Quotes or hourly rates? Your pricing, how do you value your time?

This is a valuable and very interesting discussion. Thank you all, this is very helpful.

This a a great discussion and I would just like to add my twopenneth. When I work out my pricing I start with a fixed rate and then add options at additional costs.

That way my clients get to feel that they are more involved, can control their budget and are subsequently happy with the end product.

I have also learned that by adding options, I do get more return customers wishing to add these options at a future date.

My philosophy is, 'look after your customers and they will look after you'

i know some who charge $250/hour for creative services.

I know a few who are higher than that Derek

They are in the realm of consultants though, and don't really do the groundwork design anymore.

Nice thread Julian,

I currently use both hourly rates and quotes, depending on the client. A lot of time, programming work will be hourly, as anything can happen, but when I'm working with design, a lot of times it will be quoted. Programming rates can go anywhere from $35-$100/hour, while I've had ecommerce sites go for as much as $3k-$5k. It all depends on the client, as you said, and the complexity of the site. But it is important not to undersell yourself, and your time. The client is paying good money for a professional service, and If you can prove to them your services are worth their time and money, it should definetly be worth yours.

Good comments SoReal. Everything depends on the client and your situation.

I see your top rates are well above mine, good stuff! and keep generating those great leads!

The proof is in the pudding as they say. Quality work deserves quality pay, and as you gain experience, you gain that better quality pay.

Remember to be realistic when you are giving a client a price quote. You're not trying to rip off the client, your simply trying to get your money's worth, as is the client. I've made 5 page sites for under $500 before, and when they get more complicated (backend systems, forum customization, flash, etc), the price goes, up, because your taking more time, and more effort than a typical site design. It's often a good idea to have base prices for certain services you offer, and as new work comes in, build off that base price, and estimate how much longer these services will take. Multiply the time by your desired hourly rate, and you can come up with a pretty good estimate for your quote.

Great post Julian. I strongly agree that you should value your time and not under-sell your services.
It's funny how if you charge too little, some people may look at your services as being under-par, even though your intention may have been to offer more affordable or cheaper rates than competitors.
I guess the key is to find the right balance between charging too little and charging too much.

Lol Jhin, I posted that link quite a while ago in here. Brendan Sinclair is someone I have learned a lot from and would like to meet in person to thank one day.

m23, I know what you mean, your pricing should always be relative to your current position. But never undersell yourself.

Originally Posted by Julian Lol Jhin, I posted that link quite a while ago in here. Brendan Sinclair is someone I have learned a lot from and would like to meet in person to thank one day.

hehe I knew I found his stuff from a reputable source :P Yes, I enjoy his writing style and I've been chewing on the idea of purchasing his web developer business kit.