites.com
