# Building a website..prices/suggestions?



## Pinchy (Feb 5, 2009)

Ok I am going to attempt to build a website for a family friend's business. Ive done websites before for uni and myself, but they arent quite as professional and technical.

For starters, the website will look something like this:

http://www.adcomkit.com.au/index.html

Just a random website, but he wants the same look to his site as that site has. He will come up with all the info and layout of the site, I will just have to build it (or I may have to sit down with him and design it all as well, still unsure atm).

The main thing I would like to know is how much should I charge to make a website like that? I really want to know what other companies charge, as I wont charge them as much of course (as its a family friend and I am not as 'good' as a company).

They will pay the hosting fees and domain name fees and all that, but I will have to find the companies to host them.

Other things I would like to know are, what program(s) could I use to make fancy animations? Flash?

Will be making the site in html and css.


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## Disparia (Feb 6, 2009)

Static site? I usually see signs on the road offering sites for $100/page. That's not quite the pricing system I'd go with... just find out the 'size' of the site, estimate how long it'll take you, and give a price based off that.


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## Wozzer (Feb 6, 2009)

I usually charge £300 for a 5 paged website.


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## morpha (Feb 7, 2009)

charge whatever... 

if you want to know what the big firms charge, ring some and ask for a quote on what they would charge to build the website youve been asked to build.


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## SystemViper (Feb 7, 2009)

yea, flash for the animations, and maybe the nav but that is added complexity and cost, 

Do they have a logo, and are suppling all the nav elements and page fill, images and such.

First make sure you are part of the design, I don't know how much you do html, java, php, asp or such but layout could kill you with nested tables and divs./ vids or any other bling or conflicting elements

is there any database work, shopping cart?

also images cost money and take time to find the right one for the look and feel.

Talk with them about committing to a design, what usually kills your profits is if they keep changing the design on you after final mocks, added late changes once the final has been agreed apon costs money and time. Specify that in advance so they make sure they get it right or know that adding a nav element or changing text , pics and or layout changes the cost.

also try for some kind of maintanence fee because a static site is a buisness killer, you always it to be fresh.

Decient Flash work comes at a min of 75.00 an hour USD

a very basic site should be around 500, a little more advanced 1k. and that is without much flash or no database connection.


But depending on your skillset, how much you need cash and also your relationship, be fair and honest and it will work out fine. Stay away from those prebuilt sites, they are very hard to edit. but sometimes help you with some key elements.

Try to think about in terms of how much time you will have to spend on it, break it down into it's basic elements.

initial Mock/design, ususally takes several quick mocks for a thumbs upo.
they it's build time with milestone looksies so they see your progress.
final edit and then upload and a few tweeks. 
If you can break it down to what you are responsible for, building, design idea's and programming selection, should this be dhtml or java, like decisions.

then break down what they need to supply you and when.

sorry for being long winded but the more you think of hte elements the better you can start to build a biz and understand your costs on the upfront.

best of luck


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